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Downloads BA Seminar: Introduction to Cognitive Linguistics

Spring Semester 2021

Under construction

This seminar will unfortunately also have to be done as an online course. The Zoom link for the classes is https://unibe-ch.zoom.us/j/93023139306
We will start at 10:30 and go on till 12:00.

Documents to be checked out:

As a source a very useful collection of alphabetically ordered concepts that we use in cognitive linguistics:

Other introductory sources to be checked out:

 
Week Themes and activities Files for Download - and to read before the session!
 Additional material

14

Meaning Construction

Constructing meaning in and through larger "chunk" of language (in discourse)

Chapter 11: Meaning Construction

Key terms  accessible in a Google Doc
The Presentation (to be uploaded after the session)
The Presetation by Rachael, Laura, Cristina and Afsheen

13

Cognitive Semantics:

Two alternative (traditional) models

 Chapter 11 has had to be shifted once more so it will be the focus of next week's session.
In this session we will explore some alternatives to the approaches discussed so far. There is another downloadable worksheet
 For more detailed information, especially on the notion of truth condition and the metalanguage, here is

Chapter 13: Cognitive Semantics in Context

12

Cognitive Semantics:

The Story So Far Part 1

Please note that we may start a little later than at 10:30 because the zoom lecture podcast rendering may be a bit slow.

In this session, because the session on Chapter 11 has been shifted to next week, we will be exploring some practical aspects of what the last few sessions have dealt with.
These will be the basis of a workshop session in groups.

11

Cognitive Semantics:

Metaphor and Mentonymy

Chapter 9: Metaphor and Metonymy

 Interactive Glossary for Metaphor and Mentonymy
Presentation

Thoughts and Questions

10

Cognitice Semantics:

Categorisation

Chapter 8: Categorisation

 Interactive Glossary for Categorisation
Presentation

9

Cognitive Semantics:

Embodiment

Encyclopaedic view

Texts for 30 minute presentations

Evans and Green (2006)

Chapter 6: Embodiment

Chapter 7: Encylopaedic View


 Interactive Glossary for Embodiment
Interactive Glossary for Encyclopaedic View

Details about the 30-minute Presentations

  • Chapter 8: Categorisation 5.5.
  • Chapter 9: Metaphor and Metonymy 12.5.
  • Chapter 11: Meaning Construction 19.5.
Instructions for non-presenters:
  • read the chapters in advance
  • check regularly for uploads and links before the sessions
  • during the presentation, take notes and formulate observations and questions in writing;
  • add them during the presentations to the supplied google docs

8

Cognitive Semantics: a general approach

Read

Evans and Green (2006) Chapter 5 What is Cognitive Semantics?
 
Post your questions by Monday evening to this GoogleDoc

Handouts

7

Grammar and Cognitive Linguistics

with Mini-Presentations !

Read

Evans and Green (2006), Chapter 14		 Some practical exercises to check your understanding.

Please also check your emails about the Mini Presentations in this session

Mini(?)-Presentations of today

6

Word classes and Morphology

Material for the discussion

Group Explorations

Reading for next session


Evans and Green (2006), Chapter 14

5

Categorisations and "prototypes"
(Word classes and Morphology)

Material for the discussion


 The Geeraerts Paper in full
Note: This is interesting but a little theoretical and not necessarils for the fainthearted :-)

4

Categorisations of Nouns

Gender and Beyond

Please read

Deutscher (2011): Sex and Syntax (It sounds rather click-bait-y, sorry...)

And dip into Crisma et  al (2011) The point of Bantu, Chinese and Romance nominal classification with special attention to "Bantu"

Important: You will be expected to give an account of noun categorisation in different languages, so look out for other sources

3

Approaches to Cognitive Linguistics

Getting a more profound unterstanding of what Cognitive Linguistics means
 Please have a look at
Evans and Green (2006): The nature of cognitive linguistics:
Assumptions and Commitments

New:
Worksheet with activities related to the re
ading
Key Concepts to be presented in the session are (as listed below)
Questions on the Reading

Groups from last week

  • 1+2: David, Elisa, Laura May, Sasha
  • 3+4: Afsheen, Alliya, Jeanine, Rachael
  • 5+6: Anika, Cristina, Marco
  • 7+8: Annina, Joseph, Linda
  • "new arrivals" prepare for any of the 8 questions

2

Approaches to using Cognitive Linguistics

 


 Please carefully read
Evans and Green (2006): What does it mean to know a language

And prepare a short statement to each of these three questions (Geeraerts 2006): (where we left off...):

1.     What is actually cognitive about Cognitive Linguistics?

2.     What are arguments for and against including Chomskyan syntactic analysis in Cognitive Linguistics?

3.     Can you give your own illustrations of or examples for the four “characteristics of meaning” in Cognitive Linguistics?

And an extra question: Can you give your own examples of "embodied experience"? (see Evans and Green)

New:

Link to the Google Document

on Evans and Green for Session 2:
Questions on the Reading

See also below (material from last week).

1

Introduction

  • House-keeping
  • What do we mean by "knowing a language"
Before the first session next week, make sure you have read
Geeraerts D. (2006): Introduction : A rough guide to Cognitive Linguistics.
Sections 1, 2.5 and 4 carefully ; the remaining sections and subsections are interesting but not as central to the first session.

On Wednesday 24 February you will be able to download either of these files:

What It Means to "Know a Language"

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