Semantics

Description

Description: This course offers an introduction to the basic concepts and methods in the analysis of natural language meaning through a survey of major current approaches and their findings: structuralist semantics, cognitive semantics, referential semantics, and radical pragmatics. Topics of focal interest include semantics at the language-cognition interface; lexical semantics, construction meaning, and syntax; semantics, pragmatics, and interaction; semantic typology and universals.

Objectives

• Understand the fundamental concepts and principles of semantics, including the relationship between language and meaning. Analyze different types of meaning, such as lexical and grammatical meaning, and consider the role of context, pragmatics, and culture in shaping meaning. Apply semantic analysis to real-world language use and communication. Develop critical thinking and analytical skills through semantic analysis and argumentation. Explore issues and controversies in semantics, such as linguistic relativity and cognitive linguistics.