First Semester

The course is an introduction to both the generative and the cognitive approaches. The Generative Linguistics part involves a brief introduction to the tenets of generative grammar with an emphasis on the deficiencies of structural grammar that led to the development of transformational grammar by Chomsky. It examines concepts such as deep and surface structures, phrase structure and PS rules, transformations and transformational processes. The Cognitive Linguistics part involves exploring the ways in which this discipline has influenced the investigation of semantics and syntax, as well as the connection between language, culture and the mind. The Cognitive Linguistics section is divided into three parts: (1) An Overview of Cognitive Linguistics, (2) Cognitive Semantics, and (3) Cognitive Approaches to Grammar. At the end of the course the students should be able to go into more advanced topics within the Generative and the Cognitive Linguistics frameworks.