UCL - English Linguistics : Lexicology

[GERM2823]

[30h] 6 credits

This two-yearly course is taught in 2008-2009, 2010-2011,...

Teacher(s):

Language: English

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

At the end of the course, students will master the terminology and main concepts of lexicology. They will be able to read scientific publications and conduct research in the field of English lexicology or contrastive lexicology.

Main themes

The course approaches the field of lexicology from five different angles :
1. Lexical semantics : conceptual meaning (componential analysis and prototypical approach) ; collocational, stylistic and connotative meaning ; homonymy and polysemy ; metaphor and metonymy.
2. Structure of the lexicon: semantic fields; paradigmatic relations (synonymy, hyponymy and antonymy) and syntagmatic relations.
3. Phraseology: study of the different typologies and analysis of the criteria used to classify the various categories of multi-word units (compounds, collocations, idioms, etc.).
4. English-French contrastive lexicology : lexical differences between English and French ; analysis of 'false friends'.
5. Monolingual and bilingual lexicography : impact of computerized corpora on new dictionaries, particularly learners' dictionaries.

Content and teaching methods

The course provides an introduction to the main concepts in the field of (English and English-French) lexicology and lexicography. Students are expected to do the required readings beforehand so as to be able to participate actively in classroom discussions.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Assessment : Extended term paper on a topic in English lexicology (+ oral defense). Continuous assessment (active participation in class and in the forum on iCampus).

Course materials.
Cowie, A. (ed.) (1998). Phraseology. Theory, Analysis and Applications. Clarendon Press : Oxford.
Singleton, D.(2000) Language and the Lexicon. An Introduction. Arnold : London.
Van Roey, J. ( 1990) French-English Contrastive Lexicology. Peeters : Louvain-la-Neuve.