Aims

At the end of the course students should :
- have developed theoretical and practical knowledge in comparative grammar and contrastive linguistics, especially with respect to a comparative study of the Germanic and the Romance languages,
- have developed the ability to describe and and compare the functioning of several language systems on the basis of linguistic varieties,
- be able to apply the acquired theoretical knowledge on a certain subject in the field of contrastive linguistics.

Main themes

The course deals with the comparative study of language with respect to comparative grammar, with contrastive linguistics and their impact on culture and societies. The methodological aspects and the areas of research will be illustrated with examples from the Germanic and the Romance languages. Modern aspects of contrastive linguistics will be especially highlighted.

Content and teaching methods

The course will briefly analyse the origins of languages in Europe, with special emphasis on the origins of German languages. Next to the comparative approach we will also treat some elements of linguistics typology.

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

Evaluation : Written exam and group work on a topic of contrastive linguistics.

Other credits in programs