Aims

This course has three main objectives:
- to acquaint students with the conceptual framework of the main fields of linguistics (phonetics/phonology, morphology, lexical analysis, syntax, pragmatics, semantics);
- to acquaint students with the methods of analysis applied in these fields, in the context of formal (structural, functional, and generative methods) and variationist (essentially socio-linguistic) approaches applied to contemporary French;
- to relate this metalinguistic knowledge to the development of linguistic and discursive skills in French.

Main themes

Course activities are articulated around three axes:
- acquisition and manipulation of theoretical concepts linked to formal and variationist approaches to the main fields of linguistics;
- practical application of linguistic analysis methodologies to contemporary French;
- reflection on French as a mother tongue, its communicative resources (production and reception) and its modes of operation.

Content and teaching methods

The course proposes the study of basic concepts linked to:
1/ various domains of the linguistic description of contemporary French (phonetics-phonology, morphology, syntax, pragmatics, lexicology) moving from the smallest (phoneme) to the broadest (text) functional unit;
2/ the main types of variation (geographical, socio-linguistic, and stylistic) proper to contemporary French.
The study of these concepts will be associated to the practical analysis of given data (written and oral). Explicit links will be established, as far as possible, with other linguistics courses from the programme, particularly with "French at the University Level" (taken in the 1st year) and the skills developed therein.
The lecture courses will present the theoretical concepts and methodologies necessary to the linguistic analysis of contemporary French. Group tutorials, alternating with the lectures, will be devoted to the practice of the proposed analyses. Individual assignments also promoting linguistic and metalinguistic reflection will complete the teaching process.

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

Evaluation: written examination
Course material: course notes, a portfolio of reference articles, a range of documentation (available on the I-Campus website created to accompany the course).

Other credits in programs