Academic management

English Lexicology is part of the English Linguistics block, and it is framed within the major module of the Degree in English Studies. It is offered in the second semester of the second year of the studies.

The English Linguistics block covers the main areas in the scientific study of the English language both from a diachronic and from a synchronic point of view, and it thus offer a general view on English grammar. From a synchronic point of view, the following components of English grammar are covered in the block: phonology and phonetics, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. These are arranged in a ‘bottom-up’ manner as linguistic units within the word (morphemes, phonemes, lexemes) are studied first in the subjects English Lexicology and English Phonetics and Phonology. The third year of the degree proceeds to the study of larger syntactic units such as phrases and clauses in English Syntax I, so that students will acquire a solid knowledge of the grammar of contemporary English which will enable them to start the study of the historical evolution of the language in History of English I. Finally, in the fourth year students will pay attention to the interpretative component of the language and supra-sentential relations in English Semantics and Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis respectively.

The specific aim of English Lexicology within the described sequence is a double one: (i) to provide students with a description of the English lexicon which can be combined with the rest of components of the English grammar, and (ii) to complete their linguistic training with the concepts and tools of current lexicology. The subject offers an exhaustive description of the English lexicon.

Given its obligatory nature, the entry requirements to this subject are those to the degree. It is highly recommended that students have previously followed the linguistics subjects in the foundation module of the degree: Linguistics and Introduction to the Linguistic Study of English. A communicative competence in the English Language is also required which is equivalent to a B2 level as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference. In any event, a passing grade in the subject English Oral and Written Communication II is recommended, as the teaching sessions will be delivered in English and students will be required to perform oral and written tasks in which they will have to discuss the properties of the language in a well-reasoned manner.

This subject assumes the general competences of the Degree in English Studies. Additionally, students are also expected to acquire the following:

General

To reinforce and apply the knowledge and competences acquired in secondary education and in the Foundation Module of the degree which relate to English Studies (CGM1)

To make accurate use of the terminology and tools of the different subjects in English Studies. (CGM7)

To apply the theories and analytical models studied to the academic and professional practice and to the research on English Studies. (CGM9)

Specific

To organise complex linguistic facts in a theoretical framework and to evaluate alternative hypotheses on the different areas of linguistic analysis. (CEM21)

To acquire basic and explicit academic knowledge on English grammar in its different components (phonetic and phonological, lexico-semantic, morphosyntactic and pragmatic). (CEM22)

To apply in a professional and well-founded manner the knowledge of English grammar in its different components to the solving of problems and tasks in that area. (CEM24)

To make accurate use of the formative and informative tools relevant to English linguistics (databases, dictionaries, bibliographies, computer applications, electronic resources) (CEM27)

Teaching results

Descriptive knowledge of English grammar in all its components (phonetic and phonological, lexico-semantic, morphosyntactic and pragmatic) and an understanding of the disciplines which take care of each. (RAM19)

Knowledge of the scope of study of current lexicology and its concepts and tools, as well as the organisation of the English lexicon and its relation with existing models of the mental lexicon. (RAM22)

Block 1: Theoretical and methodological concepts

1. Introduction: lexicology as the theory of the lexicon component.

2. Lexicology: social, conceptualist and immanent approaches to the lexicon.

3: The public lexicon (lexis, dictionary) and the individual (mental) lexicon.

4. The lexeme and its identification. Polysemy and Homonymy.

Block 2: The structure of the lexicon

5. Paradigmatic lexical relations. Synonymy. Antonymy. Hyperonymy. (Co-)Hyponymy.

6. Syntagmatic lexical relations. Semantic fields/domains

7. Structure and general organization of the (mental) lexicon.

Block 3: The formal information of the lexeme

8. The lexeme’s content 1: phonological information.

9. The lexeme’s content 2: syntactic information.

10. The lexeme’s content 3: morphological information.

11: Additional information: pragmatic and sociolinguistic information.

12. Additional information: etymological, orthographic and multimodal information.

Block 4: Semantic information

13. The nature and status of lexical meaning. Lexicon vs. encyclopedia.

14. Frege: sense and reference. Intension and extension.

15. The classical analysis based on necessary and sufficient features

16. Fuzzy categories. Rosch and prototype theory.

17. Componential analyses I: Jackendoff’s Conceptual Semantics.

18. Componential analyses II: Pustejovski’s Generative Lexicon.

19. Atomist analyses: Fodor and meaning postulates.

20. The SEM content in lexical entries.

Block 5: Case studies. The semantics of main lexeme classes.

21. The semantic structure of lexemes denoting situations (events and states) I.

22. The semantic structure of lexemes denoting situations (events and states) II.

23. The semantic structure of lexemes denoting properties and relations.

24. The semantic structure of lexemes denoting individuals and substances.

English Lexicology is a six-credit course which consequently requires 150 hours of students’ work. Of those, 40% correspond to in-class teaching and the remaining 60% to autonomous learning. The distribution of teaching and learning methods is as follows:

The course contents are arranged around the following textbook:

Murphy, M. Lynne (2010) Lexical Meaning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

This book is a compulsory reference for the students as it will be the key to their autonomous learning. The course teaching is organised as follows:

A/ Lectures: in lectures, teachers will (i) describe the main concepts and ideas of each unit and (b) present crucial points in the obligatory textbook. Students are expected to read the relevant chapter and / or the additional material provided before the presentation of each unit.

B/ Seminars: in seminars, teachers will make sure that students have been able to organise and take advantage of the contents as described in lectures and that they can handle the basic theoretical concepts of each unit. For each block of contents, a number of practical activities will be provided that students will have to solve on their own. Seminars will then be devoted to discuss these activities and complement them with additional ones that will be solved individually or in group and which will serve to re-examine those aspects which may have turned out especially difficult for the students.

C/ Group tutorials: in group tutorials, doubts and difficulties that may have arisen during seminar and lectures will be discussed.

NOTE: If sanitary conditions should require, online teaching activities may be included in the course. Students will be duly informed in that case.

Students will choose one of the following assessment options in the first examination session:

a) Continuous assessment, which will be computed as follows:

• Attendance and active participation in the classroom as observed by the teachers (10% of final grade). Attendance will be controlled in seminar sessions and only five absences will be allowed (i.e. five hours).
• Practical activities, both online and in-class. These will be the student's portfolio, which can be examined by the teachers at any time during the course (30% of final grade).
• Two written examinations after blocks of lectures 1, 2 and 3 and 4 and 5, respectively (60% of final grade).

IMPORTANT: taking the second of these entails that the student has chosen this assessment option.

b)  One final examination: assessment will consist of a final written test only (100% of the final grade) in which students will have to show their theoretical knowledge of the subject and their argumentation capacity in a number of practical activities. A passing grade will be granted if the students obtain 5 as their final mark in this test.

Part-time students

In accordance with university regulations (Reglamento de Evaluación de los resultados de Aprendizaje de la Universidad de Oviedo, article seven), students who follow these studies under the part-time modality, will also be assessed through option B..

General note for all evaluation systems:

In accordance with university regulations (Reglamento de Evaluación de los resultados de Aprendizaje de la Universidad de Oviedo, articles 24 and 25) unethical use of bibliographical sources or plagiarism in written assignments and/or examinations will be penalised with a failing grade (0 marks).

Students' command of the English language in the tests will be considered (either negatively or positively) for evaluation purposes.

NOTE: Should sanitary conditions require, online assessment activities may be included in the course. Students will be duly informed in that case.

A/ Basic:

Textbook

Murphy, M. Lynne (2010) Lexical Meaning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

B/ Additional:

Aitchinson, J. Words in the Mind. Oxford: Blackwell. 2003.

Cruse, A.: Lexical Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1986.

Cruse, A.: Meaning in Language. Oxford: OUP. 2002.

Geeraerts, D. Theories of Lexical Semantics. Oxford: OUP. 2010.

Jackendoff, R. Semantic Structures. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 1990.

Jackson, H. and Amvela, E. Z.: Words, Meaning and Vocabulary. An Introduction to Modern English Lexicology. London: Continuum. 2000.

Jezek, E. The Lexicon. An Introduction. Oxford: OUP. 2016.

Levin, B.: English Verb Classes and Alternations. Chicago. The University of Chicago P. 1993.

Lyons, J. Semantics. Cambridge: CUP. 1977.

Margolis, E. and Laurence, S. (eds.) Concepts. Core Readings. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 1999.

Minkova, D. and Stockwell, R. English Words. Cambridge: CUP. 2001.

Plag, I. Word-Formation in English. Cambridge: CUP. 2003.

Pustejovsky, J. The Generative Lexicon. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 1995.

Pustejovsky, J y Batiukova, O. The Lexicon. Cambridge: CUP. 2019.

Webpages:

Words in English: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Words04/index.html