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LN3525: INFORMATION STRUCTURE (2023-2024)

Last modified: 05 Oct 2023 08:46


Course Overview

In this course, students will critically engage with some of the principal concepts in research on Information Structure — the study of how we ‘package’ information in communication, such as Focus, Topic and Givenness. Students will develop their individual research projects in their language of choice to describe how syntax, morphology, or intonation can serve to highlight discourse-relevant information or instruct the addressee that they take this information for granted.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 3
Term Second Term Credit Points 30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Johannes Heim

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This course will provide a basic introduction to Information Structure. Information Structure deals primarily with how the form of a linguistic expression reflects the temporary state of a discourse, and so is concerned with “information packaging” as opposed to strictly semantic content. We will examine the central notions of Information Structure, including Topic, Focus and Givenness, both their semantic/pragmatic interpretation and their manifestation in prosody (e.g. sentence stress) and in syntax (e.g. clefts, topicalization, left/right dislocation). During the course, students will be expected to participate in seminar-type discussions, present literature reviews (both orally and in writing), conduct original research, participate in a research group, and present research findings (both orally and in writing). 

A familiar example from English illustrates the types of problems explored. Consider the following four distinct possible pronunciations of the sentence ‘John likes Mary’: JOHN likes Mary, John likes MARY, John LIKES Mary, and JOHN likes MARY. The differences among these variants are said to be differences in the expression of focus. What precisely is it about each of these pronunciations that makes it phonetically and phonologically distinct from the others? Observe that each of these pronunciations imposes distinct conditions on the discourse contexts in which it can be felicitously used. What are these conditions? How are they best characterized? How do other languages express these same variations in information packaging? Some languages do not use prosody at all, but instead use morphological or syntactic means to give expression to focus variants. Many languages, including English, use a combination these strategies. 


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Abstract submitted in preparation for the presentation

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 20
Assessment Weeks 14 Feedback Weeks 17

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Feedback

500 words abstract to be submitted in preparation for the mini-end-of-course conference presentation.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseStudents can conduct their own research in a sub-area of Information Structure, building on the research project completed
ConceptualUnderstandStudents can define key concepts in the field of Information Structure and identify their limitations.
FactualRememberStudents can provide examples of cross-linguistic variation in marking new, old, and contrastive information.
ProceduralApplyStudents can apply methods from different linguistic modules to the phenomena relevant in Information Structure research.

Literature Review

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks 3,5,7,9 Feedback Weeks 4,6,8,10

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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandStudents can define key concepts in the field of Information Structure and identify their limitations.
ProceduralApplyStudents can apply methods from different linguistic modules to the phenomena relevant in Information Structure research.

Mini-Conference Presentation (12mins)

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 40
Assessment Weeks 8 Feedback Weeks 8

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Feedback

In-class peer-feedback and written feedback on presentation and content. 

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseStudents can conduct their own research in a sub-area of Information Structure, building on the research project completed
ProceduralApplyStudents can apply methods from different linguistic modules to the phenomena relevant in Information Structure research.

Tutorial/Seminar Participation

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 10
Assessment Weeks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 Feedback Weeks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11

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Combination of attendance & participation

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandStudents can define key concepts in the field of Information Structure and identify their limitations.
FactualRememberStudents can provide examples of cross-linguistic variation in marking new, old, and contrastive information.

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Grades and feedback will be provided via Turnitin.

Word Count 3000
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseStudents can conduct their own research in a sub-area of Information Structure, building on the research project completed
ProceduralApplyStudents can apply methods from different linguistic modules to the phenomena relevant in Information Structure research.
FactualRememberStudents can provide examples of cross-linguistic variation in marking new, old, and contrastive information.
ConceptualUnderstandStudents can define key concepts in the field of Information Structure and identify their limitations.

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