Information structure

Aims

Aims

This module explores the means that natural languages make available (and the way speakers use them) in order to signal, in a communicative setting, the information status of distinct classes of elements (individuals and events for the most part). In this module we start from a precise notion of "Information Status" relating elements to whether or not they have been mentioned in the preceding discourse and whether they constitute one of a relevant set of possible elements, and we move on to examine in detail how languages mark these distinctions. The study of information structure, as can be expected, includes aspects of all the major sub fields of linguistics (phonology, syntax and semantics). Of particular interest is how these different areas interact in order to produce an array of complex effects giving us a glimpse into the complex ways the grammar encodes conversational dynamics.

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

• Define key notions in information structure
• Describe the reflexes of information structure in one or more languages
• See connections between data and theory with respect to information structure
• Discuss competing interpretations/explanations of one or more notions of information structure
• Analyse relevant language data with respect to information structure
• Present data as evidence in support of a theoretical argument

Note that a Research Extension module can be taken alongside this module, for students who wish to write a dissertation.

This module will be capped at 35.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

Students must have successfully completed any TWO of:

• L16I Intermediate syntax
• L09I Intermediate phonetics and phonology
• L11I Intermediate semantics

Programme

Programme

Contact hours

Two to three hours per week.

Teaching programme

The first two thirds of the module consist of lectures and seminars where we aim to first understand the basic notions of information structure including Topic, Focus (and their subtypes) and Givenness. In the final part of the module we focus on some of the research methods that we use to approach the phenomena of information structure.

Suggestions for reading before the module starts

The following article can be downloaded from Manfred Krifka’s website:

• Krifka, Manfred. 2007. Basic notions in information structure. In C. Fery and M. Krifka (eds.), Interdisciplinary Studies of Information Structure 6, Potsdam.

Assessment and feedback

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on formative work

Formative assessment consists of the submission of a short proposal for the essay and a presentation on the essay topic. Both of these will facilitate feedback provision and foster a collaborative approach to problem-solving.

Summative assessment and feedback

• Essay
  4000-word essay which can be either a theoretical discussion of a particular concept or set of concepts or a report on an empirical investigation that you have carried out.
  • Weight: 100%

Skills

Transferable skills developed in this module

All modules provide an opportunity to work on general oral/written communication skills (in class and in assessments) and general self management (organising your studies), alongside the specific skills in language or linguistics that the module teaches.

In addition, this module will allow you to particularly develop skills in creativity and innovation,as a large component of the module is a piece of data collection that you will design and carry out. You will need to identify which of a set of pre-existing tools for data collection of information structure concepts are most suitable for your purposes, carry out data collection according to ethical protocols, then analyse and interpret your results. The opportunity to set your own goal and then find a way to address it allow you to demonstrate the kind of creativity that is very valuable in the employment marketplace.

Follow this link to hear how past students use transferable skills from their degree in their current jobs.