Department of Global and Interdisciplinary Studies

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LIN200ZA（言語学 / Linguistics 200）
Semantics and Pragmatics

Nobumi NAKAI

Class code etc
Faculty/Graduate school Department of Global and Interdisciplinary Studies
Attached documents
Year 2022
Class code A6251,A6527
Previous Class code
Previous Class title (Semantics)
Term 春学期授業/Spring
Day/Period 金2/Fri.2
Class Type
Campus 市ヶ谷 / Ichigaya
Classroom name 各学部・研究科等の時間割等で確認
Grade 2～4
Credit(s) 2
Notes
Open Program
Open Program (Notes)
Global Open Program
Interdepartmental class taking system for Academic Achievers ○
Interdepartmental class taking system for Academic Achievers (Notes) 制度ウェブサイトの3．科目別の注意事項 (1) GIS主催科目の履修上の注意を参照すること。
Class taught by instructors with practical experience
SDGs CP
Urban Design CP
Diversity CP
Learning for the Future CP
Carbon Neutral CP
Chiyoda Campus Consortium
Duplicate Subjects Taken Under Previous Class Title ×
Category (commenced 2024 onwards)
Category (commenced 2020-2023)
Category (commenced 2016-2019)

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Outline and objectives

Semantics is the study of meaning in language. Pragmatics is the study of the ways people use language in actual conversations. The aim of this course is to provide students with an essential understanding of semantics and pragmatics, with examples drawn from English and Japanese.

Goal

By the end of the course, students will:
(1) Have a general understanding of the interface between semantics and pragmatics.
(2) Understand key concepts and major theories in the fields.
(3) Survey the wide range of semantic and pragmatic phenomena in all their richness and variety.

Which item of the diploma policy will be obtained by taking this class?

Will be able to gain “DP 1”, “DP 2”, “DP 3”, and “DP 4”.

Default language used in class

英語 / English

Method(s)（学期の途中で変更になる場合には、別途提示します。 /If the Method(s) is changed, we will announce the details of any changes. ）

This course begins by covering some essential issues of semantics. In subsequent lectures, we will discuss how the identification of the semantic contribution of words and sentences gets us only partway to understanding what an utterance means. The course is a combination of lectures, group discussions, and review exercises. Feedback will be given during class discussions as necessary.

Active learning in class (Group discussion, Debate.etc.)

あり / Yes

Fieldwork in class

なし / No

Schedule

授業形態/methods of teaching：対面/face to face

※各回の授業形態は予定です。教員の指示に従ってください。

1[オンライン/online]：Introduction

Course overview of Semantics and Pragmatics

2[対面/face to face]：An Overview of Semantics

Describes the components of linguistic meaning and introduces lexical and compositional semantics.

3[対面/face to face]：Lexical Semantics (1): The Meanings of Words

Examines the different ways that word senses could be represented in the mind of a language user and discusses the types of reference that words can have.

4[対面/face to face]：Lexical Semantics (2): Word Relations

Discusses the kinds of meaning relationships that exist between words.

5[対面/face to face]：Compositional Semantics (1): The Meanings of Sentences

Introduces propositions, truth values, and truth conditions, and discusses relationships between propositions.

6[対面/face to face]：Compositional Semantics (2): Putting Meanings Together

Introduces the Principle of Compositionality in more detail and discusses different ways that lexical meanings combine to give rise to phrasal meanings.

7[対面/face to face]：Practice (1)

Provides exercises, discussion questions, and activities.

8[対面/face to face]：Language in Context

Explores several ways in which context can affect the meaning of utterances, and introduces the idea of felicity in discourse.

9[対面/face to face]：Rules of Conversation

Discusses why conversation needs to follow rules, and introduces Grice's maxims for cooperative conversation.

10[対面/face to face]：Drawing Conclusions

Shows ways in which language users may employ context to convey or derive meaning that is not part of an utterance's entailed meaning.

11[対面/face to face]：Speech Acts

Outlines many of the jobs that speakers accomplish with language and the ways in which they accomplish them.

12[対面/face to face]：Presupposition

Discusses another precondition for felicity.

13[対面/face to face]：Practice (2)

Provides exercises, discussion questions, and activities.

14[対面/face to face]：Examination & Wrap-up

Semester-end exam

Work to be done outside of class (preparation, etc.)

Students are required to read the relevant reading materials carefully in advance so that they can actively participate in discussions. Practice problems will be assigned occasionally. Preparatory study and review time for this class are 2 hours each.

Textbooks

No textbooks are used. All reading materials will be provided in the classroom.

References

The following books will be helpful for a general understanding of the fields.
(1) Cruse, Alan (2010)
Meaning in language: An introduction to semantics and pragmatics, Oxford UP.
(2) Riemer, Nick (2010)
Introducing semantics, Cambridge UP.
(3) Saeed, John I. (2015)
Semantics, John Wiley Inc.
(4) Birner, Betty J. (2012)
Introduction to pragmatics, Wiley-Blackwell.
(5) Senft, Gunter (2014)
Understanding pragmatics: An interdisciplinary approach to language use, Hodder Arnold/Routledge.
(6) Loebner, Sebastian (2012)
Understanding semantics, Hodder Arnold/Routledge.

Grading criteria

Student evaluations are based on class participation (25%), in-class assignments (25%), and a final exam (50%). More than two unexcused absences will result in failure of the course. Attendance at the first class is mandatory.

Changes following student comments

Not applicable.

Equipment student needs to prepare

The handouts are downloadable in PDF format.

Others

None.

Prerequisite

None.