THEORY OF LANGUAGES

Single discipline educational activity

Course Sheet

Academic Year of enrolment:

2019/2020

Type of Course:

Elective Course

Optional/Mandatory:

Optional

Degree:

Bachelor's Degree Programme in PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA PROFESSIONS

Disciplinary Sector:

Philosophy and Theory of Language

Language:

Italian

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

CAPUTO Stefano

Hours of classroom activity:

Prerequisites:

None

AF code:

40002636

Assessment Methods

Verification of learning:

Oral exams

Teaching period

Second semester

Objectives

The course aims at providing students with:
A) mastery of the fundamental problems and theoretical options in the Semantics of natural language, that is to say the study of linguistic meaning, with a special focus on the problem of words meaning, making use of an interdisciplinary approach encompassing Semiotics, Linguistics, Philosophy of language, Logic and Cognitive Sciences;
B) ability to put under scrutiny and evaluate different theoretical options and to assess arguments that support them.

Contents

Words, Words, Words: a Multidisciplinary Introduction to the Study of Linguistic Meaning.
The course is divided into two parts. In the first, introductory, part some basic notions of the Theory of communication, Semiotics and Linguistics will be presented with the aim of highlighting the distinctive features of language and linguistic communication in respect of other kinds of signs and communication.
In the second part students will be introduced to the central claims and authors of the so called "Dominant paradigm" in the Semantics of natural language and to some of the most important rival approaches to it, both in the Philosophy of language, Linguistics and the Cognitive Sciences.

Recommended Bibliography

1) Lectures notes available on the e-learning platform.
2) S. Caputo, C. Barbero, Significato: Dalla filosofia analitica alle scienze cognitive, Carocci: Introduzione (pp. 1-31, ch. 1.1 (pp. 35-46), 1.3 (pp. 61-66), 1.5 (pp. 82-97), 2 (pp. 141-232), 3 and 4 (pp. 235-306).
N.B: Oral exam will mostly concern the topics presented during the lectures, whose essentials are contained in the lectures notes (see point 1).
The book above (point 2) is therefore mainly meant, for students attending the lectures, as a support to the study of the lectures notes.

Methods of Provision

Conventional

Teaching Methods

Lectures supported by ppt presentations; question time; problem solving; critical discussion and assessment of theories and arguments.

Contacts/More Information

Tutorship in English for Erasmus students.
If necessary, teaching material in English will be assigned to foreign students and exams can be taken in English.

THEORY OF LANGUAGES

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THEORY OF LANGUAGES