This course is an introduction to the study of language, especially of English. We look at language as a type of communication system and investigate how a language like English is organized. We see how speech sounds are made, how sounds are combined into meaningful units, how words are built up and stuck together to form sentences, and how these sentences are interpreted. The main topics we will cover are (1) phonetics, (2) phonology, (3) morphology, (4) syntax, and (5) meaning. By the end of the term, students will have developed the foundations of a scientific understanding oflanguage. The course is conducted in English and can help students improve their English skills if they are willing to work hard.
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