AJ1209 Basics of Lexicology

Faculty of Education
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Radek Vogel, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Radek Vogel, Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Supplier department: Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Prerequisites
AJ1102 Practical Language 1B || AJ2102 Practical Language 1B
Advanced or fluency level of English.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course introduces the basic concepts of English word-formation, lexical semantics, semantic relations between lexical units, lexical cohesion and the development and stratification of the English word-stock.
At the end of this course, students will be able to understand and explain the main properties of and tendencies in the English lexis; they will be able to analyse lexical units in terms of their form, function, origin, meaning and use in various styles.
Throughout the semester students are encouraged to link theory in the classroom to practice at schools via practical tasks.
Learning outcomes
The students will be able to - understand linguistic terminology and use it when discussion vocabulary issues, - analyze the structure of words and phrases and understand the relations between lexical items, - understand the differences between the Czech and the English vocabularies, - implement the knowledge of lexicology for didactic purposes, e.g. for the development of teaching materials and enhancing the variety of tasks in English lessons.
Syllabus
  • Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction to lexicology. Word and lexeme. Linguistic sign.
  • 2. Morphemes - free and bound, lexical and grammatical. Allomorphs, suppletion.
  • 3. Lexical semantics. The meaning of a word: denotative and associative meanings.
  • 4. Relations between lexical items. Polysemy and homonymy.
  • 5. Historical semantics: changes in the meaning of words.
  • 6. Typology of naming units.
  • 7. Figures of speech.
  • 8. Word-formation: basic word-formation processes in English (derivation, compounding, abbreviation, semantic shift, neologism).
  • 9. Word-formation: minor word-formation processes in English.
  • 10. Origins and development of the English vocabulary. Lexical borrowing. Variation in vocabulary choice.
  • 11. Word classes in Modern English.
  • 12. Phraseology.
  • 13. Teaching practice observation - word-formation and sense relations in coursebooks and classroom practice.
Literature
    required literature
  • VOGEL, Radek. Basics of Lexicology. 1st ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2007, 97 pp. skriptum. ISBN 978-80-210-4272-8. info
  • JACKSON, Howard and Etienne ZÉ AMVELA. Words, meaning and vocabulary : an introduction to modern English lexicology. 2nd ed. New York: Continuum, 2007, xii, 248. ISBN 9780826490186. info
    recommended literature
  • VOGEL, Radek. Lexicology - e-learning course. 2005. URL info
  • HLADKÝ, Josef and Milan RŮŽIČKA. A functional onomatology of English. 4. opr. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 1998, 93 s. ISBN 8021018879. info
  • CRYSTAL, David. The Cambridge encyclopedia of the English language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995, vii, 489. ISBN 0521401798. info
  • PALMER, F. R. Semantics. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981, vi, 221. ISBN 0521283760. info
  • ADAMS, Valerie. An introduction to modern English word-formation. London: Longman, 1973, viii, 230. ISBN 0582521947. info
    not specified
  • Manuál lexikografie. Edited by František Čermák - Renata Blatná. 1. vyd. Jinočany: H & H, 1995, 283 s. ISBN 80-85787-23-7. info
  • HATCH, Evelyn and Cheryl BROWN. Vocabulary, semantics, and language education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995, xii, 468 s. ISBN 0-521-47942-8. info
Teaching methods
Teaching methods:
- explanation, analysis and discussion in seminars
- home study
- tasks for teaching practice
Assessment methods
Completion prerequisites:
- attendance (minimum 80%);
- seminar presentation;
- colloquy - based on the final test (to pass: min. 70%)
Language of instruction
English
Follow-Up Courses
Study support
https://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=3733
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Note related to how often the course is taught: kombinované studium: výuka v blocích.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: kombinované studium: výuka v blocích.
Teacher's information
https://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=3733
AJ1209 (Vogel, full-time): https://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=3734

AJ1209 (Vogel, combined): https://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=3733
If a student is spending the whole semester abroad within the framework of the Erasmus programme, attendance is not considered obligatory, but the other requirements (seminar presentation online, mid-term and final tests in the exam period) must be met.


In the course, the use of AI is permitted for learning but not for cheating. It is acceptable to use AI for brainstorming ideas, basic proofreading, and suggestions for improvement. It is unacceptable to have a text generated, translated or reformulated. Remember to acknowledge all innovative ideas that are not yours. For generated ideas, use in-text citations. At the end of each assignment, state how you worked/did not work with AI. When in doubt, consult your teacher.

The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2018, Autumn 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/ped/spring2025/AJ1209