AJL12102 Introduction to Functional Syntax

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Jana Chamonikolasová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Jana Chamonikolasová, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
AJ01002 Practical English II || AJL01002 Practical English II
The course is taught in English. It is designed for students who are able to communicate in fluent English about scientific topics. The prerequisites are knowledge of the basics of syntax (normative syntax) and semantics, and an ability of analytical reasoning.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 80 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/80, only registered: 0/80, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/80
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to indicate the position of functional syntax and semantics in linguistic theory and the function of language units in the act of communication. The course acquaints the students with the Brno conception of the theory of Functional Sentence Perspective (FSP) and outlines other approaches to the analysis of the information structure of language. The students will be trained in the FSP analysis of written texts.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the following outcomes will be achieved: 1. The students will understand the difference between static and dynamic approaches to syntax and semantics. 2. The students will master the basics of the Brno approach to the information structure of language. 3. The students will acquire the capacity of functional analysis of discourse. 4. The students will understand the dynamics of language as a communication system.
Syllabus
  • Week 1 Approaches to the study of Information Structure The position of functional syntax in linguistic theory Week 2 Syntactic analysis of a sentence Sentence typology Text analysis - Exercise Week 3 Basic sentence elements Text analysis - Exercise Week 4 The theory of functional sentence perspective The application of the FSP theory in translation Text analysis - Exercise Week 5 The distribution of communicative dynamism Week 6 Factors of FSP The linear modification factor Text analysis - Exercise Week 7 The contextual factor Text analysis - Exercise Week 8 The semantic factor Text analysis - Exercise Week 9 Foundation and core of a message Text analysis - Exercise Week 10 FSP functions Text analysis - Exercise Week 11 The FSP of questions, negative sentences and commands Text analysis - Exercise Week 12 Course test Week 13 Test analysis Final assignment guidelines
Literature
    required literature
  • FIRBAS, Jan. Functional Sentence Perspective in Written and Spoken Communications. Reprint. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995, 239 pp. ISBN 0-521-37308-5. info
    recommended literature
  • CHAMONIKOLASOVÁ, Jana. Communicative perspectives in the Theory of FSP. Linguistica Pragensia. Praha: Ústav pro jazyk český AV ČR, 2010, vol. 20, No 2, p. 86-93. ISSN 0862-8432. URL info
  • CHAMONIKOLASOVÁ, Jana. Intonation in English and Czech Dialogues. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2017, 119 pp. Spisy Filozofické fakulty Masarykovy univerzity, sv. 365. ISBN 978-80-210-8501-5. info
  • BIBER, Douglas, Susan CONRAD and Geoffrey N. LEECH. Longman student grammar of spoken and written English. First published. Harlow: Longman, 2002, vii, 487. ISBN 9780582237278. info
  • BIBER, Douglas. Longman grammar of spoken and written English. Edited by Randolph Quirk. Harlow: Pearson Education, 2000, xxviii, 12. ISBN 0582237254. info
  • HUDDLESTON, Rodney and Geoffrey K. PULLUM. A student's introduction to English grammar. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005, viii, 312. ISBN 9780521612883. info
  • HUDDLESTON, Rodney and Geoffrey K. PULLUM. The Cambridge grammar of the English language. Edited by Laurie Bauer. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002, xvii, 1842. ISBN 9780521431460. info
  • QUIRK, Randolph. A comprehensive grammar of the English language. Edited by David Crystal. London: Longman, 1985, x, 1779. ISBN 9780582517349. info
  • DUŠKOVÁ, Libuše. Mluvnice současné angličtiny na pozadí češtiny. 3. vyd. Praha: Academia, 2003, 673 s. ISBN 8020010734. info
  • Příruční mluvnice češtiny. Edited by Miroslav Grepl - Petr Karlík - Marek Nekula - Zdenka Rusínová. Vyd. 2., opr. Praha: Lidové noviny, 1996, 799 s. ISBN 8071061344. info
  • SGALL, Petr, Eva HAJIČOVÁ and Jarmila PANEVOVÁ. The meaning of the sentence in its semantic and pragmatic aspects. 1. vyd. Prague: Academia, 1986, ix, 353 s. info
  • CHAFE, Wallace L. Discourse, consciousness, and time : the flow and displacement of conscious experience in speaking and writing. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994, xiii, 327. ISBN 0226100545. info
Teaching methods
The course makes use of the following teaching and learning methods: lecture, interactive in-class exercise (text analysis), out-of class exercise -text analysis, homework - reading and critical analysis of a scholarly texts.
Assessment methods
Final assessment is based on the results of a test consisting of 5 questions concerning the theory of FSP and of a stretch of text (15-20 communicative fields) which the students have to interpret from the point of FSP. The minimum number of points required for a successful pass of the subject is 50; the maximum is 100.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Information about innovation of course.
This course has been innovated under the project "Faculty of Arts as Centre of Excellence in Education: Complex Innovation of Study Programmes and Fields at FF MU with Regard to the Requirements of the Knowledge Economy“ – Reg. No. CZ.1.07/2.2.00/28.0228, which is cofinanced by the European Social Fond and the national budget of the Czech Republic.

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Teacher's information
http://elf.phil.muni.cz/elf/course/view.php?id=2489
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/AJL12102