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| 0627-4041-01 | Syntactic Theory in Light of Minimalism | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| FACULTY OF HUMANITIES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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University credit hours: 4.0
Course description
Syntactic theory in light of Minimalism
MA seminar – Open to BA students (with special permission)
This seminar aims to explore a range of syntactic phenomena and their theoretical implications for recent minimalist conceptions regarding the design of the language faculty. We will discuss and analyze a selection of topics involving syntactic phenomena and cross-linguistic variation within the framework of the Principles and Parameters theory. The empirical material presented will be examined in relation to the recent ‘minimalist’ perspective (the M(inimalist) P(rogram) outlined in Chomsky (1995, 2004), and subsequent work) on the architecture of the language faculty (UG) and the notion of its “optimal design”. The phenomena to be discussed will relate in particular to issues of (a) the interaction and division of labor between the syntactic (computational, structure building) component and the systems it interfaces with (PF, semantics, information structure), and (b) the nature of parameters of grammar assumed to capture cross-linguistic variation.
The theoretical topics addressed will include the following:
The operation Merge: phrase structure and movements
Units of the syntactic derivation – phases/cycles and evidence for their size; locality
The copy theory of movement
Agree with/Attract ‘closest’ (in terms of c-command) – intervention (minimality) effects
Agree – phi-features, Case, and the labeling of categories
Functional elements, feature-checking, parameters, and the cartographic trend
Optional movements and the role of the interfaces
The seminar can be taken either as a seminar or a course (non-seminar).
Regular attendance and active participation is required. The grade will be based on class participation, a brief class presentation, and a seminar paper for those taking it as a seminar, or a small (non-seminar) paper, for those taking it as a course.
Prerequisites: Current Syntax 1 (or Advanced Syntax, with instructor’s approval
MA seminar – Open to BA students (with special permission)
This seminar aims to explore a range of syntactic phenomena and their theoretical implications for recent minimalist conceptions regarding the design of the language faculty. We will discuss and analyze a selection of topics involving syntactic phenomena and cross-linguistic variation within the framework of the Principles and Parameters theory. The empirical material presented will be examined in relation to the recent ‘minimalist’ perspective (the M(inimalist) P(rogram) outlined in Chomsky (1995, 2004), and subsequent work) on the architecture of the language faculty (UG) and the notion of its “optimal design”. The phenomena to be discussed will relate in particular to issues of (a) the interaction and division of labor between the syntactic (computational, structure building) component and the systems it interfaces with (PF, semantics, information structure), and (b) the nature of parameters of grammar assumed to capture cross-linguistic variation.
The theoretical topics addressed will include the following:
The operation Merge: phrase structure and movements
Units of the syntactic derivation – phases/cycles and evidence for their size; locality
The copy theory of movement
Agree with/Attract ‘closest’ (in terms of c-command) – intervention (minimality) effects
Agree – phi-features, Case, and the labeling of categories
Functional elements, feature-checking, parameters, and the cartographic trend
Optional movements and the role of the interfaces
The seminar can be taken either as a seminar or a course (non-seminar).
Regular attendance and active participation is required. The grade will be based on class participation, a brief class presentation, and a seminar paper for those taking it as a seminar, or a small (non-seminar) paper, for those taking it as a course.
Prerequisites: Current Syntax 1 (or Advanced Syntax, with instructor’s approval