15-GKAP-11
The aim of this course is to provide students with a set of tools that will enable them to analyse and compare languages with respect to their structure and the socio-cultural context in which they are used. While a good part of the course is based on English and Polish, examples are drawn from a wide range of other languages whenever possible. The course is divided into three parts. The introductory part deals with the different ways of classifying languages. The second part is concerned with a comparison of English and Polish with respect to their phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon. The analysis of structural similarities and differences between the two languages allows students to discuss such phenomena as cross-linguistic influence, borrowing and code-switching among Polish-English bilinguals. The final part deals with a variety of cultural, social, and political issues, e.g., the differences between English and Polish terms of address and the different representation of gender in the two languages. The course ends with a discussion of the status of dialects in Poland, the British Isles, and the United States.
- Teacher: Marcin Kilarski