Welcoming
Welcome to the course “Structures and Function of the English Language.” This course is meant to help you understand how sentences work in English better (considering grammar, word order, syntax and semantics) which will help you read and write clearer more accurate text and produce appropriate speech. We will look at things like parts of speech, different kinds of sentences--simple or complex for example, and other topics that make up the rules to produce any discourse in English. Additionally, to this, we will explore theoretical ideas of generative grammar, the X-bar theory, and morphology, these aspects will help you to develop skills at the moment to produce comprehensive ideas. As a final goal, you will be prepared to understand and interpret text considering different intentions and levels of comprehension.
Topics
Unit 1. Generative grammar
- Concept and definition
- Historical references
- Chomsky and the generativism
Unit 2. X-Bar Theory Basic Structure
- Concept and definition
- Structural relations
- Functional lexical categories
Unit 3. Morphology
- Concept and definition
- Structural Relations
Learning goals
- Create complete and coherent discursive productions on several common and academic topics in English, clearly demonstrating the intentionality of the message, its specific details, and its constituent elements of language.
- Design clear and detailed presentations on a wide range of topics related to the academic environment, by interpreting and arguing information presented in different sources, applying the four communicative skills and the constituent elements of language.
Study recommendations
- Review basic grammar concepts frequently: This will help you easily understand the complex structures we will discuss in the class session.
- Participate actively in discussion forums: Sharing and debating ideas with your peers can provide new perspectives and deepen your understanding of the topics studied.
- Practice writing constantly: Apply your learning process by writing simple texts will allow you to consolidate your knowledge and improve your fluency in the language.