Auf die nachstehenden interdisziplinären Lehrveranstaltungen des Forschungs- und Lehrbereichs Sprachen Nordeuropas und des Baltikums SNEB wird besonders hingewiesen.

Abhängig vom Thema der schriftlichen Hausarbeit können im Proseminar und im Seminar erworbene Leistungsnachweise für die Fächer Amerikanistik, Anglistik, Englische Sprachwissenschaft, Englisch für das Lehramt an Gymnasien anerkannt werden.

Vorlesung: Introduction to Pragmatics

A. Sarhimaa

2-std., Mo 10.00-11.30, P 10

The current lecture course seeks to provide the students with a basic understanding of pragmatics, the vast subfield of linguistic theory that is concerned with interpretation of utterances in context. The course introduces the most important classic and a fair amount of recent works in the field, and seeks to acquaint the students with the generally applied approaches to the study of pragmatic phenomena on the basis of so-called "naturally-occurring data". The sessions aim at interactivity: students are expected to engage in discussion of pragmatic phenomena and problems. At the most general level, the goal is that the students develop further their professional linguistic understanding of how people co-operate in conversation, and also of the factors that influence a speaker's choice to say a particular thing on a particular occasion in a particular way.

Recommended background readings:

Levinson, S. 1983. Pragmatics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Meibauer, Jörg (2001). Pragmatik, 2. Verb. Aufl., Tübingen: Stauffenburg.

Mey, J L (1993). Pragmatics: An Introduction. Basil Blackwell: London.

Rolf, Eckard, Hrsg. (1997). Pragmatik. Implikaturen und Sprechakte. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag.

Proseminar: Language and Identity

A. Sarhimaa

Mi 8.30-10, P 103

The proseminar explores the relationship between language and identity. It seeks to illustrate the multiple roles language plays in the construction and the interpretation of identity in individual, social, national and international contexts.

The proseminar sessions consist of short introductions to each thematic field (in English) and discussions of the required readings (in German). Each participant is expected to provide a synopsis of a given piece of literature and to lead the subsequent class discussion. During the course the students will get guidance to reading and analysing linguistic texts, and they will be provided with clear instructions of how to lead and to participate in a scholarly discussion of linguistic topics.

Literature: The course readings are in English and the literature list will be given later; please, follow the SnebWeb (www.sneb.uni-mainz.de) and the information boards of the SNEB.

Requirements: Active participation in the class sessions, i.e., an oral synopsis (with a ca. one-page handout) of a piece of readings accompanied by the leadership of the class-room discussion of the topic; final exam (NB! Active participation is required from all participants, including those who intend not to take the final exam).

Registration: during office hours, R 01-588

Seminar: Effects of Human Mobility on Language in Contemporary

A. Sarhimaa

Europe (Part 2)

2-std., Mo 12.00-13.30, P 3

The current seminar continues the series of empirical-linguistically oriented courses offered by the SNEB since the SS 2003. The students will participate in creating a data basis of Migrant German and migrant varieties of European languages spoken outside of their core areas.

To those students who already have compiled an empirical corpus of some migrant variety during the preceding semesters, the seminar offers the possibility of working further with their data, i.e., finding and formulating relevant and linguistically interesting research topics, as well as sketching the theoretical frames for their study. To those students who now wish to enter into the fascinating world of empirical linguistics, the seminar offers the possibility of doing supervised fieldwork in Mainz and the vicinity among migrants from the Baltic Sea area, anglophone countries and Russia.

The seminar meetings consist of introductory lectures and discussions of the required readings. Each participant is expected to provide a written and an oral synopsis of a given piece of literature and lead the subsequent class discussion.

Literature: will be given towards the beginning of the summer semester; please, follow the SnebWeb and the information boards of the SNEB.

Participant number: limited to 20.

Requirements: Active participation, i.e., a written synopsis of a piece of readings, accompanied by its oral presentation and leading a class-room discussion of the topic; essay (= Hausarbeit, ca. 12-15 pages).

Registration: during office hours, R 01-588