Language and Cognition (for both BA and MA levels)
How do we produce and interpret language? By human brains. This means that for any enterprise that enhances human comprehension and knowledge, what goes on inside individuals’ heads must be a prime concern.
In this course, we will draw on sights and tools from cognitive science, cognitive linguistics, and cognitive psychology to explore the links between language, cognitive, and social/political action. Among the topics we will discuss are frame semantics, conceptual metaphor theory, conceptual binding and neural reuse, relevance theory, the discourse-knowledge interface, systems of the human mind, categorization, moral-political reasoning, cognitive grammar, contextualization, mental models of events, discourse (language use) and gender, power abuse and manipulation, and identity construction.
Here, the term 'language' is extended to include, not just words and sentences, but all forms of symbolic interaction (gesture, sign language, art, architecture, dance, music, etc.).

This seminar explores the specifics of language used in the context of sports. We will look at the structure of language in a variety of sports-related contexts and discourse domains (e.g. newspaper reporting and different types of live sports commentary). How do the context- and situation specific circumstances of live sports commentary (or any other online form of commentary) shape the structure of the language used in this register? Is the language of sports only a narrow, specialised domain or can it be transferred to other domains?

After a general introduction to the concepts of register, genre and style we will examine phonological, lexical, syntactic, sociolinguistic and cognitive aspects of the language of sports. In the course of the seminar students will carry out small-scale empricial research projects in which they collect and analyse data.

Preparatory reading: No mandatory reading required, but for those with a keen interest the following books are recommended for browsing:

Burkhardt, Armin & Peter Schlobinski (eds.) 2009. Flickflack, Foul und Tsukuhara. Der Sport und seine Sprache. Mannheim: Duden.

Caldwell, David, John Walsh, Elaine W. Vine & Jon Jureid (eds.) 2016. The Discourse of Sport. Analyses from Social Linguistics. London & New York: Routledge.

Lavric, Eva, Gerhard Pisek, Andrew Skinner & Wolfgang Stadler (eds.) 2008. The Linguistics of Football. Tübingen: Narr.