Vår 2025

HIF-3011 Syntax II - 10 stp

The course is administrated by

Institutt for språk og kultur

Type of course

This course is mandatory in the MA programme in Theoretical Linguistics. This course may be taken as a single course by students who qualify for admission to the MA programme in Theoretical Linguistics.

Course contents

The course is given in the form of a seminar, where topics from leading research in syntax are discussed. The course addresses recent studies of syntactic differences between languages, with a view to determining universal parameters. We will provide a close look at recent syntactic theory, especially when it comes to the use of these in the comparative study of the syntax of the Germanic languages. Through the analysis of variation within a group of closely related languages, important syntactic parameters will be illustrated.

Admission requirements

Bachelor's Degree (180 ECTS), or equivalent qualification, in a language or linguistics, or a degree combining linguistics and literature (minimum 80 ECTS in linguistics/language/literature, of which minimum 60 ECTS must be in linguistics and/or language). Applicants who hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent issued in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand: An average grade C as a minimum requirement. Applicants who hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent issued in countries other than the above mentioned region/countries: An average grade B as a minimum requirement.

It is recommended that you have taken HIF-3010 Syntax I in the fall term before you take this course.

Application code: 9371 - Enkeltemner på masternivå (Nordic applicants).

Objective of the course

The students have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

The student has:

a solid understanding of modern syntactic theory, with a basic grasp of standard analyses of a broad range of phenomena in English and other languages. For a number of phenomena of crucial theoretical interest, the student should be familiar with multiple analytic approaches, along with the main strengths and weaknesses of each.

Skills

The student is able to/can:

evaluate and compare competing theories for a given phenomenon
analyze new and unfamiliar data, describing its potential significance for broader theoretical questions

Language of instruction

Language of instruction and examination: English.

Teaching methods

Lectures, exercises, seminars, project work.

Quality assurance: All courses undergo a halfway evaluation once in a 2-year period at the master´s level. The Programme Board determines which programme options will be evaluated per year, and which courses will be evaluated by the students and the teacher per year.