Theories of syntax are commonly based on examples found in written language: complete sentences, planned entirely before their production and produced with no specific audience in mind. However, most of our use of language is of a different kind. It is spoken, and it differs in many aspects from pre-planned monologic structures of written language. Intonation plays a crucial role in utterance structure and interpretation. In spontaneous speech, we have no bird’s eye view over entire final product, but produce structures in a step-by-step manner – utterances are planned incrementally as we or others speak. The interaction involves more than a single participant, and monitoring others’ comprehension and participation is crucial for the analysis of overall structures. In this class we will explore the principles of the syntax of spoken language and learn methods for its analysis.
- Lehrende/r: Pavel Ozerov