CJJ03 Introduction into Linguistics

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Radim Lacina, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Radim Lacina, Ph.D.
Department of Czech Language – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Bc. Silvie Hulewicz, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of Czech Language – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Mon 14:00–15:40 B2.13, except Mon 17. 11. to Sun 23. 11.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 130 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 153/130, only registered: 5/130, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 4/130
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 14 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course aims to introduce students to linguistics as the science of human language. In the lectures, we will address fundamental questions about the nature of language and its research in the present and the past. Within the course, we will discuss the basics of both individual primary linguistic disciplines (syntax, phonology, phonetics, morphology, semantics, pragmatics) and secondary ones (psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics).
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, the student will be able to:
- think about the basic characteristics of language and communication;
- demonstrate and reflect on the historical development of the scientific interest in language;
- understand the individual disciplines of linguistics and their object of study;
- describe Czech according to genetic and selected typological classification;
- demonstrate the ability to independently reflect on basic issues of linguistics.
Syllabus
  • The lectures are devoted to the following topics:
  • 1. Language - what is language and how is it studied by linguistics.
  • 2. Basic linguistic disciplines - syntax, morphology, phonetics, phonology, semantics, pragmatics.
  • 3. Secondary linguistic disciplines - psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics
  • 4. History of language research - from antiquity through de Saussure, Chomsky to language models
  • 5. Typology and development of languages ​​- how do languages ​​differ from each other and are they all the same, where is the place of Czech?
Literature
    recommended literature
  • Nový encyklopedický slovník češtiny. Edited by Petr Karlík - Marek Nekula - Jana Pleskalová. První vydání. Praha: NLN, Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 2016, Strana 110. ISBN 9788074224829. info
    not specified
  • SAUSSURE, Ferdinand de. Kurs obecné lingvistiky. Edited by Albert Sechehaye - Charles Bally - Tullio De Mauro, Translated by Fran. Vyd. 1. Praha: Odeon, 1989, 467 s. ISBN 8020700706. info
  • CHOMSKY, Noam. Aspects of the theory of syntax. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1965, x, 251. info
  • PINKER, Steven. The language instinct : the new science of language and mind. London: Penguin Books, 1995, 494 stran. ISBN 0140175296. info
Teaching methods
The course consists of lectures providing students with the opportunity to participate in discussions.
Assessment methods
The course is assessed by means of a written exam lasting 2 hours.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2025/CJJ03