AJ0221 Functional Sentence Perspective

Faculty of Education
Spring 2024

The course is not taught in Spring 2024

Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Taught in person.
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Martin Adam, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Martin Adam, Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Supplier department: Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Prerequisites
Introduction to Linguistics and Grammar + ideally Syntax A and B
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 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 42 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The seminar offers a systematic survey of the theory of functional sentence perspective (FSP). Students are gradually introduced the principles of the functional approach towards linguistic analysis of written text on the basis of FSP as founded and developed by its 'father', Professor Jan Firbas. Students are able to demonstrate the theoretical input on the material of authentic examples, presented in charts of FSP analysis. Students acquire basic key terms: theme, rheme, communicative dynamism, distributional field, dynamic-semantic functions, retrievability, etc. Having completed the course, the students should be able to analyze a text from the point of view of FSP and approach it form the functional angle.
Learning outcomes
Students will be able
to focus on the concepts and principles presented by FSP theories
to analyze authentic English text by FSP methodology
to understand English-Czech differences in the field of functional syntax and current sentence breakdown
to use the knowledge from FSP in practice
to teach the pupils in the classroom activities and exercises to their students
Syllabus
  • 1. FSP and Jan Firbas. Place of FSP within the framework of information processing.
  • 2. Communicative dynamism. Theme - rheme. 3. Basic factors: context.
  • 4. Basic factors: linear modification.
  • 5. Basic factors: semantics.
  • 6. Basic factors: intonation.
  • 7. FSP analysis of sentences. Charts.
  • 8. FSP analysis of texts. Dynamic-semantic tracks.
  • 9. Practicing FSP Analysis.
  • 10. Semantic homogeneity.
  • 11. FSP and translation.
  • 12. Revision.
Literature
    required literature
  • ADAM, Martin. A handbook of functional sentence perspective : (FSP in theory and practice) : with key. 2., upr. a rozš. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2008, 100 s. ISBN 9788021046054. info
  • FIRBAS, Jan. Functional sentence perspective in written and spoken communication. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992, xv, 239. ISBN 0521373085. info
    recommended literature
  • FIRBAS, J. On the thematic and the rhematic layers of a text. In Organization in Discourse: Proceedings from the Turku Conference, Anglicana Turkuensia 14, Warwik, Tauskanen and Hiltunen (eds.). 1995, s. 59-72.
  • ADAM, M. Some special aspects within the Th- and the Rh-layers. In Brno Studies in English 28, Brno: Masaryk University, 2002, s. 11-18, 173 s., ISBN 80-210-2968-4.
  • ADAM, Martin. Functional macrofield perspective : (a religious discourse analysis based on FSP). 2., rozš. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2009, 173 s. ISBN 9788021049222. info
Teaching methods
seminar discussion, students' presentations, text analysis, extended reading, teacher's input, projects, home assignments
Assessment methods
The course is completed by a written credit test; passmark 70%. All home assignments must be done.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
General note: Předmět bude realizován, pokud se přihlásí alespoň 15 studentů.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 2 hodiny.
Teacher's information
http://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=891
Before the semester begins, the students will be sent a detailed syllabus of the course, specifying important information such as dates, topics, credit requirements etc.
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