2025 Summer school > Content and readingsBert Cappelle — Université de Lille, France Construction Grammar: Beliefs, doubts, deeds Construction Grammar is a hugely popular linguistic theory. It proposes that all of a speaker’s knowledge of a language can be represented as a network of form-function pairings. This workshop will give an introduction to what this network idea means for the traditional distinction between ‘lexicon’ and ‘syntax’. We will then ask the uncomfortable question whether the theory allows for empirical evidence that might prove wrong its fundamental claim. The answer to that question is positive: there may be a crucial experiment that produces results that could falsify the tenet that all known forms are associated with function. More worryingly, this central claim is quite possibly even incorrect. Nevertheless, Construction Grammar as a research paradigm is too robust and its didactic usefulness too valuable for it to be cast aside. In a third part, it will be demonstrated how the theory can be applied in practice. Identifying and reflecting on the constructions making up a single sentence can be stimulating for students. Recommended reading: Cappelle, B., Leclercq, B., Pinheiro, D. O. R., Travassos, P. F., Alonso, K. S. B., Junior, R. de F., Laporte, S., Machado Vieira, M. dos S., Oliveira, D. L. de, Rosa, R. G., & Wiedemer, M. L. (To appear 2025). Construction. In X. Wen & C. Sinha (Eds.), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Cognitive Linguistics. Cambridge University Press. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388641876_Construction Goldberg, A. E. (2003). Constructions: A new theoretical approach to language. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7(5), 219–224. Ungerer, T., & Hartmann, S. (2023). Constructionist Approaches: Past, Present, Future. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009308717
Gaëtanelle Gilquin — UCLouvain, Belgium A journey through corpus linguistics, with theory as a guide This course will provide an introduction to corpus linguistics, its main tenets and its techniques of analysis, using theory as a guide. It will consider the evolution of the field, from a mainly descriptive approach to one that can contribute to linguistic theories (e.g. usage-based linguistics, second language acquisition research). It will also examine the key steps involved in corpus studies – corpus compilation, analysis and applications – and explain how theory may have a role to play at each step, for example to decide what metadata to collect, formulate hypotheses, interpret the results or come up with practical applications. In addition, some limitations of corpora will be discussed, together with the necessity of combining corpus data with other types of data to answer certain research questions. The course will include some hands-on activities. Participants will work on the treatment of data for inclusion in a corpus. They will also be shown how to use corpus tools (in particular AntConc and Sketch Engine) and will practise techniques such as concordancing, n-gram or keyword analysis. Focusing on the application of corpora to language teaching, they will be invited to design exercises based on corpus data. By the end of the course, participants should be familiar with the main concepts and methods of corpus linguistics, be able to carry out simple corpus analyses and be aware of the links between corpus linguistics and linguistic theories. Recommended reading: Lin, Ph. & Adolphs, S. (2023). Corpus linguistics. In Li Wei, Zhu Hua & James Simpson (eds), The Routledge Handbook of Applied Linguistics, Volume 1, Second Edition (pp. 296-308). London: Routledge. Taylor, Ch. (2008). What is corpus linguistics? What the data says. ICAME Journal 32: 179-200.
Fanny Meunier — CNRS BCL, Nice, France Theories and data from experimental approaches (RTs, EEG, and fMRI): The place and role of morphology in the mental lexicon This course offers an in-depth exploration of the mental lexicon, focusing on the role of lexical morphology in its organization and access processes. We will start by defining morphology and its key concepts, addressing the distinction between inflectional and derivational morphology, as well as debates around the existence of morphemic representations within the lexicon. We will then examine various theories proposed to explain the place of morphology within the mental lexicon’s architecture, exploring whether morphology constitutes a distinct level of language processing or emerges as a byproduct of other cognitive processes — i.e., an interaction between form and meaning. To better understand how these theoretical hypotheses have been tested, we will explore experimental methods used to assess morphological unit access. We will examine three main approaches: behavioral studies, which use measures like reaction times to evaluate how morphological units are processed; EEG studies, which capture real-time neural dynamics of morphological processing; and fMRI studies, which provide brain mapping of the regions involved in these processes. A key aspect of this course is its interactive approach. During the sessions, participants will have the opportunity to take part in an experiment. Those who wish can participate in an experimental protocol illustrating concepts discussed in class. The principles of statistical analysis will be explained using the collected data — including response patterns and reaction times — with insights into event-related potentials (ERPs). Interpreting the results will help us better understand the cognitive mechanisms underlying morphological processing and discuss their theoretical and experimental implications. The goal of this course is twofold: to provide a theoretical framework on morphology and the mental lexicon, and to familiarize participants with experimental methods used in psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics. By combining theory, experimentation, and data analysis, this course will help participants understand the challenges of morphological processing while fostering critical thinking about the methodological tools available. Recommended reading: Booij, G. E. (2007). The Grammar of Words. Oxford University Press, 2nd edn.
Hathout, N. & Namer, F. (2014). ‘Démonette, a French derivational morpho-semantic network’. Linguistic Issues in Language Technology, 11:125–168. Hay, J. B. & Baayen, R. H. (2005). ‘Shifting paradigms: gradient structure in morphology’. TRENDS in Cognitive Science, 9:342–348. Leminen, A., Smolka, E., Dunabeitia, J. A., & Pliatsikas, C. (2019). Morphological processing in the brain: The good (inflection), the bad (derivation) and the ugly (compounding). Cortex, 116, 4–44. Longtin, C.-M., Segui, J., & Halle, P. A. (2003). Morphological priming without morphological relationship. Language and Cognitive Processes, 18(3), 313–334. https://doi.org/10.1080/01690960244000036 Marslen-Wilson, W. D., Tyler, L. K., Waksler, R., & Older, L. (1994). Morphology and meaning in the English mental lexicon. Psychological Review, 101(1), 3–33. Meunier, F., & Longtin, C.-M. (2007). Morphological decomposition and semantic integration in word processing. Journal of Memory and Language, 56(4), 457–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2006.11.005
Cornelia Müller — European University Viadrina, Germany Gesture and language(s)
In this course the fundamental relation between theory and methods of researching gestures in relation to language(s) is at stake. The point will be made that there are a multitude of ways to approach the analysis of gestures as part of language, as becoming language-like or as visual forms of expression, more generally speaking. Which one to choose depends upon the theoretical framework one decides to adopt. As a response to this challenge the course introduces the “Toolbox of Methods for Gesture Analysis” approach to gesture and speech analysis (Müller 2024). It also offers a concise introduction into “Gestures as a Medium of Expression” including mimetic, kinesic, spatial, and temporal characteristics of gestural movements, discusses different takes on gesture typologies, and lays out fundamental aspects of “Gestures and Speech in Interaction”, providing reflections on how gestures work in interaction, how they contribute to multimodal utterances, and finally touches upon the dynamics of gestures in discourse. The course encourages theoretical reflections on gesture and language(s) in concert with precise analytical work on actual data. Students are welcomed to bring their current work on multimodal language(s) to the class. There will be opportunities for hands-on analyses to gesture and language(s). The plural marking indicates the openness to bring examples from spoken and signed languages. Recommended reading: Müller, C. (2024) A toolbox for methods of gesture analysis. In: A. Cienki (ed.) The Cambridge Handbook of Gesture Studies, 182-216. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108638869.009
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