KARSTEN SCHMIDTKE-BODE

Principles of Language Change
(Seminar, MA.AA.SW07, FSU Jena)

The seminar is concerned with the question of how and why languages change over time. In order to approach these issues, the first part of the course provides an overview of typical patterns of language change in lexical semantics, phonology, morphology and syntax. It will be argued that innovations in these areas are driven primarily by cognitive-functional considerations, while their propagation (and hence their ultimate visibility as a genuine ‘change’ in the language) is regulated by intricate social and especially social-psychological factors. Accordingly, the second part of the course will be devoted to an examination of these sociolinguistic dimensions of change. Finally, the class will be rounded off by a brief look at the more global outcomes of change (i.e. patterns of geographical diversion into dialects, languages and language families) and the linguistic reconstruction of such large-scale patterns of historical relatedness.

Statistics for Linguists
(Seminar, MA.AA.SW04, FSU Jena)

In the last two decades, linguistics has undergone a major ‘empirical turn’, to the effect that the collection and analysis of quantitative data has become increasingly important for linguistic research projects. This development goes hand in hand with a need for the sound statistical analysis of linguistic data, whether they are frequency data from corpora, questionnaire data from second language acquisition or experimental data from psycholinguistics or sociolinguistics. Accordingly, the major goal of this course is to provide a comprehensive introduction to typical data structures in linguistics and their statistical analysis. Based on a wide variety of authentic data sets, we will acquaint ourselves with basic principles of quantitative analysis (e.g. variables, coding, descriptive statistics), the general logic of inferential statistical testing and model building and, finally, with specific statistical models for commonly encountered data in linguistics (e.g. correlation and regression analysis (including ANOVA, linear and logistic regression), measures of association, exploratory methods like cluster analysis and MDS). We will be using the freely available and very powerful software R (see www.r-project.org) and the interface RStudio (see www.rstudio.com); all texts, materials and data sets will be provided in class.

Bilingualism
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW08, FSU Jena)

Looking beyond the typical patterns of child rearing in Western societies, one soon realises that many (if not most) children are actually exposed to more than one language from birth or in early childhood. Patterns of bi- and multilingual development afford unique insights into the cognitive foundations and processes of language acquisition. In this course, we will review central findings from research on bilingualism, spanning controversial issues such as language differentiation in bilingual newborns and infants, patterns of cross-linguistic influence, the role of the age of onset of bilingualism, the influence of environmental and affective variables on bilingual development, and possible effects of a multilingual upbringing on cognitive development more generally. Throughout the course, our major learning goal will be the familiarisation with original (psycho-)linguistic research and an understanding of the challenges for research that are posed by the peculiarities of bilingual settings.

Introduction to Linguistics (I): English Morphosyntax
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW01, FSU Jena)

This course introduces first-year students to the discipline of modern linguistics, and specifically sets out to discover some foundational principles that underlie the structural organization of human languages. We will take a closer look at the ‘building blocks’ of language, at the internal structure of words and larger units (phrases, clauses, sentences) and at the ways in which grammatical forms serve specific communicative functions. At the end of the course, students will have developed an understanding of the role that grammar plays in language and will have acquired some methodological tools for describing and representing the structure of English words and sentences.

Language and Cognition
(Lecture, BA.AA.SW04, FSU Jena)

This lecture course is concerned with the cognitive foundations of language and is closely related to some of the seminars that are regularly taught at the FSU Jena in English linguistics: Topics include: (i) the structure of human categories and their expression in language, (ii) the conceptual basis of linguistic structure, (iii) the cognitive processes of language acquisition, (iv) the cognitive principles behind diachronic change, (v) functional and cognitive motivations for language universals.

Grammar and Language Use
(Seminar, MA.AA.SW10, FSU Jena)

Perhaps contrary to what students may expect from the title, this seminar is not concerned with discourse-pragmatic aspects of grammatical structures in language use, such as different registers, styles, media or idiomatic language. Instead, it is devoted to a relatively recent view of language as an emergent, dynamic phenomenon: The so-called ‘usage-based theory of language’, which is at the heart of the course, holds that our linguistic knowledge (or what is sometimes called ‘competence’) derives exclusively from our individual linguistic ‘biographies’, i.e. from the totality of linguistic raw data that we have been exposed to in actual communicative situations (‘performance’), and that we organise and abstract from these data by means of basic cognitive mechanisms that are also applied to the processing of other domains of knowledge. In the course of the semester, we will thoroughly familiarise ourselves with the research that supports this view of language. The phenomena to be looked at span a wide array of constructions from both morphology and syntax, and they will invite us to systematically relate data from language acquisition, corpus linguistics and diachronic change to each other. Overall, then, the course offers students a modern, comprehensive perspective on language that accommodates many of the phenomena they may have encountered during their studies, and invites them to see linguistic structure from a psychologically informed angle.

Language Acquisition
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW08, FSU Jena)

After having successfully completed their introductory classes in linguistics, students are now ready to become familiar with actual linguistic research, i.e. what a linguistic research question looks like, by which methods and procedures it is tackled, and how it is presented in a professional academic format. In this seminar, we will probe into these issues in the field of language acquisition research. Conceptually, we will focus on important developmental milestones and typical phenomena of first language acquisition, and on what the corresponding data reveal about the very nature of language learning. A key question will be to what extent our linguistic knowledge can be built up from the language that surrounds us and whether genetically ‘preprogrammed’ linguistic knowledge is necessary for language acquisition to be successful. Methodologically, such questions will require us to look into an array of different methods for studying child language, from observational methods such as corpus-based analyses to experimental and behavioural techniques and their statistical evaluation. Accordingly, the central goals of the course are (i) to provide a first insight into processes of language acquisition; (ii) to enable students to read academic literature on language acquisition from a variety of publication types; and (iii) to develop the skills to write a first term paper in linguistics.

Introduction to Linguistics (I): English Morphosyntax
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW01, FSU Jena)

This course introduces first-year students to the discipline of modern linguistics, and specifically sets out to discover some foundational principles that underlie the structural organization of human languages. We will take a closer look at the ‘building blocks’ of language, at the internal structure of words and larger units (phrases, clauses, sentences) and at the ways in which grammatical forms serve specific communicative functions. At the end of the course, students will have developed an understanding of the role that grammar plays in language and will have acquired some methodological tools for describing and representing the structure of English words and sentences.

A Basic Course in Linguistics
(Seminar, 2 groups, CAU Kiel)

This course is a direct follow-up seminar on the winter term’s overview lecture on introducing English linguistics. The seminar is devoted to a more in-depth study of the different branches of linguistics and, in particular, to the analytical practice of the concepts introduced in the lecture.

Usage-Based Approaches to English Morphology
(Seminar, 2 groups, CAU Kiel)

Building on the first-year introductory classes in linguistics, this seminar provides a more advanced survey of the internal structure of English words and the means by which the English word-stock can be expanded beyond its current inventory. However, while traditional accounts of morphology tend to focus on purely structural questions (such as a precise formulation of the ‘rules’ underlying complex words, or the structure of morphological paradigms), this class will go one step further and encourage students to ask some important ‘why’-questions behind the scenes of English morphology. For example, why does English have irregular verbs, and why do morphological irregularities crop up in strikingly similar places across many languages? Where do bound morphemes like -ment, -ly, -ing and so on come from, given that such forms are not readily ‘invented’ (unlike many words)? What are the cognitive mechanisms behind word-formation patterns like compounding, conversion or blending? In order to address these and similar issues, we will have to pay due attention to the ways in which sociopragmatic and psychological factors guide the shape and development of morphological structures in actual language use, and we will have to turn to data sources that do justice to this approach (such as corpus data). From a methodological perspective, the focus of this module is on developing students’ skills for writing a first term paper in linguistics. To this end, we will practise the identification and reading of original research on morphology and the analysis of variegated morphological data.

Introduction to Linguistics (I): English Morphosyntax
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW01, 2 groups, FSU Jena)

This course introduces first-year students to the discipline of modern linguistics, and specifically sets out to discover some foundational principles that underlie the structural organization of human languages (or what is commonly called ‘grammar’). We will take a closer look at the ‘building blocks’ of language, at the internal structure of words and larger units (phrases, clauses, sentences) and at the ways in which grammatical forms serve specific communicative functions. At the end of the course, students will have developed an understanding of the role that grammar plays in language and will have acquired some methodological tools for describing and representing the structure of English words and sentences.

Second Language Acquisition
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW08, FSU Jena)

In this term, the module 'Language Acquisition' will be concerned with the processes of acquiring a language in addition to one’s native tongue. Those processes, while being extremely diverse, are collectively referred to as second language acquisition (SLA). The course aims to provide an overview of SLA research from the perspective of linguistics, i.e. it will deal with linguistic and psycholinguistic questions relating to second language acquisition. Even though SLA research tells us important lessons about how languages are learned and which sort of instruction is potentially conducive, it is not a didactic field itself. For future teachers, therefore, the course intends to provide the linguistic underpinning, or background, against which certain methodological and didactic decisions are to be made later on in their careers. For both B.A. and JM students, the course also offers an opportunity to become familiar with principles and methods of linguistic research, as we will be practising how to find, read and evaluate original research on the topic.

The Linguistic Profile of Present-Day English
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW07, FSU Jena)

As a linguist, language teacher, translator or any other person dealing with English on a professional basis, it is vital to have an idea of the central and peculiar characteristics of the English language, especially when compared against closely related languages like German or a wider cross-linguistic background. The seminar is devoted to precisely this issue, trying to develop a ‘bird’s-eye’ linguistic profile of Present-Day English in all major dimensions. On the basis of a classic reading on the topic (cf. below), we will directly elaborate on the core areas from your introductory classes (phonology and spelling, morphology and the lexicon, grammatical categories, etc.), but shift the focus to asking why Present-Day English has come to be the way it is. Therefore, our exploration will constantly need to make reference to important historical developments having affected the sounds, the word stock and the grammar of English over the last centuries.

Introduction to Linguistics (I): English Morphosyntax
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW01, FSU Jena)

This course introduces first-year students to the discipline of modern linguistics, and specifically sets out to discover some foundational principles that underlie the structural organization of human languages (or what is commonly called ‘grammar’). We will take a closer look at the ‘building blocks’ of language, at the internal structure of words and larger units (phrases, clauses, sentences) and at the ways in which grammatical forms serve specific communicative functions. At the end of the course, students will have developed an understanding of the role that grammar plays in language and will have acquired some methodological tools for describing and representing the structure of English words and sentences.

Language Acquisition
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW08, FSU Jena)

After having successfully completed their introductory classes in linguistics, students are now ready to become familiar with actual linguistic research, i.e. what a linguistic research question looks like, by which methods and procedures it is tackled, and how it is presented in a professional academic format. In this seminar, we will probe into these issues in the field of language acquisition research. Conceptually, we will focus on important developmental milestones and typical phenomena of first language acquisition, on key differences between first and second language learning, and on hotly debated questions surrounding the very nature of language learning (‘Are children better language learners than adults?’ ‘Is there a critical time window for the acquisition process?’ ‘Do children work out their native language by means of innate linguistic knowledge?’). Methodologically, these questions will require us to look into an array of different methods for studying learner language, from observational methods such as corpus-based analyses to experimental and behavioural techniques and their statistical evaluation. Accordingly, the central goals of the course are (i) to provide a first insight into processes of language acquisition; (ii) to enable students to read academic literature on language acquisition from a variety of publication types; and (iii) to develop the skills to write a (first) term paper in linguistics.

Introduction to Linguistics (I): English Morphosyntax
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW01, 2 groups, FSU Jena)

This course introduces first-year students to the discipline of modern linguistics, and specifically sets out to discover some foundational principles that underlie the structural organization of human languages (or what is commonly called ‘grammar’). We will take a closer look at the ‘building blocks’ of language, at the internal structure of words and larger units (phrases, clauses, sentences) and at the ways in which grammatical forms serve specific communicative functions. At the end of the course, students will have developed an understanding of the role that grammar plays in language and will have acquired some methodological tools for describing and representing the structure of English words and sentences.

Introduction to Linguistics (I): English Morphosyntax
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW01, 2 groups, FSU Jena)

This course introduces first-year students to the discipline of modern linguistics, and specifically sets out to discover some foundational principles that underlie the structural organization of human languages (or what is commonly called ‘grammar’). We will take a closer look at the ‘building blocks’ of language, at the internal structure of words and larger units (phrases, clauses, sentences) and at the ways in which grammatical forms serve specific communicative functions. At the end of the course, students will have developed an understanding of the role that grammar plays in language and will have acquired some methodological tools for describing and representing the structure of English words and sentences.

Second Language Acquisition
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW08, FSU Jena)

This course will provide a systematic introduction to the scientific study of second language (= L2) acquisition. Proceeding from an outline of the major research interests and some fundamental principles of language acquisition, we will focus on selected factors determining the ‘route and rate’ of L2 learning. Thus we will discuss in detail the extent to which one’s native language fosters or interferes with the construction of L2 knowledge, the influence of individual factors such as age and motivation, and the question of what it is that makes L2 or ‘interlanguage’ output fluent and idiomatic. The course concludes by considering the implications of L2 acquisition research for our understanding of human language and for a linguistically-informed teaching of second languages in the classroom. However, at all stages of our investigation, linguistic (and NOT didactic!) questions will be our primary concern, and due attention will be paid to familiarising you with principles and practices of linguistic research. You will get some hands-on training in analysing learner language (both L1 and L2) and in writing up well-designed assignments and a short paper.

Statistics for Linguists
(PhD seminar; Holger Diessel, Daniel Wiechmann, Stefan Fuhs, Karsten Schmidtke, Katja Hetterle; FSU Jena)

This seminar is concerned with advanced statistical methods for analyzing linguistic data. The focus will be on multivariate statistical models for the analysis of categorical data (e.g. configurational frequency analysis, logistic regression, discriminant analysis), but will also consider some other statistical models (e.g. ANOVA).

Converging Evidence: Linguistic Typology and Corpus Linguistics
(co-taught with Holger Diessel at the Leipzig Spring School on Linguistic Diversity 2008)

In recent years, the rigid theoretical divide between language competence and performance has met with considerable criticism, culminating in the ‘Performance-Grammar-Correspondence-Hypothesis’ (e.g. Hawkins 2004). On this view, the grammatical conventions of a language are recast as ‘frozen’ preferences and patterns in language use, and a systematic correspondence is drawn between performance data and cross-linguistic constraints on grammatical variation. In this course, we will outline the theoretical foundations of this usage-based approach to grammatical variation, and demonstrate how performance data drawn from electronic corpora and texts can be related to typological generalisations of grammatical structure. Among the phenomena to be looked at will be various types of complex sentence constructions as well as selected issues pertaining to transitivity (argument structure, voice, tense-aspect).

Language Variation and Change
(Seminar, BA.AA.SW05, FSU Jena)

This seminar is concerned with one of the most fundamental properties of human languages, their variability. In the course of the semester, we will aim at developing a systematic way of describing and explaining variation in the English language. We will consider variation within and across speech communities, as well as variation in time, i.e. the emergence and change of linguistic systems within both a linguistic community and a single speaker. Students will gain a basic understanding of how languages develop, how language variation, change and acquisition are related to one another, how 'irregular' or particularly intriguing grammatical phenomena of present-day English can be explained in historical terms, and how traditionally distinct branches of linguistics, such as sociolinguistics, historical linguistics and typology, can mutually inform each other. The seminar will thus provide an opportunity to look into various fields of linguistic research, to become familiar with a wide range of linguistic phenomena and research methods, and, ultimately, to pick an interesting topic for your first term paper in linguistics.

Tense and Aspect
(Proseminar, co-taught with Stefan Fuhs, FSU Jena)

Tense and aspect are the most important grammatical categories for expressing time and temporal relations in English. At the same time, their intricate semantics make them one of the most involved and notoriously difficult areas of English grammar. Proceeding from these observations, the objectives of this seminar are two-fold: first, the course aims at developing a sound understanding of the phenomena of tense and aspect by systematically covering the relevant forms and their meanings (including discourse-pragmatic functions); secondly, it will introduce students to the methodological procedures of grammatical description and analysis, enabling them to write their own research paper at the end of the term.

German 101
(Internship, German Department, University of California at Berkeley)

English advanced courses
(Voluntary internship, Albert-Schweitzer-Gymnasium Ruhla)