• Maillat Didier

• Maillat Didier

English literary texts are part of the English language very much in the same way as more mundane forms like advertising or political discourse. This proseminar will look at the contributions linguistics can make to our understanding of the specificities of literary texts in English.

In this course we will be considering some features of the English language which can be regarded as constitutive of a literary style. These will include the use of figurative language – as it is found in Shakespearean metaphors for instance; conversational structures – for example, through what happens to the rules of conversation in Beckett’s plays; lexical patterns and preferences – looking at how an author can describe a world which does not exist and does not obey the rules of our world ; as well as figures of speech – investigating what are the linguistic characteristics of a comic quid pro quo. Literary authors can be regarded as craftsmen of the language, and linguistics provides us with the tools to understand how language works, even in its most advanced and erudite form. In our discussions we will be considering English data from various literary authors and sources, as well as different genres (plays, novels, short stories, etc.). More generally, we will investigate the contribution that the linguistic and pragmatic toolbox can make towards our understanding of English literary texts. In this process, students will be invited to suggest literary texts they would like to investigate.

- methodological and practical approach to collecting linguistic data in English

- theoretical and methodological tools used to perform a linguistic analysis

- ability to critically assess the linguistic literature

- knowledge of the current relevant issues in the field

- understanding of the scientific approach to the study of the English language

- essay writing skills for English linguistics

A bibliography and a list of assigned readings will be made available in the first week of the semester.