Jul 27, 2025  
OHIO University Graduate Catalog 2024-25 
    
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LING 5860 - How to Do Things with Words: An Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics

In this introduction to the key concepts of Semantics and Pragmatics, language is explored not only as a way of making sense of the world but as a tool to act on the world. The course also examines how knowledge of semantics and pragmatics can inform second language learning and teaching.

Requisites:
Credit Hours: 4
Repeat/Retake Information: May not be retaken.
Lecture/Lab Hours: 3.0 lecture
Grades: Eligible Grades: A-F,WP,WF,WN,FN,AU,I
Learning Outcomes:
  • Students will be able to apply semantic concepts of sense-relations, lexical and grammatical aspect, and modality to the selection, design, and use of materials for second language teaching.
  • Students will be able to apply the pragmatic concepts of speech acts, the cooperative principle, linguistic politeness, critical discourse analysis, intercultural communication to the selection, design, and use of materials for second language teaching.
  • Students will be able to solve semantic and pragmatic problems consisting of raw and introspected language data.
  • Students will be able to build an electronic corpus of texts.
  • Students will be able to use a concordancer.
  • Students will be able to use the various functions of a concordancer: frequency counts, KWIC, keyness, lemmatization, and n-grams.
  • Students will be able to use a concordancer to analyze and compare different corpora.
  • Students will be able to use a concordancer for data driven learning in the second language classroom.
  • Students will be able to read research articles in Semantics and Pragmatics and be able to summarize the methodology and findings.
  • Students will be able to do research into an aspect of semantics and pragmatics by building a corpus and using a concordancer to analyze the data.
  • Students will be able to present the results of their research in an oral presentation and in a written research paper.


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