Norm and variation
Objectives
By the end of the unit, students are expected to:
1. Understand the relativity of the concept of ‘norm’
2. Undestand crucial issues related to linguistic standardization
3. Describe explicitly the rules of the orthographic system of contemporary Portuguese
4. Identify the dimensions of linguistic variation: geographic variation, social variation and diachronic variation
5. Describe the main aspects of linguistic variation inherent to European Portuguese
6. Identify unstable areas in the Portuguese linguistic system
7. Recognize the main characteristics that distinguish European Portuguese from other national varieties of Portuguese (Brazilian and African varieties)
General characterization
Code
722131104
Credits
10.0
Responsible teacher
Maria Alexandra Moreira de Jesus Fieis e Melo
Hours
Weekly - 3
Total - 280
Teaching language
Portuguese
Prerequisites
N/A
Bibliography
Castro, Ivo. 2003. O Linguista e a Fixação da Norma. In A. Mendes e T. Freitas (orgs.), Actas do XVIII Encontro Nacional da Associação Portuguesa de Linguística, APL, 11-24.
Martins, A. M. and Carrilho, E. (eds.) (2016) Manual de Linguística Portuguesa. De Gruyter.
Milroy, J. & Milroy, L. (2012). Authority in Language. Routledge.
Peres, João Andrade & Móia, Telmo. 1995. Áreas críticas da língua portuguesa. Caminho.
Raposo, E. P. et al. (orgs.) (2013/2020) Gramática do Português, Vol. I, II e III. Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.
Sampson, G. (2015) Writing systems: methods for recording language. In Allan, K. (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Linguistics (pp. 47-61). Routledge.
Wetzels, W. L., Menuzzi, S. & Costa, J. (eds.) (2016) The Handbook of Portuguese Linguistics. Wiley Blackwell.
Teaching method
The teaching units will have the format of seminars. The seminars will have
both a theoretical and a practical component. Oral presentations of relevant
texts focusing on topics from the programme are expected. The students are
also expected to do research work based on a theoretical research topic and its
possible solution(s).
Evaluation method
Evaluation methodologies
1 final written assignment, presented and discussed in class - 60.0%
Planned student participation in seminar sessions - 40.0%
Subject matter
1. Norm and Variation
2. Dimensions of linguistic variation
3. The role of the norm; the concepts of linguistic norm(s) and correction put forward
4. Norm and language policy
5. Orthographic standardization
5.1. Spoken language and writing: different systems of representation; writing systems (and orthography)
5.2. Orthographic and grammatical issues: historical survey; origins of the orthography of Contemporary Portuguese
6. Areas of instability in European Portuguese, changes in progress and the stabilization of the norm(s)
7. Linguistic variation in the Portuguese territory: phonological, lexical, morphological and syntactic aspects
8. Some distinctive features of different linguistic varieties of Portuguese and the problem of standardization
Programs
Programs where the course is taught: