Portuguese through Time

Module title	Portuguese through Time
Module code	MLP3004
Academic year	2019/0
Credits	15
Module staff	Professor Susana Afonso Pinto Cavadas Afonso (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks		11

Module description

Languages are in constant change. Some changes can be perceived in one’s lifetime while other changes can only be reconstructed using available written sources. Changes in language are unavoidable and unstoppable, but how do they originate and propagate and to what extent are certain types of change universal?

In this module you will study how languages evolve through time, with a specific focus on Portuguese in the context of the development of the Romance languages on the one hand and on the contrast between European and Brazilian Portuguese. You will also get acquainted with the ongoing changes in Portuguese.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to:

Trace the development of European Portuguese primarily in the context of the Romance Languages, exploring the main phonological, lexical and morphosyntactic changes
Contrast the development of Brazilian Portuguese with European Portuguese in order to critically assess the level of innovation and conservatism of these two varieties of Portuguese. By doing so, the main theories of language change will be critically discussed
Introduce you to the exploration of corpora so as to gather evidence for such changes

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the theories of language change
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the main structural and lexical changes in European Portuguese
3. Identify and analyse in terms of innovation/conservatism European Portuguese in the context of the Romance languages and in comparison with Brazilian Portuguese
4. Assess evidence using knowledge of historical linguistic and sociolinguistic methods

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

5. Demonstrate familiarity and ability to draw on a range of research literature
6. Argue at length and in detail about an aspect of the topic, supporting the argument with evidence from corpora
7. Use a range of linguistic critical terminology, applying it to independently researched material as well as to material introduced by the course tutor

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

8. Extract and analyse patterns from electronic corpora
9. Develop analytical skills and use them to solve problems

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

Principles of language change
Portuguese in the context of the Romance languages
Main structural and lexical changes of European Portuguese
Innovation and conservatism of European Portuguese in comparison with Brazilian Portuguese
Ongoing changes in European Portuguese
Universals of language change

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
16	134	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled learning and teaching	15	10 x 1.5 hours lectures and seminars
Scheduled learning and teaching	1	Conclusion
Guided independent study	134	Private study

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Essay	750 words	1-9	Written and oral

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Essay	100	3000 words	1-9	Written

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Essay	Essay	1-9	Referral/Deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

Aitchinson, J. 1991. Language change: Progress or Decay? Cambridge: CUP
Cardeira, E. 2005. Entre o Português Antigo e o Português Clássico. Lisbon: Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda.
Castro, Ivo. 2006. Introdução à História do Português . Lisboa: Edições Colibri
Hickey, R. 2003. Motives for Language Change. Cambridge: CUP
Maiden, M., Smith, J. and Ledgeway, A. (ed.). 2011–2013. Cambridge History of the Romance Languages. Cambridge: CUP
Martins, A. and Carrilho, A. (eds.). Manual de Linguística Portuguesa. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Mateus, M.H. and Bacelar do Nascimento, F. (orgs.). 2005. A Língua Portuguesa em Mudança. Lisboa: Caminho
Raposo et al. 2013. Gramática do Português. Vol. 1, 2. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
Silva, R. 2008. O Português Arcaico. Uma aproximação. Vol. I. Léxico e Morfologia. Lisbon: Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda.
Traugott, E. and Dasher, R. 2001. Regularity in semantic change. Cambridge: CUP
Teyssier, P. 1976. Manuel de Langue Portugaise (Portugal Bresil). Paris: Klincksieck
[Teyssier, P. 1994. História da Língua Portuguesa. Transl. Celso Cunha. Lisbon: Livraria Sá da Costa]
Wetzels, W. et al. (orgs). The Handbook of Portuguese Linguistics. London: Wiley-Blackwells

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE - https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=7058

Key words search

Portuguese; language change; Romance languages

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	6
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	01/01/2017
Last revision date	05/02/2019