We will start from a collection of word order phenomena across languages. Newspapers and other material will provide our first data. From the descriptive level we will then move to a theoretical model designed to capture such differences across languages: syntactic parameters.
The course will investigate a system of language description expressly designed for comparisons using the Parameter settings are intimately tied to morphological realizations of syntactic heads and constitute a powerful tool in language studies: The system can be applied to language acquisition, language comparison and language change.
The course will focus on some well-studied parameters used for language comparison (head-complement, V2, V-to-I, pro-drop, Wh-fronting) ideas about the acquisition of parameter settings and the problems that parameter setting can cause in L2-acquisition.
Apart from looking at language acquisition, bilingualism and L2-acquisition, we will apply the model to the historical development of English. We can also look at varieties of English such as African American English.

Regular participation and study of the material for the individual sessions is required.

For preparation:
Morphology and Syntax readers from the Introduction.
Chapter 6 from Haegeman and Gueron (1999): English Grammar. Blackwell publishers, Oxford.
For a short overview:
Chapter 1 from Hamann (2002): From Syntax to Discourse. Kluwer, Dordrecht.

You will find a reference list including articles and works of original research on StudIP shortly before the course begins.