General linguistics, lexicography and syntax issues

General linguistics

How can you describe a language? Do we ever really master a language? Besides their considerable diversity, do languages have common properties? How do they work? How are they acquired? Can we lessen their apparent complexity? How do my words, what I'm saying, make sense? These are all questions this course aims to answer. It provides an introduction to the basic concepts and methods of general linguistics. There are two objectives: on the one hand, to initiate students in the fundamental questions concerning the nature and the function of language and languages and, on the other hand, to familiarise students with the analytical tools particular to the field.

The course is based on five modules:

I. What is language - Purposes and methods of linguistics

II. The universal properties of languages

III. Language as an object of study

   1. - Phonetics and phonology
   2. - Morphology
   3. - lexicology and semantics

IV. Language and communication (communication theories)

V. Language, its use and society - sociolinguistics

Lexicography and syntax issues

    1) In-depth study of lexicological concepts and methods (procedures for creating words, relationships between words etc);
2) In-depth study of the syntactic particularities of French;

3) Identification of syntactical and lexical errors or mistakes in statements and redrafting these statements in standard French; 
4) Working with the main dictionaries and grammar books relating to the French language.
5) Use of dictionaries
6) Writings (the past, the present and the future simple tenses will be used).

General linguistics

Students should be able to:

- thoroughly examine the nature of language and how languages work;

- use analytical tools particular to the field and apply them to new situations;

- analyse a speech and separate it into its various linguistic units;

- explain the system of sound production for French;

- analyse and describe the different mechanisms involved in sound production;

- understand the role of the linguistic context and the extralinguistic situation and explain their interaction.

Lexicography and syntax issues

    Students will be capable of using appropriate dictionaries and grammatical works depending on their research objectives and methods.  Students will be able to identify syntactical and lexicological mistakes, weaknesses and errors and be able to correct them.

General linguistics

Good knowledge of the French language (B2 level).

Lexicography and syntax issues

No prerequisite knowledge, but C1 level for non-native speakers. 

General linguistics

The course alternates between lectures, learning through problem-solving, doing exercises and reading documents.

General linguistics

Face-to-face course


Further information:

Face-to-face course.

Available on eCampus : the slides from class (Ppt or Key) and  students should read them carefully in order to prepare for and facilitate the discussion on said content; exercices to prepare the practical sessions ("TP"); exercices online.

In addition to this preparation, students are expected to take part in discussions during theory classes. Students are therefore required to do a certain amount of work by themselves outside these face-to-face classes.

Lexicography and syntax issues

Face-to-face course


Further information:

 

Duration and Period: 30 hours in the 1st semester. The QLS course will be given in the 1st semester according to the following schedule:

• Seminar with personalized coaching (in small groups, on a voluntary basis): Monday, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.; ULiège, TI campus, rue de Pitteurs, L5 2.8 (Danica Seleskovitch room).
  
  
• Large group lecture: Monday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; ULiège, TI campus, rue de Pitteurs, L5 2.8 (Danica Seleskovitch room). *The groups for the Monday seminar will be formed during the first class, on Monday, September 22, 2025, at 8 a.m.
  
  

• Depending on the evolution of the health situation or given the particular circumstances due to COVID-19, the course could be given, in whole or in part, remotely.
  
  
• For exceptional reasons, certain course sessions may be given remotely on the TEAMS platform.
  
  

General linguistics

- Notes including theoretical explanations, slides, texts and exercises available on eCampus.

- COMPULSORY READING : compendium of texts ans documents avalaible on eCampus.


- Les linguistes atterrées, Le français va très bien, merci. Paris : Gallimard, Tract n°49, 2023.

Lexicography and syntax issues

  COURSE NOTES:  - Course notes (with exercices and exams examples).
- Texts and exercises distributed during class. 
- A book to study for the exam : COLIGNON, J.-P., Pour ne plus faire de fautes d'orthographe. Paris, éd. de l'Opportun, Poche, s.d.
RECOMMENDED READING : A bibliography will be distributed during class. 
MAIN RESOURCES USED BY THE TEACHER : - Bavoux, C. (dir.), Le français des dictionnaires: L'autre versant de la lexicographie française, Brussels, Duculot, 2008.  - Bal, W., Doppagne, A., Goosse, A., Hanse, J., Lenoble-Pinson, M., Pohl, J., Warnant, L.,Belgicismes. Inventaire des particularités lexicales du français en Belgique, Louvain-la-Neuve, Duculot, Paris, Conseil international de la langue française, 1994.  - Hanse, J., Blampain, D., Nouveau dictionnaire des difficultés du français moderne, Louvain-la-Neuve, De Boeck-Duculot, 2005. - Paveau, M.-A., Rosier, L., La langue française: passions et polémiques, Paris, Vuibert, 2008.

General linguistics

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )


Further information:

Any session :

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )

- Remote

oral exam

- If evaluation in "hybrid"

preferred in-person


Additional information:

Written exam organised in January, June and September in the form of a MCQ and open questions relating to what the students have learnt (knowledge and understanding of the basic concepts and methods of linguistics) and know-how (knowing how to use the tools particular to the field in the proposed new situations)

This teaching unit ("Unité d'enseignement," or UE) is subject to the principle of the "note absorbante," which means that the student having obtained a mark below 8/20 for one of the learning activities ("activités d'apprentissage," or AA) will receive a failing grade for the entire unit and will have to retake the failed AA in the second session regardless of the mathematical average of the two AA grades.

Lexicography and syntax issues

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )

- Remote

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )


Further information:

Any session :

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )

- Remote

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )

- If evaluation in "hybrid"

preferred in-person


Additional information:



Absorbing Grade Principle and Grading  

This course unit is subject to the absorbing grade principle. This means that if a grade below 8/20 is given for one of the learning activities (AAs), that grade becomes the overall grade for the course unit. Only the exam for the failed AA will be retaken during the second session.

Only grades with decimals of 0.8 and 0.9 will be rounded up to the next whole number. For example, a grade of 7.6/20 will not be rounded up to 8/20.

 

Exam Formats by Session  

All sessions combined:

• In-person: Written evaluation (MCQs, open-ended questions)
  
  
• Remote: Written evaluation (MCQs, open-ended questions)
  
  
• If "hybrid": Preference for in-person evaluation
  
  

• A list of paronyms and semantically similar terms that can lead to writing errors (list published in the syllabus).
  
  
• J.-P. Colignon's book (required reading available as a PDF or in hard copy).
  
  
• Identifying and correcting solecisms and barbarisms in a text.
  
  
• Exercises and theoretical points covered in class (word creation processes, meaning of affixes, identification of Belgianisms, etc.).
  
  
• A writing task following specific instructions (required verb moods and tenses, tense agreement to be respected, etc.).
  
  

Lexicography and syntax issues

No work placements.

General linguistics

Christophe Leveau : christophe.delval@uliege.be

Lexicography and syntax issues

FANeven@uliege.be

Lexicography and syntax issues

Course notes
Course notes

Dictionaries
Dictionaries

Planing
Planing

Planing
Planing