Topics in Chinese Linguistics (Master S3 Class)

Basic information

• Credits: 3
• Format: 2.5 hours weekly
• 2026-2027 instructors: Chang Liu
• 2026-2027: Wednesdays 16:00-18:30, room 145

Description

The course is designed to provide an overview of the major syntactic and semantic features of the Chinese language (primarily Mandarin Chinese, with occasional references to other Sinitic languages). After an introduction to the Chinese languages, the course will explore a particular topic based on published research. Examples of topics studied in previous years include: The Noun Phrase; Adjectives; Grammatical and Lexical Aspect…

Prerequisites

The course relies on the basic linguistic concepts acquired in the first year of the Master’s program. Although knowledge of Mandarin Chinese is not absolutely necessary, it is recommended for a better access to the linguistic data and part of the references. The course will be taught in English or in French according to the needs of the students.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Situate Mandarin Chinese both in reference to other Sinitic languages and typologically.
• Describe the salient properties and characteristics of a given phenomenon or domain in the syntax and semantics of Chinese.
• Discuss several competing explanations or formalizations of this phenomenon or domain.