Projects / Programmes
Theoretical and applied linguistic research: contrastive, synchronic and diachronic aspects
January 1, 2009
- December 31, 2013
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.05.01 |
Humanities |
Linguistics |
Languages - research |
| 6.05.02 |
Humanities |
Linguistics |
Theoretical and applied linguistics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H350 |
Humanities |
Linguistics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 6.02 |
Humanities |
Languages and Literature |
Linguistics, modern languages, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Slovene; classical languages; text linguistics, discourse analysis; contrastive analysis; lexicography and lexicology, phraseology; phonology, acoustic phonetics, functionalism, pragmatics, stylistics, rhetoric, general linguistics, sociolinguistics, languages in contact, multiculturalism, language policy, psycholinguistics, theory of linguistic naturalness, generative linguistics; cultural and linguistic specificity in a Slovene context, Italian in the bilingual area of the Slovene Coastland; foreign language teaching, language-teacher training; translation and interpreting, subtitling.
Researchers (37)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Presupposing that language as a societal phenomenon is the historical result of spontaneous and planned conventions of use as well as of continual modifications of these conventions, we attempt to identify and describe the regularities and tendencies in the development of formal aspects of individual languages and groups of languages (in our case primarily French, Italian, Spanish) and to study and explain their functioning in concrete communicative situations. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to consider single linguistic phenomena within concrete textual networks of which they are part and within the situational context at large, which implies that the orientation of our research agenda will be genuinely textual. Our reseach questions will fall within the scope of the following branches of linguistics: text linguistics and discourse analysis, stylistics and rhetoric, pragmatics, contrastive grammar, applied linguistics, diachronic and comparative studies of Romance languages and the relation of these languages to Slovene, word formation, lexicology and lexicography, semantics, phonology and phonostylistics, language teaching, and translation theory and practice.
Our intention is to study general and specific features of Romance languages as well as contrastive aspects of these languages on the one hand and of Slovene on the other. For centuries, the Slovene language has been in intense contact with the two neighbouring Romance languages, i.e. Italian and Friulian (in the bilingual area of the Slovene Coastland, the former has the status of an official language), but the presence of French and Spanish - especially through literature and culture in general - has also been very high. In view of Slovenia's recent entrance in the EU, the importance of the Romance languages at the economic, political, and cultural levels is now greater than ever before, and it is our task as researchers to study selected aspects of these languages and, ultimately, to transfer our results to an applied level by enabling linguistic experts (language teachers, translators, interpreters) to improve their professional practice. Apart from theoretical, descriptive and contrastive studies, we are also planning to continue work on lexicographical projects (bilingual French, Italian and Spanish dictionaries), set up a bilingual French-Slovene corpus, to prepare language and culture textbooks for learners of Romance languages at different levels, and to provide resources for translator and interpreter training.
Significance for science
Our research will mainly concern subfields of linguistics in which members of the research group have become internationally recognized experts. We expect that the results of their research will remain to be a useful contribution to the field of linguistics in Europe and elsewhere in the world. Due to the role of English as the most important language of international communication, our work will include research in the role of English as a foreign language in countries with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. We will strive to develop a methodologically clear and professionally sound approach to different linguistic aspects of this language, in particular those that are internationally relevant with respect to the current function of this global language. Among the languages dealt with there is now also German, which is in Slovenia of particular importance both historically and at present. With regard to German and to those Romance languages that are important for Slovenia either as languages of international communication (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian) or as languages of contact (Italian, Friulian), our principal contribution will remain in the following areas: contrastive research of the functions of texts at all levels, from the systemic to the lexical and the phonological level, between these languages and Slovene; lexicological, lexicographic and translation projects; research of Italian-Slovene and German-Slovene bilingualism; research of language variation and change on the basis of observations of Slovene-Italian (also Slovene-Friulian) and Slovene-German language contacts as well as of Slovene-Spanish language contacts (among Argentinian Slovenes). A sub-area of research will include Romance loanwords of different origin in Slovene. In the field of general linguistics, researchers will contribute to the theory of natural syntax, morphology and phonology, as well as to the theory of universal grammar, generative grammar, language typology and psycholinguistics. The results are expected to be useful for further research of Slovene and for comparative linguistics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, applied linguistics and computer processing of language data. The general linguistic research will encompass topical aspects of language studies, either from a theoretical point of view or in connection with social and psychological variables (gender, age, social status, ethnic identity, cognitive capacity, perceptions, attitudes), whereas studies of the ancient languages, such as Hittite, will combine classical comparative methods with modern approaches used in discourse analysis and in functional linguistics. The research work of our classicists, who will study aspects of Latin and Greek at various stages of cevelopment, will also contribute to cross-fertilization between classical studies and contemporary approaches to text analysis.
Significance for the country
The political, economic and cultural development of Slovenia depends largely upon our ability to communicate crossculturally in effective ways, both in English as the primary lingua franca as well as in other languages. In order for Slovenes to be able to use foreign languages effectively, it is necessary to provide them with high-quality language teaching at all levels and to develop suitable language materials for different types of users and, above all, to carry out the necessary research into foreign languages, especially from a contrastive perspective. Our aim is to produce high-quality language manuals and textbooks as well as to contribute to contrastive research of language for specific purposes and to the improvement of foreign-language literacy. We also have strong ambitions in lexicography and plan to continue to publish bilingual dictionaries in both printed and electronic format. To achieve these goals, we shall carry on our contrastive research in all the languages studied by members of our research team. An even greater emphasis than in the past will be placed on the study of translation and interpreting, in order to better understand translation phenomena and to improve the practice of translation and interpreting. In Slovenia, the research on the GERMAN language and on ROMANCE languages is of exceptional importance for two reasons: first, because of its potential to contribute to the preservation of the global linguistic and cultural balance and because of the role these languages have played in Slovene cultural and general history. Second, for centuries there has been direct contact between Slovene on the hand and Italian (as well as Friulian) and German on the other; research on various contact phenomena should enable us to better understand the reality of bilingualism and biculturalism and to enhance their development. Our research on MODERN and CLASSICAL languages will contribute, among other things, to the preservation of the classical Latin and Greek heritage through the enhancement of classical studies (descriptive presentations of the two languages and of various grammatical problems related to them; production of new bilingual dictionaries) and will increase the awareness of the classical civilization as the basis of European culture.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
2012,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
2012,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
