HKU Moodle

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LING7011 looks at language as a window into the mind. We want to know how language can be understood as a crossroads or interaction between the world and our minds. Our theme is meaning. Instead of focusing on a single theoretical framework aimed at encapsulating every aspect of language, like Optimality Theory or Generative Grammar, this course focuses on Cognitive Linguistics, a less rigid approach, which allows us to explore the myriad strategies to create and convey meaning in language, such as metaphor, imitation, categorization, extrapolation and so on.

Over the past few decades, Cognitive Linguistics has developed into a highly influential scientific field within linguistics. It has established its own dedicated journals (e.g., Cognitive Linguistics, Review of Cognitive Linguistics, and Cognitive Linguistic Studies), professional associations (e.g., International Cognitive Linguistics Association), and regular international conferences (e.g., International Conference of Construction Grammar). This growth reflects the theoretical richness and empirical success of Cognitive Linguistics in explaining how language structure and meaning emerge from human cognition and usage.