Research Areas

New_Issues_and_Themes_in_Biolinguistics

This_course_is_a_survey_of_current_research_in_areas_and_issues_in_Biolinguistics._It_also_proposes_to_cover_a_variety_of_approaches_to_language_design_(as_a_biological_system)_and_the_evolution_of_language._Some_of_the_major_areas_of_research_will_be_covered_in_the_following_sections:

 Acquisition_of_speech_and_language

 Cognition_and_perception_studies_through_different_disorders_of_communication.

 Studies_in_lateralization_and_localization_of_language_in_brain_through_imaging_techniques.

 Genes_and_language/speech.

 Speech_and_voice_patterns_of_genetically_related_people

 Language_and_evolution

Cognitive_Linguistics

The_field_of_enquiry’_is_fully_interdisciplinary,_sharing_wide_range_of_concerns_with_contemporary_cognitive_science._In_order_to_discover_the_natural,_organic,_historical_and_developmental_parameters_of_human_language,_we_establish_productive_contacts_with_research_works_in_neighbouring_disciplines,_such_as,_Psychology,_Philosophy,_Neuroscience,_Artificial_Intelligence,_Mathematics,_Cognitive_Anthropology_and_the_Sciences_of_Literature_including_Semiotics._We_focus_on_the_discovery_of_the_proper_mathematical_basis_that_would_suitably_modelize_the_continuous_and_non-discrete_nature_of_the_semantic,_pragmatic_and_cognitive_dimensions_of_human_language._Prior_to_the_discrete_symbolic_structures_employed_in_a_combinational_syntax-semantics_we_posit_continuous,_dynamic_and_topological_`deep’_subsymbolic_structures.

Research_in_Tribal_and_Lesser_Known_Languages

The_Centre_has_been_engaged_in_encouraging_field_work_and_research_on_tribal_and_lesser_known_languages_of_India_at_the_M.A._M._Phil_and_Ph.D._Levels._Courses_have_also_been_designed_to_provide/develop_methodologies_for_the_collection,_collation_and_analysis_of_linguistic_data_for_the_determination_of_the_phonological,_morphological_and_syntactic_systems_of_these_languages._The_students_are_thus_trained_to_write_at_least_partial_linguistic_grammars_of_these_languages.

Areal_Typology_and_Language_Contact

The_aim_is_to_teach_students_to_identify_linguistic_structures_that_are_shared_across_typologically_different_and_genetically_distinct_languages_of_South_Asia._The_focus_of_teaching_and_research_is_on_the_common_semantic_constructs_and_their_associated_similar_linguistic_structurations._India_as_a_Linguistic_Area_concept_is_thus_not_seen_in_its_traditional_taxonomic_sense_but_as_an_area_marking_structures_manifested_in_various_but_shared_grammatical_and_semantic_aspects.

Generally_diverse_languages_that_coexist_in_geographical_proximity_change_the_course_of_the_developments_of_various_contiguous_languages_toward_typological_homogeneity_leading_to_areal_universals._A_comparison_of_such_areal_universal_features_with_language_universals_is_made_to_bring_into_focus_the_linguistic_typology_of_South_Asia._Areal_typological_investigation_of_the_phenomena_of_Reduplication_and_Explicator_compound_Verbs_has_already_been_made_for_more_than_40_languages_of_India_by_the_Centre.

Syntactic_and_Semantic_Grammars_of_Indian_Languages

The_Centre_gives_importance_to_research_in_the_complex_and_varied_syntactic_and_semantic_structures_of_different_languages_of_India._Languages_of_Dravidian,_Indo-Aryan,_Tibeto-Burman,_Austro-Asiatic_(Munda_and_non-Munda)_families_have_been_investigated_into._The_students_are_encouraged_to_work_on_the_models_of_Generative_Semantics,_Cognitive_Semantics,_Generative_Syntax,_Government_and_Binding,_and_Paninian_Grammar.

English_in_the_Third_World

This_area_of_study_includes_investigation_into_the_forms_and_functions_of_English_language_in_India,_with_special_reference_to_its_historical,_socio-cultural_and_linguistic_dimensions._Besides_Indian_English,_research_focus_is_also_on_the_other_non-native_varieties_of_English._Research_facilities_are_provided_for_work_on_the_emergence,_diffusion_and_establishment_of_Indian_English,_South_Asian_English_and_African_English._Study_of_the_roles_and_functions_of_English_in_the_communicative_networks_of_the_third_world_countries_is_especially_encouraged._The_teaching_of_English_–_its_principles,_techniques_and_methodology_–_constitutes_another_important_area_of_research.

Applied_Linguistics

The_focus_here_is_on_language_pedagogy,_the_concept_of_pedagogic_grammar,_contrastive_analysis,_testing_and_evaluation,_second_and_foreign_language_teaching/learning._The_other_major_components_of_applied_linguistics_constitute:_(1)_Translation:_Theory_and_Practice,_especially_processes_and_problems_of_literary_translation;_(2)_Lexicology_and_Lexicography_(especially_with_reference_to_the_Multilingual,_Indian_context);_(3)_Speech_and_Language_Pathology,_aphasiology_and_acquired_and/or_developmental_disorders;_Sign_language_for_the_Hearing_Impaired;_and_(4)_Linguistic_analysis_of_literary_texts.

General_and_Applied_Speech_Sciences:

The_Centre_conducts_a_number_of_courses_in_the_area_of_acoustics_and_experimental_phonetics._Various_techniques_used_in_the_study_of_speech_sounds_are_introduced._Although_the_programme_does_include_experimental_methods_and_technology_employed_in_articulatory_phonetics,_the_thrust_is_on_the_study_of_acoustic_aspect_of_speech_sounds._The_students_are_familiarized_with_various_programmes_available_for_speech_signal_processing_and_their_applications._Some_of_the_major_applications_of_speech_sciences_introduced_are:_Speech_Pathology,_therapeutic_and_rehabilitative_practices_in_the_area_of_speech_and_hearing;_speaker_identification_studies_and_cryptology,_speech_and_voice_modulation,_diction_for_media_etc.

Sociolinguistics

This_area_of_research_focuses_on_the_relationship_between_theoretical_linguistics_and_recent_developments_in_sociolinguistics._The_key_concerns_in_this_area_are_linguistic_heterogeneity,_language_contact_and_code-choice_in_different_socio-cultural_context._Studies_of_language_dynamics_(language_change,_language_maintenance_and_language_shift)_in_multilingual,_multi-cultural_societies_are_given_particular_emphasis._Another_focal_area_of_research_is_the_role,_function_and_status_of_tribal/minor_languages_vis-a-vis_the_more_developed_and_relatively_powerful_languages_of_wider_communication._This_area_also_includes_studies_of_socio-educational_deprivation,_language_inequality_and_attitudes_towards_languages_and_speech-communities._Moreover,_language_in_its_varying_manifestations_is_also_studied_as_a_marker_of_identity_and_means_of_societal_signification.

Philosophy_of_Language

This_area_of_research_focuses_on_the_powerful_truth-conditional_accounts_of_meaning_proposed_by_philosophers_such_as_Frege,_Russel_and_Carnag_in_order_to_demonstrate_the_weaknesses_of_these_accounts_when_they_are_applied_to_ordinary_language._It_also_examines_alternative_theories_advanced_by_later_philosophers_like_Wittgenstein,_Quine,._Austin_and_Searle,_which_seek_to_relocate_the_classic_set_of_problems_in_a_communicative_context._Since_recent_works_in_Linguistics_by_Chomsky,_Jakendoff_and_others_have_had_a_profound_effect_on_the_current_philosophical_debate_on_diverse_issues,_linguistic_findings_have_been_considered_crucially_relevant._This_kind_of_research_has_as_its_central_goal_the_development_of_sharper_and_more_sophisticated_analysis_of_long_standing_problems_in_linguistic_philosophy.

Semiotics_of_Conceptual_Structures

The_research_and_teaching_programme_in_the_Semiotics_of_Conceptual_Structures_covers_a_broad_spectrum_of_communication_channels_in_language,_literature,_art_and_culture._A_number_of_courses_are_offered_in_the_semiotics_of_creative_process_in_French_Scholastic_tradition_from_the_Middle_Ages_to_the_modern_structuralist_speculations_on_the_nature_of_sign_and_signification._Discursive_studies_in_the_discourse_of_language,_literature,_cinema,_folklore,_painting_are_some_of_the_domains_already_covered_by_our_research_scholars.

Neuro-Cognitive_Linguistics:

1. Theories,_Models_and_Approach_to_study_of_early_speech_and_language_development._Principals _and_Parameters_hypothesis.
2. How_is_language_acquired_–_in_case_of_a_normal_child,_a_deaf_child,_a_slow_learner?
3. Structure_and_Function_of_Brain:_Representation_of_Language_in_Brain,_Theories_and_Models.
4. Brain_Pathology_and_Language_breakdown:_Cognitive_vs._Neurological_disorders,_Developmental_vs._Acquired _disorders,_Clinical_Aphasiology,_Dyslexia
5. Issues_in_Neurolinguistics_and_Aphasiology