MODULE SPECIFICATION TEMPLATE
MODULE DETAILS
Module title
Non-Truth-Conditional Semantics
Module code
LQM37
Credit value
20 CATS
Level
Level 4
Level 5
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Level 7
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Pre-requisites
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codes or equivalent
Co-requisite modules
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Module delivery
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module content and/ or
aims
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Module team/ author/
coordinator(s)
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delivered
Online
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The notion of truth conditional meaning is central to most thinking
in the philosophy of language. However, many linguistic
expressions do not contribute to truth-conditions and, as such, nontruth-conditional meaning is also deserving of the semanticist’s
attention. This course explores a range of non-truth-conditional
phenomena at an advanced level – from mood indicators,
discourse connectives and particles to paralinguistic features, such
as interjections and intonation. Students will adopt a range of
advanced philosophical and theoretical linguistic perspectives.
These include Ordinary Language Philosophers such as Austin,
and Searle, Gricean conventional implicature and Relevance
Theory.
Dr Tim Wharton; Dr Jelena Timotijevic
Humanities
Falmer
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
Course(s) for which module is appropriate and status on that course
Course
Status (mandatory/ compulsory/
optional)
Compulsory
MA Philosophy of Language
MODULE AIMS, ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT
Aims
Learning outcomes
The aims for this module are set into the context of the QAA
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications and they relate to
the SEEC level descriptors for M level study:

To explore the nature of non-truth conditional meaning at
an advanced level and examine in depth and critically
evaluate a range of different philosophical and theoretical
linguistic approaches including speech act semantics,
Gricean conventional implicature and Relevance Theory;

To explore whether non-truth conditional expressions
constitute a homogenous class and, if not, examine the
extent to which a unified philosophical approach to them
might be provided;

To evaluate the extent to which insights into the study of
non-truth conditional meaning might be extended to offer
an account of the paralinguistic vocal and facial gestures
which accompany speech in communicative acts and,
further, to explore any philosophical implications this may
have for theories of the philosophy of language and mind.
In relation to the QAA Framework for Higher Education
Qualifications and the SEEC level descriptors for level M study,
by the end of the module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate understanding at an advanced level of what
constitutes non-truth conditional meaning
2. Demonstrate advanced ability to perform the tests used to
identify non-truth conditional meaning
3. Be able to assess and evaluate competing philosophical
approaches to non-truth conditional semantics
4. Be able to evaluate the nature of foundational questions in
the study of truth-conditional and non-truth conditional
meaning and their relationship to the semantics-pragmatics
distinction
5. Demonstrate ability to locate the study of non-truth
conditional meaning in the broader debate of the philosophy
of language and the philosophy of mind.
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
Content


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Learning support
Speech act theory distinction between describing and
indicating, and Austin on Illocutionary Force
Searle’s on mood indicators and Urmson on parentheticals
Gricean distinction between saying, conventionally
implicating and conversationally implicating
Relevance theory distinction between explicit and implicit
communication
Blakemore’s distinction between conceptual and procedural
meaning and how it crosscuts the truth conditional/non-truth
conditional divide.
Non-truth conditional meaning, prosody and non-verbal
communication
Books:
Austin, J. (1962) How to Do Things with Words. Oxford:
Clarendon Press.
Blakemore, D. (2002) Relevance and Linguistic Meaning: The
Semantics and Pragmatics of Discourse Markers. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Clark, B. (2013) Relevance Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Grice, H. P. (1989) Studies In The Way of Words. Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press.
Iten, C. (2005) Linguistic Meaning, Truth Conditions and
Relevance. Basingstoke, Hants: Palgrave Macmillan.
Schiffrin, D. (1987) Discourse Markers. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Searle, J. (1979) Expression and Meaning. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Sperber, D. and D. Wilson (1986/1995) Relevance:
Communication and Cognition. Oxford: Blackwell.
Urmson, J. (1963) Parenthetical verbs. In C. Caton (ed.).
Philosophy and Ordinary Language. 220-240. Urbana: Univ.
of Illinois Press.
Wharton, T. (2009) Pragmatics and Non-Verbal Communication.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Journals
Blakemore, D. (2011) 'On the descriptive ineffability of
expressive meaning’. Journal of Pragmatics 43: 3337-3350.
Ifantidou, E. (1993) Parentheticals and relevance. UCL Working
Papers in Linguistics 5: 193-210.
Wierzbicka, A. (1992) The semantics of interjections. Journal of
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
Pragmatics 18: 159-192.
Wilson, D. and D. Sperber (1993) Linguistic form and relevance.
Lingua 90: 1-25.
Electronic Sources
Note that some of the journal articles above, and many others
that will be used as reading materials for this module, will be
available as electronic sources in addition to the journal articles
provided by the University library.
Teaching and learning activities
Details of teaching and
learning activities
Contact Time: Tutor-led weekly lectures, and seminars in which
tutors’ presentation is designed to promote themed student
discussion around the area covered.
Tutorial support is given for assessment.
Non-contact Time: Students’ independent study is guided by lists
of questions, bibliographies and specified tasks
Allocation of study hours (indicative)
Where 10 credits = 100 learning hours
Study
hours
SCHEDULED
This is an indication of the number of hours
students can expect to spend in scheduled
teaching activities including lectures, seminars,
tutorials, project supervision, demonstrations,
practical classes and workshops, supervised time
in workshops/ studios, fieldwork, external visits,
and work-based learning.
20
GUIDED INDEPENDENT
STUDY
All students are expected to undertake guided
independent study which includes wider reading/
practice, follow-up work, the completion of
assessment tasks, and revisions.
180
PLACEMENT
The placement is a specific type of learning away
from the University that is not work-based learning
or a year abroad.
TOTAL STUDY HOURS 200
Assessment tasks
Details of assessment
for this module
Assessment will be in the context of the University of Brighton
Assessment Policy and the Faculty Code of Practice in
Assessment, and students will be required to complete the
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
following tasks:
Task
Students submit one essay of 4,000 words relating to the module
content and to be agreed with the tutor.
The task will be marked on a percentage basis. Module pass
mark is 50%.
Referral task:
Reworking of original task
Assessment Criteria
1. Mastery of theoretical issues relating to the nature of
non-truth conditional meaning (LO1)
2. Advanced ability to perform the tests used to identify nontruth conditional meaning (LO2)
3. Ability to assess and evaluate competing philosophical
approaches to non-truth conditional semantics (LO3)
4. Ability to examine and evaluate the nature of foundational
questions in the study of truth-conditional and non-truth
conditional meaning and their relationship to the
semantics-pragmatics distinction (LO4)
5. Advanced ability to locate the study of non-truth
conditional meaning in the broader debate of the
philosophy of language and the philosophy of mind (LO5)
Types of assessment task1
Indicative list of summative assessment tasks which lead to the award of credit
or which are required for progression.
WRITTEN
Written exam
COURSEWORK
Written assignment/ essay, report, dissertation,
portfolio, project output, set exercise
PRACTICAL
Oral assessment and presentation, practical skills
assessment, set exercise
%
weighting
(or indicate
if
component
is pass/fail)
100
1 Set exercises, which assess the application of knowledge or analytical, problem-solving or evaluative skills, are included
under the type of assessment most appropriate to the particular task.
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
EXAMINATION INFORMATION
Area examination board
PG Programme Linguistics and English language
Refer to Faculty Office for guidance in completing the following sections
External examiners
Name
Position and institution
Date appointed
Date
tenure
ends
Prof. Daniel Kadar
Professor of Linguistics
and English language,
University of Huddersfield
1st Jan. 2015
31st Dec.
2019
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Date of first approval
Only complete where this
is not the first version
n/a
Date of last revision
Only complete where this
is not the first version
n/a
Date of approval for this
version
Version number
1
Modules replaced
n/a
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for which this is a
replacement
Available as free-standing module?
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
Yes
X
No