Linguistic explanations in usage-based and formal approaches

This course is a continuation of the course “Was erklärt die Linguistik? Linguistische Ansätze im Vergleich”, but you can enrol even if you didn’t attend the first course, as we will cover the basics in the beginning of the course. In this course we will analyze and compare works from authors working in different linguistic approaches. We will focus on the dichotomy between scientific explanations in formal and usage-based approaches in syntax and semantics. Our comparative methods will include the tools developed in the area of the philosophy of science, as well as specific linguistic problems and linguistic data from underdescribed languages, which will illuminate our quest for scientifically sound explanations in linguistics.