TOPICS OF B.A., M.A., and PhDr. DISSERTATIONS
(Stanislav J. Kavka, 2OO4)
The range (ie. number of pages) and the more or less purely linguistically based handling of the issues as
depending on the intended grade of dissertations (theses) is to be agreed and officially recorded in
Zadání…práce. Will you please mind, too, that some of the topics / projects are conceived for more than one
candidate, provided they specialize in (focus on, zero in on) one of the issues, the results of each of which will,
hopefully, cover the whole of the problem in the end.
Any other projects are welcome, on agreement between the candidate and the tutor / supervisor.
(1) CURRENT CHANGES IN THE ENGLISH VOWEL SYSTEM.
[An independent field study.]
Even though it still holds that “A reasonably correct speech-flow is more important for intelligibility than
correct sounds…” [W.S.Allen], how distinct from so-called R.P., or Estuary English, are the realizations of
vowels / consonants performed by young native speakers?
(2) (SPATIAL, …) PREPOSITIONS IN THE LIGHT OF COGNITIVE SEMANTICS.
[A comparative study.]
Do “spatial” prepositions have the structure of a prototype, and what role does the notion of metaphorical
extension have in the description of “non-spatial” meanings? And, mainly, can such prepositions be learnt
consciously? - The same questions can be set up concerning other types of prepositions.
(3) COLLOCATIONS AND SIMILAR IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS IN ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS.
[A critical study, of possibly psycholinguistic approach.]
The major issue is how we learn idiomatic expressions after we have mastered “words”. In other words,
idiomatic expressions are comprehended as lexical units; are they kept in the mental lexicon, though?
(4) ARE IDIOMS USED BECAUSE THEY HAVE DIFFERENT MEANINGS FROM SINGLE
“WORDS”?
[A psycholinguistic study on idiomatic expressions.]
The issue reads whether, and under which conditions, idioms are synonymous to single expressions and
interchangeable with them. For instance, does curry favour convey the same meaning as flatter?
(5) THE ASPECTUAL FUNCTION OF PARTICLES IN PHRASAL VERBS.
[A comparative study on semantic grounds.]
The category of aspect, commonly known as “vid” in Slavonic languages, is matched, as believed, by
grammatical means of the category of tense in English. The question is to what extent it can be supplied by using
particles attached to basic verb forms.
Or, alternatively, yet again a comparative study, with the German detachable prefixes. As introduced by
Smith,L.P., 1925:173 (anecdote): “You might drink a bottle of it, and it would not set you up” (<upset you),
according to the German aufgeben>ich gebe es auf.
One curious case where E. phrasal verbs enter into compounds like the G. ones: cast/speak/lie
out>outcast,outspoken,outlying…
A curious kind of compound verb since 19th c. – “these add an idiomatic power and enable…to express many
fine distinctions of thought and meaning…” (Smith,1966:42)
Formalistic discussion on phrasal verbs as idiomatic expressions in: Melcuk & Pertsov, 1987:121-122, 326.
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Interesting: D.Defoe, Moll Flanders. – “…and putting into the same inn, he set up (=halted, stopped) his own
Coach…
(6) SEMANTICS AND ORDERING OF ATTRIBUTES…
Obviously in NPs, conceived either for one language, like English or Spanish / French, or as
comparative study. Preferably synchronic approach, with diachronic glimpses. Based on corpus of spoken or
written material (with comparative studies equivalent translation texts needed).
(7) [ENGLISH] COMPOSITE WORDS AS PSYCHOLINGUISTIC ENTITIES
Alternatively other languages, or possibly comparative approach (preferably in typologically different
languages). Under “composite words” understood traditional compounds of various types (like
‘Germanic/Romance’, ‘string-‘, Mathesius’ sdruženiny, složeniny, sousloví, etc.). Excerption based primarily on
grammatical phrasing, like NP, A+N, VP….
(8) NEGATION IN LANGUAGES
… English – English and Czech / Spanish / French /German….
(Preferably) a comparative study.
Based on once habilitation thesis by Prof. J. Vachek and on my “revisited study”, after a brief comment on
negation as understood in philosophy, math, logic, etc., what negation means in linguistics. Diachronic glimpses
welcome.
(9) ADVERTISMENTS, NOTICES, WARNINGS, etc., AND THEIR EQUIVALENTS
…in English - Czech / French / Spanish / German…
[An original field research on the spot.]
Might be carried out within various fields, eg. farming, travel, traffic, “in general”; or more
specifically: municipal transport, railways, air transport, etc. Linguistically based on “lexicology – stylistics –
semantics” > translatology. Possible practical outcome(s): a vocabulary with annotations and an attached
linguistic commentary.
(10) IMPLICIT OR / AND EXPLICIT KNOWLEDGE OF A LANGUAGE
In other words, practically, (a) serious thought(s) given to the current state of foreign language acquisition.
Referring to ‘knowledge of a language’, what we generally have in mind is probably nothing more but
the implicit knowledge, ie. ability of speaking. However, this should not mean that users dispose also of explicit
knowledge, namely, the character of knowledge we acquire at school… [See more in Palmer, F.
(1971):Grammar. Penguin.]
(11) WHIMS OF THE ENGLISH MIXED-VOWEL
[Diachronic approach]
The English “schwa” has been pushed out from stressed positions, recently also because of elimination
of centering diphthongs. The question is, however, why concurrently new centering diphthongs are coming into
existence, due to reduction of triphthongs, or due to the rise of [] for the previous [ou].
(12) VERBAL PARADIGMS IN SO-CALLED EARLY AMERICAN ENGLISH
[A historical probe.]
Older texts of American provenance record certain irregularities in forms, which were partly inherited
of Middle and Early New English, eg. archaic forms of preterit and perfect tenses, substitution of preterit by
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perfect participle, or conversely, etc. Characteristics of further development up to these days are welcome, or
even required, depending on whether the principal body of the work is aimed at the language’s past or present.
(13) CHARACTERISTICS OF TOPICS AS PRESENTED IN ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS
[The subtitles will specify respective areas of interest.]
The main goal is for candidates to evaluate contents of the topics presented in different English
textbooks from the point of view of potential users, with account of EU Portfolio. In other words, do the general
course textbooks prefer / neglect / include… ESP area, cultural / literary topics, children’s favourite talks…? A
comparative approach is expected, namely in two lines: English textbooks and Spanish / French /
German…ones; older and modern English textbooks used in Czech(oslovak) / French / Spanish / German…
schools (since the latter half of the 19th century).
(14) LINGUISTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF BUSINESS TEXTS
[The subtitles will specify respective areas of interest.]
The main body of the work is expected to deal with one (or two) specific area(s) of business (ie.
tourism, commerce, etc.), while the linguistic reasoning should inspect English texts published outside Englishspeaking countries, zeroed in on grammatical and idiomatic appropriateness.
(15) UNDERSTANDING THE TERM FLUENCY IN [ORAL / …] PERFORMANCE
Fluency is expected to connote a wide range of meanings for the teacher, depending, besides others, on
the language (whether a native or a foreign one), its either oral or written form of performance, on the respective
learner’s level of knowledge, etc. To which extent do our English textbooks, and the teachers, meet the goal in
this respect (eg. by making full use of highly idiomatic character of English, etc.)?
(16) VERBAL VOICE [IN…] REVISITED
In principle a synchronic study, based on extensive authentic material, with diachronic glimpses. A
comparative approach is welcome. The treatise(s) should focus on the semantic facet of the issue (including such
points as passive meaning being expressed by active form: The dinner is cooking. X *The house is building.???).
(17) PRAGMALINGUISTIC VIEW OF ASPECTUAL CATEGORIES IN […]
A comparative study. The category of “vid” is elaborated in Slavonic languages, and its conception
tends to be applied on to other languages, typologically different. However, what is called “aspect” there does
not correspond fully to “vid”.
(18) COMPETITION OF INFINITE VERBAL FORMS
[The title will be modified according to the scope of the work.]
The issue of syntactic positions of infinitive, gerund and participle is a commonplace for all English
students. However, there are quite a few cases where two of the forms can meet, which either does or does not
cause a change in meaning of the utterance. A semantic view of the situation is expected to be the main body of
the treatise.
(19) EXPRESSIVITY IN ENGLISH [AND…]: …
The treatise can be focused on English only or conceived as a comparative study. The notion of
‘expressivity’ is to be understood as semantic evaluation of lexemes which in appropriate contexts express
typically human psychic attitudes to events, situations, and the like, such as joy, sorrow, love, hate, etc.
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(20) PROFESSIONAL SLANG AS USED BY… [IN …]
[An independent field study.]
It is expected that members of every professional group use their own respective jargons. The treatises
should not only compile lists of professional, expert terms, but rather deal with the idioms the people typically
use while working on the job. Their discourses should be analysed from all linguistic aspects, which does not, of
course, exclude specific vocabulary. The groups worth the attention can be bricklayers, carpenters, farmers,
railwaymen, drivers, etc.
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