MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM

UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HCMC

Independence – Freedom – Happiness
SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES FOR ECONOMICS
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BACHELOR’S DEGREE ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Field of Training: English Language Studies

Major: Business English

Course Outline

1. Course Title: English Semantics

2. Course Code:

3. Units of Credit : 2 (Theory: 1 and Practice: 1)

4. Entry Level: 3rd year students

5. Time Allocation:

+ Theory: 10 periods

+ Practice/Group discussion: 20 periods

+ Autonomous learning: Students are encouraged self-study while subject to the

teacher’s periodical assessment. The minimum time for self-study is 60 hours.

6. Prerequisites: Students are supposed to have completed all courses in Listening,

Speaking, Reading, and Writing as well as courses in basic components of linguistics such
as Phonetics – Phonology, Syntax – Morphology.

7. Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will achieve:

7.1 Knowledge: Students will be able to:

- Master the basic knowledge of semantics and differentiate semantics from other
linguistic components.

- Understand terminologies and phenomena in semantics. Acknowledge the

differences between types of meanings, meaning relationships. Know the multi
meaning aspect of language as well as the relationship between language and
language users.
 - Identify the meanings of words, phrases and sentences. Apply the combination
rules of words, phrases and sentences in expressing their thoughts.

7.2 Skills: Students will be able to:

- Identify, distinguish and be able to present terminologies, phenomena in

semantics.

- Apply semantics knowledge in expressing their thoughts effectively in everyday

conversations and in business situations.

- Explain the meanings of words, phrases and sentences in documents, news and
conferences on economics.

- Develop teamwork skills. Be able to present, discuss and protect their own ideas.

- Improve self-study, reference search and independent research capabilities.

7.3 Attitudes: Students should:

- Be aware that language is interesting, flexible, changeable, and that meaning is of

great importance when using language.

- Be more confident in communication.

- Be committed to protecting and enhancing the beauty of language in everyday

conversations as well as in business situations. Want to become a good and effective
communicator.

- Be passionate about self-study and independent research. Try their best to improve
English as well as other foreign languages proficiency. Contribute to the concerned
field of study.

8. Course Description:

Semantics is an indispensable subject in linguistics. This subject provides students

with basic knowledge about meanings including word meanings, phrase meanings,
sentence meanings and utterance meanings. Once acquired, students can apply what they
have learned in analyzing English, and thus enhancing their language study, research
process, daily communication and even their business career. The course is conducted
through several teaching and learning methods such as lecture, practice, group discussion,
class discussion and presentation. Besides, students are also encouraged to study and do
more research off class in their own time.

9. Performance Requirements: Students are required to:

- Attend all class meetings as scheduled.

 - Complete all assignments.

- Take part in in-class activities such as practice, group discussion, class discussion
and presentation.

10. Course Materials:

Core Materials:

[1] Hurford, J.R. and Heaseley, B. & Smith, M.B. (2007) Semantics – A Coursebook.

Cambridge: CUP.

[2] Saeed, J. I. (2016). Semantics. John Wiley & Sons.

Supplementary Materials:

[3] Jacobson, P. I. (2014). Compositional semantics: An introduction to the

syntax/semantics interface. Oxford Textbooks in Linguistics.

[4] Fromkin, V. A., Rodman, R., Hyams, N., Collins, P.C., Amberber, M. (2005) An
Introduction to Language. 5th edition. South Melbourne Vic.: Thomson.

[5] Griffiths, P. (2006). Introduction to English semantics and pragmatics. Edinburgh

university press.

[6] Thanh, T. M. (2007). Ngữ Nghĩa Học Tiếng Anh (English Semantics). Vietnam:
National University Publisher.

11. Learning Assessment Scheme:

- Class attendance: 10%

- In-class activities: 10%

- Mid-term test: 30%

- Final exam: 50%

12. Grading Scale: (credit system)

13. Course Contents:

Session Content Reading Students’ Objectives

materials preparations

Session 1 Introduction to English Semantics [1]: units 1, 2,3 Students are Students
required to familiarize
(3 periods: - Speaker meaning/ sentence meaning [2]: chapters 2, 7,
read the themselves
1 theory 15
period + - Denotation/ connotation [3] chapter 10 specific units with
2 practice and chapters semantic
- Sentences, utterances, propositions
periods) in advance terms so that
- Semantics features they can use
for each
- Reference (variable, constant) them to
session. They
improve
- Sense are ready for
their
class
- Exercises reading and
discussion writing
and doing skills. The
exercises background
knowledge
of
phonetics,
phonology,
morphology,
and syntax
plus
semantics
empower
students to
be
successful in
their
language
learning.

Session 2 - Referring expressions [1]: units 4,5,6

[2]: chapters 2,
(3 periods: - Referents
15
1 theory - Predicates ( N, V, Adj. , Prep.)
period + [3] chapter 1
- Degree of a predicate (zero-place, one-
2 practice
place, two-place, three-place)
periods)
- Exercises

Session 3 - Argument, predicator [1]: units 6, 7

(3 periods: - Deixis, cataphora, anaphora [2]: chapters 2,15

1 theory - Sense properties [3] chapter 4
period +
2 practice - Exercises
periods)

Session 4 Mid-term test [1]: units 10, 11

[2]: chapters 2, 6
(3 periods: - Homonymy (homophones, homographs)
1 theory [3] : chapter 3
- Polysemy
period +
- Synonymy
2 practice
periods) - Antonymy ( binary, gradable, converse,
multiple-incompatiple)

- Hyponymy vs Entailment

-- Exercises

Session 5 - Paraphrase vs Synonymy [1]: units 4, 6, 11,

[2]: chapter 6
(3 periods: - Ambiguous sentences (lexically/
1 theory structurally) [3] : chapters 1,
period + 10, 13,
- Generic sentences
2 practice
- Equative sentences
periods)
- Analytic sentences

- Exercises

Session 6 - Synthetic sentences [1]: unit 9, 11 Meet the

objectives as
(3 periods: - Contradictory sentences [2]: chapter 2
mentioned
1 theory Revision [3] chapter 3 above
period +
2 practice
periods)

HCMC, August 04, 2018

APPROVED BY DEPARTMENT HEAD SUBMITTED BY

Phan Xuan Thao, M.A. Tran Xuan Binh, M.A.