Browse Hierarchy LIN6046P: Meaning in the Real World

The study of linguistic meaning has many real-world applications. In the areas of law, healthcare, politics and other domains of public life, one must grapple with issues such as ambiguity, vagueness, and context-sensitivity. This module will investigate how analytical tools from formal semantics can be applied in order to highlight and address a diverse range of problems in these areas. We will apply the tools from the Level 5 module Aspects of Meaning to a set of real-world cases. Examples might include legal cases involving an ambiguity in the wording of a contract, the expression of pain in healthcare settings, and recent controversies over the use of racial slurs by politicians. By conducting your own investigation of a real-world case study that raises issues about the nature of linguistic meaning, you will learn about the ways in which linguistics can shed light on contemporary societal and political issues.