HYBRID Session of SYFLAT Monthly Research Methodology Seminars 2023-2024

Time: Saturday 21 October 2023

Venue: the Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Sfax (El Messaadi Room)

Google Meet Link:

https://meet.google.com/iaw-

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9:45-10:00: Opening: Prof. Najiba Chkir (Dean of FLSH Sfax)

Prof. Mustapha Trabelsi (Director of the Doctoral School of FLSH Sfax)

Prof. Akila Sellami-Baklouti (LAD director and SYF LAT chair)

10:00-11:00: Plenary lecture:

Application of Corpus Linguistics to Arabic

تطبيق لسانيات المدونات على اللغة العربية

The Talk will be in Arabic

Presented by: Professor Ridha Kechaou

Abstract: This presentation uses Corpus Linguistics to describe Arabic as exemplified through the use of billions of Arabic expressions in real situational contexts. This is based on their frequency of occurrence and selection restriction rules, ranging from the most frequently occurring expressions to the frozen ones. The framework relied upon is Corpus databank under the supervision of Geoffrey Leech at Lancaster University. This bank has been very useful in detailing the nuances of synonyms at the lexical and syntactic levels, determining the verbs’ distributional patterns, with special focus on support verbs in addition to the identification of frequent sets as opposed to those sets on the way to getting obsolete. Reliance has also been made on Corpus-directed Linguistics, as advocated by Sinclair at Birmingham University to assign grammatical features such as verbs of obligation in Arabic. Linguistic theory is derived from Speech theory. This is why there is special focus on spoken language in its paratextual dimensions in various linguistic practices, hence the vital importance of Corpus-based Linguistics.

11:00-11:30: Coffee Break

11:30-12:30: SYFLAT GENERAL ASSEMBLY