Language-Consulting Seminar

The primary objective of the course is to present language consulting as a service in which linguistic knowledge is put into practice. The students will thereby be confronted with real problems encountered by language users, and introduced to the use of traditional linguistic and modern language-technology resources through hands-on involvement in language consulting. The goal is to complement the students' independently acquired basics of one-sided, "quick-fix solution" language consulting and language editing with the basics of investigative, "democratic" language consulting, thereby also deepening their awareness of the difference between linguistic ungrammaticality and sociolinguistic unacceptability.

This course is closely connected to all four courses from the set of Slovenian Language I and Slovenian Language II, as well as to Sociolinguistics and Writing Texts.

This course represents a formalization of students' participation in the ŠUSS language consultancy project, which has been running since 1998. An overview of the existing language consultancies and the different models of language consulting introduces the students to explanatory, investigative language consulting of the type endorsed and practiced at ŠUSS and prepares them for addressing questions posed to the ŠUSS consultancy. ŠUSS's investigative language consulting approach requires surveying a large body of references, collecting and analyzing data from actual language use, dialects and often also from diachronic development, as well as employing various resources (from traditional manuals to modern language-technology tools). The methods, principles and results of the adopted model of language consulting are continuously contrasted with traditional approaches to language consulting as well as with traditional language editing.

Language consulting is a possible career path for graduates of the Slovenian Studies BA program. The course is thus not only important for its general language-education aspect, but also for its targeted and practice-based familiarization of the students with the nature of the work in one of their possible career options.

This course develops the students' ability of linguistic reasoning about concrete questions and of presenting linguistic arguments in a manner accessible to a non-specialist audience. Working on real-life examples from a language consultancy, the students get practice in the use of traditional linguistic and modern language-technology resources, and get to appreciate their advantages and their limitations. Students will be able to differentiate between linguistic ungrammaticality and normative unacceptability. They will be able to recognize the existence of different grammatical intuitions as the coexistence of multiple patterns, multiple varieties/subsystems of the language in question. Students are acquainted with one of the possible career paths of graduates of the Slovenian Studies BA program.

• Mandatory readings include language manuals, dictionaries, grammars, manuals of style, etc., that contain any information pertinent to the particular question under discussion
• Mandatory readings include texts pertinent to the particular question under discussion in any language consultancy, language column, etc.
• Marušič, F. in R. Žaucer. 2009. Jezikovno svetovanje, praksa in ideali. V: Infrastruktura slovenščine in slovenistike (Obdobja 28). Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Ljubljanske fakultete, str. 449-456. E-version
• Marušič, F. in R. Žaucer. 2011. O ustvarjanju margine v navidez demokratičnem jezikovnem svetovanju – na primeru diskurza o 'odnosih z javnostjo/javnostmi'. V: Politike reprezentacije v Jugovzhodni Evropi na prelomu stoletij. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, str. 100−115. E-version
• Orešnik, J. 1995. Uradi za jezik v Skandinaviji. Ljubljana: SAZU.
• Dobrovoljc, H. in N. Jakop (ur.) Pravopisna stikanja: razprave o pravopisnih vprašanjih. Ljubljana: ZRC SAZU. Catalogue E-version

Final grade is composed of: 1. In-class participation 2. Grade of at least two individually-written answers. 3. Homeworks

Franc Marušič is a full professor of linguistics at the School of Humanities and the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Nova Gorica. His research topics include syntax (especially on the basis of data from Slovenian) and sociolinguistics and language consulting.

Rok Žaucer is an associate professor of linguistics at the School of Humanities and the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Nova Gorica. His research topics include morphology and syntax (especially on the basis of data from Slovenian) and sociolinguistics and language consulting.

Selected publications for both instructors:
MARUŠIČ, Franc, ŽAUCER, Rok. O ustvarjanju margine v navidez demokratičnem jezikovnem svetovanju - na primeru diskurza o odnosih z javnostjo/javnostmi. V: PETROVIĆ, Tanja (ur.). Politike reprezentacije v Jugovzhodni Evropi na prelomu stoletij, (Kulturni spomin). Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2011, str. 100-115. [COBISS.SI-ID 33321005]
ŽAUCER, Rok, MARUŠIČ, Franc. Jezikovno svetovanje, praksa in ideali. V: STABEJ, Marko (ur.). Infrastruktura slovenščine in slovenistike, (Obdobja, Simpozij, = Symposium, 28). 1. natis. Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, 2009, str. 449-456. http://www.centerslo.net/files/file/simpozij/simp28/Zaucer_Marusic.pdf. [COBISS.SI-ID 1290235]
MARUŠIČ, Franc, ŽAUCER, Rok. Jezikovnosvetovalna služba kot vzdrževalec jezikovnega prestiža ter nujen pripomoček jezikovnim načrtovalcem. V: ŠTRUKELJ, Inka (ur.). Kultura, identiteta in jezik v procesih evropske integracije. Ljubljana: Društvo za uporabno jezikoslovje Slovenije, 2000, zv. 1, str. [269]-279. [COBISS.SI-ID 472059]
ŽAUCER, Rok, MARUŠIČ, Franc. Language issues in an emarging expanded European Union : a case study of Slovenia. Culturelink, 1999, no. 27, str. 153-166. [COBISS.SI-ID 471803]
MARUŠIČ, Franc, ŽAUCER, Rok, VEROVNIK, Tina, POTRATO, Tina, MARVIN, Tatjana, TOMAŽIN, Petra, ŽELEZNIKAR, Jaka, SAKSIDA, Amanda. ŠUSS : [1998-2000] : študentska skrb za slovenščino, (Knjižna zbirka Posebne izdaje). Ljubljana: Študentska založba, 2001. 302 str. ISBN 961-6356-40-2. [COBISS.SI-ID 112201472]