HG2002 SEMANTICS & PRAGMATICS (3.0 AU)

Year Taken: AY 20/21, Sem 1

Quiz 1 – 20% Individual
Assignment 1 – 30% Individual/Pair work
Quiz 2 – 20% Individual
Quiz 3 – 20% Individual
Class participation – 10% Individual

Somewhat relatively easier mod to understand (based on what others have told me). The quizzes were in MCQ format but I felt that the difficulty gets worse with every quiz. I saw the course average dropping from 70s to 50s in a span of 3 quizzes (mine dropped too ngl). The assignment was on matching words and its meanings based on a text on wordnet with a 6-8 pages write-up on wordnet. There were 3 phases in this assignment. The 1st phase was to be done solo, while the 2nd and 3rd phases were to be done in pairs. Pairs were randomly assigned by the prof. Just like morphosyntax, readings were pretty much essential in understanding this module.

I found this mod harder than morphosyntax tbh there were way too many theories to grasp and understand and some of the theories just seemed pretty similar to each other. I struggled in understanding what each theory meant and stood for. I feel that this is one of those modules where if one is good with rote memorisation, it should not be a problem. However I am bad at it, especially if I do not understand the content so I did very badly.

This review was reposted with the kind permission of Pressing Realities. Originally published at https://pressingrealities.wordpress.com/2020/11/19/ntu-modules-review-for-ay20-21-y2s1/

Year Taken: AY 18/19, Sem 1

The killer module of this semester. This whole course involves looking at MANY MANY theories in semantics and we just touch-and-go, without going in depth on any of these theories. Also, it is hard to see the link between these different concepts.

20% Mid Term Quiz
30% Assignment
40% Final Exam
10% Class Participation

The Mid Term was VERY TOUGH. The average was as low as 60%, and the top scorer was only 80%. It involves stuff we have not learnt in the class, such as slightly advanced stuff in predicate logic. I recommend taking HY8002 Logic and Critical Thinking along with this core module, as it will help you understand the predicate logic segment in Semantics better. The assignment’s guidelines were vague, nevertheless, most people did well (lowest being B, highest being A+). It was a 6-8 pages write up on using WordNet. The final exam was tough, but not as tough as the mid term. This time, as long as you diligently memorize the content, you should be fine. The curve is very lenient due to the tough nature of this course, if you have been above average for both the assignment and mid term, you are on the right track.

This review was reposted with the kind permission of aLMSstudent. Originally published at https://ntulmsmods.wordpress.com/2018/12/10/ntu-lms-2018-2019-semester-1/