Description: The course will focus on topics dealt by the modern syntax: the structure of the sentence and the text, semantic and pragmatic attributes of the sentence and the text. The essential role of syntax in decoding and encoding sentences will be emphasized. We will show that besides the obligated syntactical rules there are rules of probability that are well known to the speakers of the language, and have an important role in decoding the text. The course will be taught in Hebrew. For the full syllbus in Hebrew. Course Objectives:

1. To become acquainted with the syntactical tools in order to decode units of discourse on the one hand and to formulate clear units of discourse on the other

2. To present the syntactical properties of the Hebrew language and the challenges they pose to learners of Hebrew as a Foreign Language

Study Program:

1. Introduction

   1. Language as an act of communication

   2. What does syntax deal with?

   3. Several syntactical properties of Hebrew as a Semitic language in comparison to other languages

      1. The nominal clause

      2. A language rich in agreement between its constituents

      3. A language whose word order is quite flexible

      4. The system of tenses

      5. Morphological changes caused by the syntactical context

      6. The challenges caused by the Hebrew orthography

   4. The importance of syntax in the study of Hebrew as a Foreign Language

   5. Units of discourse: word, combination, sentence and text

   6. Text types: the rational text, the emotional text

Final assignment for the unit.

2. Sentence and text structure

   1. Units of discourse: word, phrase, sentence and text

   2. Types of conjunction in a sentence: predicative conjunction, subordinate conjunction, coordination conjunction

   3. The phrase: the nominal phrase, the verbal phrase and so on

   4. Types of complements

   5. Phrases: the construct state, apposition, noun and adjective, prepositional and so on

   6. Sentence structure: the verbal clause and the nominal clause; the simple sentence and the complex sentence

   7. Text structure: cohesion

Final assignment for the unit

3. The sentence and the text on the semantic and pragmatic level

   1. Semantic means of analyzing the sentence and the text

      1. Decoding references

      2. Groups of verbs and their complements

      3. Semantic meaning in the system of tenses

      4. Decoding conjunctions between sentences: explicit and implied

      5. Connectors for expressing time, cause, contrast, concession and so on

   2. Pragmatic means of analyzing the sentence and the text

      1. Building whole phrases

      2. Obligatory complements and detachable complements

      3. Pragmatic meaning in the system of tenses

      4. Ways of relaying a message: indicators of the given and the new in a sentence, word order

      5. Speech acts

Final assignment for the unit

4. Syntactical analysis as a means of decoding a sentence

   1. Ambiguity in natural language

   2. Increased ambiguity in the Hebrew language as a result of the orthography

   3. Rules for decoding the sentence fluently: rules of obligation and rules of probability

   4. Raising expectations as a means of selecting reading possibilities

   5. Formulating sentences in a predicting structure

Final assignment for the unit.

Final assignment for the course.  Cost:

• Each individual course in the Online Academy costs $250.

• Participants who register for two courses will be charged $225 per course.

• Participants who register for three or more courses will be charged $200 per course.

• Participants who register in advance for an Expert's Certificate in Teaching Hebrew as a Foreign Language, will be charged 1,400$ (This sum can be paid in three payments.).

• Participants who wish to register as a group should contact us for a discount (tamara@macam.ac.il).

Correct and Incorrect Syntax 

• Incorrect - While watching a movie, people who text on their phone are very annoying.

• Correct - People who text on their phone while watching a movie are very annoying.

The phrase "while watching a movie" modifies the noun phrase "People who text on their phone" by explaining when they text. The modifier should follow the noun phrase of the sentence.

• Incorrect - Happy about her upcoming promotion, the trip home was full of singing.

• Correct - Happy about her upcoming promotion, Sammie sang all the way home.

The phrase "Sammie sang all the way home" is more descriptive than "the trip home was full of singing.

• Incorrect - Come for a visit I have plenty of food.

• Correct - Come for a visit! I have plenty of food.

Breaking the words into two sentences allows for an exclamation mark which increases the impact of "Come for a visit!"

• Incorrect - Before we go to the movies.

• Correct - I need to rest before we go to the movies.

"Before we go to the movies" is a sentence fragment. Adding "I need to rest" makes the words a complete sentence.

• Incorrect - I gave him money I stole from the store.

• Correct - I gave him the money I stole from the store.

Adding the word "the" further explains which money was given.

• Incorrect - To the movies we are going.

• Correct - We are going to the movies.

Reversing the order of the words makes this a more direct sentence.

• Incorrect - You can’t go the movies. Or buy popcorn without any money.

• Correct - You can’t go the movies or buy popcorn without any money.

Expressed as two sentences, it says you cannot go to the movies. It doesn't say why. It also leaves a sentence fragment of "Or buy popcorn without any money. By combining the two sentences it makes it clear that the money is needed for both the movies AND the popcorn.

• Incorrect - Did you ever speak to him? Yes, I was speaking to him yesterday.

• Correct - Did you ever speak to him? Yes, I spoke to him yesterday.

Verb tense was changed.

• Incorrect - Having learned Italian in a few months, the vacation to Italy was a success.

• Correct - Having learned Italian in a few months, John was successful during his vacation to Italy.

By adding "John was successful during his" it becomes clear that John was the success, not the vacation.

• Incorrect - Her mother made her to call and thank him for the present.

• Correct - Her mother made her call and thank him for the present.

The "to" is not necessary.

• Incorrect - If I took the bus, I will get there in 20 minutes.

• Correct - If I took the bus, I would get there in 20 minutes.

Verb tense was changed.

• Incorrect - We are not allowed smoking in the restaurant.

• Correct - We are not allowed to smoke in the restaurant.

Verb tense was changed.

• Incorrect - I’m getting the car right now. I can be there in no time.

• Correct - I’m getting the car right now. I should be there in no time.

"Can" means I am able. "Should" is projecting that I am able.

• Incorrect - Gary lives on the Elm Street.

• Correct - Gary lives on Elm Street.

The "the" is not necessary.

• Incorrect - This house is dusty filthy and stinky.

• Correct - This house is dusty, filthy and stinky.

A comma is necessary in a list of adjectives in order to set them apart from each other.

• Incorrect - She is not interested to buy jewelry.

• Correct - She is not interested in buying jewelry.

Verb tense was changed.

• Incorrect - Looking over Charlie’s exam, several mistakes became evident immediately. 

• Correct- Looking over Charlie’s exam, the teacher noticed several mistakes.

The correction adds a subject to the sentence.

• Incorrect - Have you went to the library lately?

• Correct - Have you been to the library lately?

The verb was corrected.

• Incorrect - We had lived at this address for ten years.

• Correct - We have been living at this address for ten years.

Verb tense was changed.

• Incorrect - The musical piece the choir sung was lovely.

• Correct - The musical piece the choir sang was lovely.