EPoCC Research Group is a joint endeavour of linguists from the Department of Linguistics and Institute of Czech Language and Theory of Communication, Faculty of Arts, Charles University.
The overall purpose of the EPoCC research group is to build a solid foundation for a strong research unit focused on the study of language as a uniquely human phenomenon based in our general cognitive abilities and social practices. The group aims at enhancing cognitively oriented linguistic research at Charles University, which would integrate the contributions of the functionally based local tradition, centered on the study of the communicative aspects of linguistic organization, and cutting-edge theoretical advances in cognitive linguistics, including its emphasis on firm empirical grounding.
The team composition reflects several complementary perspectives, focusing particularly on the study of spontaneous conversational language, in which the integration of grammatical, phonetic, and gestural patterning poses a new challenge for linguistic theory and representations. The multilayered, multimodal, variable, and seemingly intractable nature of spontaneous interaction has been traditionally rather neglected and yet, it is a great source of invaluable insights concerning (i) the cognitive processes involved in the emergence and evolution of grammatical systems, (ii) the principles of verbal and non-verbal interaction in specific socio-pragmatic contexts, and (iii) the ways human mind processes information.
Research areas
- cognitive underpinnings and intersubjective nature of communication
- syntax, discourse, and phonetics of spoken Czech
- conventionalized patterns in interaction
- multimodal constructions
- gesture studies
EPoCC is supported by the European Regional Development Fund-Project “Creativity and Adaptability as Conditions of the Success of Europe in an Interrelated World” (No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000734)