linguistics (introduction) 1

ANewConciseCourseOnLinguisticsforStudentsofEnglishCourseRequirements:1.Regularclassattendance2.Activeparticipation,and3.PreviewandreviewofthelessonGradingSystem:1.Classattendance10%2.In-classperformance10%3.After-classassignments20%4.Finalexam60%TheGoalsforthisCourseTogetascientificviewonlanguage;Tounderstandsomebasictheoriesonlinguistics;Tounderstandtheapplicationsofthelinguistictheories,especiallyinthefieldsoflanguageteaching&learning(SLA,TESL),cross-culturalcommunication……;Toprepareforthefutureresearchwork.ReferenceBooks戴炜栋，何兆熊，(2002)，《新编简明英语语言学教程》，上海外语教育出版社。胡壮麟，(2001)，《语言学教程》，北京大学出版社。刘润清，(1995)，《西方语言学流派》，外语教学与研究出版社。StuartC,Poole,(1999),AnIntroductiontoLinguistics,UK:MacmillanPublisherLtd.WHATISLANGUAGE?1.Whatdoes“language”mean?1.1.Languagecanmeanwhatapersonsaysorsaid;thatis,itreferstotheconcreteactofspeakinginagivensituation,ortheexpressiononeusesinaspeech.1.2.Itreferstothewholeofaperson’slanguage,asin“LuXun’slanguage”,“Shakespeare’sLanguage”.1.3.“Language”alsomeansaparticularvarietyorlevelofspeechorwriting,asin“tradelanguage”,“formallanguage”,“spokenlanguage”,etc.1.4.Itreferstoeverythinginalanguagesystem(itspronunciation,vocabulary,grammar,etc)thatmakesitdifferentfromanyothersystems,asin“theEnglishlanguage”,“theChineselanguage”1.5.Itreferstothecommonfeaturesofallhumanlanguages.E.g.Hestudieslanguage.DefinitionoflanguageLanguageisasystemofarbitraryvocalsymbolsusedforhumancommunication.LanguageisasystemSystematic----rule-governed,elementsinitarearrangedaccordingtocertainrules;can’tbecombinedatwill.e.g.*bkli,*Iappleeat.LanguageisarbitraryArbitrary----nointrinsicconnectionbetweenthewordandthethingitdenotes,e.g.“pen”byanyothernameisthethingweusetowritewith.LanguageissymbolicinnatureSymbolic----wordsareassociatedwithobjects,actionsideasbyconvention.“Arosebyanyothernamewouldsmellassweet”----ShakespeareLanguageisprimarilyvocalVocal----theprimarymediumissoundforalllanguages;writingsystemcamemuchlaterthanspokenform.Languageishuman-specificHuman-specific----differentfromthecommunicationsystemsotherformsoflifepossess,e.g.birdsongs,beedance,animalcries.DesignFeaturesofLanguage1)Arbitrariness:Thismeansthatthereisnologicalconnectionbetweenmeaningsandsounds.模仿金属的声音：clash,ting,bang,clang,ding-dong,tick-tack模仿自然界的声音:dingdong(叮咚),kacha(喀嚓),putong(扑通)And,somecompoundwordsarenotentirelyarbitrary;thereisacertainconnectionbetweentheirsoundsandmeaning.e.g.typewriter,air-conditioner,shoe-maker,etc.DesignFeatures2.ProductivityItmeansthatuserscanunderstandandproducesentencestheyhaveneverheardbefore.3.DualityThismeansthatlanguagehastwosetsofstructures,soundsandmeanings.4.DisplacementThismeanslanguagecanbeusedtorefertothingswhichmaynotbepresent.5.CulturaltransmissionItmeanslanguageispassedonfromonegenerationtothenextbyteachingandlearning,ratherthanbyinstinct.Functionsoflanguage1.PhaticfunctionItreferstolanguageusedforestablishinganatmosphereormaintainingsocialcontactratherthanforexchanginginformationandideas.e.g.greetings,farewells,andcommentsontheweather2.DirectivefunctionItreferstolanguageusedtogetthehearerdosomething.e.g.theimperativesentences3.InformativefunctionItreferstolanguageusedtogiveothersinformationaboutfacts,ortotellwhatthespeakerbelieves.4.PerformativefunctionItreferstolanguageusedto“dothings”,toperformactions.e.g.Atameeting,whenthechairmansays“Ideclarethemeetingopen,themeetinghasstarted.TheoriginoflanguageThedivine-origintheory----LanguageisagiftofGodtomankind.Theinventiontheory----imitative,criesofnature,thegruntsofmenworkingtogether.Theevolutionarytheory----theresultofphysicalandpsychologicaldevelopment.WHATISLINGUISTICS?DefinitionoflinguisticsLinguisticsisdefinedasthescientificstudyoflanguage.ThescopeoflinguisticsThestudyoflanguageasawholeiscalledGeneralLinguistics.Majorbranchesofgenerallinguistics1.Phonetics:thestudyofsounds2.Phonology:theformationofsounds;therulesofhowsoundsarearranged.3.Morphology:theformofwords.4.Syntax:therulesofthecombinationofwordsintogrammaticalsentences5.Semantics:thestudyofthemeaningoflanguage.6.Pragmatics:thestudyoflanguageuse.Useoflinguistics1.Sociolinguistics:thestudyofrelationshipbetweenlanguageandsociety2.Psycholinguistics:thestudyoftherelationshipbetweenlanguageandpsychology.3.Appliedlinguistics:thestudyoflanguageapplication4.Neurolinguistics:thestudyofrelationshipbetweenlanguageandhumanbrain.5.Computationallinguistics:thestudyoflanguageusedincomputer.SomeimportantdistinctionsinlinguisticsPrescriptivevs.descriptivePrescriptive:tolaydownrulesfor“correct”behavior“whatshouldbeinlanguage”or“whatpeopleshouldsay”Descriptive:todescribeandanalyzefactsobserved“whatisinlanguage“or“whatpeopleactuallysay”Synchronicvs.diachronicSynchronic:thedescriptionofalanguageatsomepointoftimeDiachronic:thedescriptionofalanguageasitchangesthroughtimeSpeechandwritingSpeechispriortowriting.Thewritingsystemisalways“invented”byitsuserstorecordspeech.Writinggiveslanguagenewscopeandusesthatspeechdoesnothave.Withwriting,themessagescanbecarriedthroughtime.FullnameFerdinanddeSaussure.BirthNov