Introduction to Linguistics

IntroductiontoLinguisticsObjectivesKnowthedifferentaspectsoflanguagesuchasphonetics,phonology,morphology,semanticsandsyntaxBefamiliarwiththelinguisticterminologyAnalyzeEnglishsentencesfunctionallyandcategoricallyObjectivesBetterunderstandlanguageasamediumforcommunicationBetterunderstandlanguageuniversalsandvariationsAnalyzedataofnaturallanguageRequirementsReadcarefullythetextbookandrelatedliteratureMakenoteswhennecessaryWritereadingreportswithowncommentsBeactiveinraisingquestionsduringlecturesBeactiveindiscussingongiventopicsPrepareforwhatyouaregoingtowriteinthecoursepaperAssessmentClassroomattendanceParticipationinclassroomactivitiesReadingreportsCoursepaperMajorreferencesRadford,A.etal.Linguistics:AnIntroduction2009.CambridgeUniversityPressRobins,R.H.GeneralLinguistics（普通语言学概论）2000.外研社CourseOutlineWeek1IntroductionscopeoflinguisticstudyWeek2theoreticalandmethodologicalconsiderationsWeek3-4phoneticsWeek5-6phonologyWeek7-8wordclasseswordformationmorphologyacrosslanguagesWeek9-10lexicalsemanticslexicalvariationandchangeWeek11-12basicterminologyofsyntaxWeek13-14sentencestructureemptycategoriesmovementWeek15syntacticvariationacrosslang.Week16sentencemeaninglogicalformWeek17sentenceprocessingsyntacticdisordersWeek18-19widerscopeoflinguisticslinguisticsandanthropology/sociology/psychology/literature/information/languageteaching/translation/cognition/law/etc.ResearchquestionsWhatisthenatureofthecognitivesystemwhichweidentifywithknowingalanguage?Howdoweacquiresuchasystem?Howisthissystemusedinourproductionandcomprehensionofspeech?Howisthissystemrepresentedinthebrain?AreasofenquirylinguisticsitselfdevelopmentallinguisticspsycholinguisticsneurolinguisticsLanguageSystemSignsSymbolsHumanCommunicationDesignfeaturesoflanguageArbitrarinessDualityCreativityDisplacementSomecharacteristicsoflanguageuntaughtPeopledooccasionallytrytoteachyouthingsaboutlanguage(e.g.,don'tsplitaninfinitive),buttheymostlyfail,andthereallyinterestingthingsthatyouknow(e.g.,droprattheendofasyllable,ifyou'reBritish)arethingsnobodytaughtyou.uniformAlldevelopmentallynormalchildrenacquirelanguage,andspeakersofthesamelanguageagreewitheachotheraboutremarkablyarcaneandcomplicatedphenomena(we'llseelotsofexamples).Moreover,humanlanguages,thoughtheydifferfromeachother,seemtodifferinhighlyconstrainedways,sothatwekeepseeingthesamepatternsoverandoveragain(theTibetan/Englishr-lossruleisjustoneexample).tacitWecan(andwill)trytofigureouthowtherulesoflanguagework,butwedon'tthinkaboutthemwhenwe'reusinglanguage;it'sjustinstinctive.infiniteWe'renotjustmemorizingsentencesthatwe'veheard.Foronething,sentencescanbe,inprinciple,infiniteinlength(Thisisthecatthatchasedtheratthatatethecheesethat...).Foranother,wecancreateandinterpretsentenceswe'veneverheard(Mypetanteaterwantstodyehistailpurple).species-specificOnlyhumansnaturallyacquirelanguageseparatefromgeneralcognitivecapacityWilliamssyndrome:lowIQ,butgoodlanguageskillsaphasia:therearevariouskindsofaphasia,butforsomeofthemonlylanguageisaffected.Linguisticsknowingalanguage=havingamentallyrepresentedgrammar(nativespeaker’scompetenceinthatlanguage)ScientificstudyoflanguageHumanlanguageusedincommunicationRichman’sgameGrammarTwocomponents:(i)alexicon(ordictionary),whichlistsallthewordsfoundinthelanguage(ii)asyntacticcomponent,whichspecifieshowtocombinewordstogethertoformphrasesandsentencesTraditionalgrammarPrescriptiveFlatsentencestructureToteachcorrectlanguageformStructuralgrammarDescriptiveFlatsentencestructureConstituentanalysisGenerativegrammartogenerate(i.e.specifyhowtoform)asetofphrasesandsentencesatheoryabouthowphrasesandsentencesareformedDescriptiveExplanatoryLayeredphrasestructureMethodsindoinglinguisticsPrescriptiveDescriptiveExplanatoryHistoricalComparativeIntuitiveExperimentalWhatdiscipline?Humanities?Sciences?FourtenetsofscienceExhaustiveness/adequacyConsistencyEconomy/simplicityObjectivityLevelsofanalysisPhoneticsPhonologyMorphologySyntaxSemanticsphoneticsStudythematerialofspeechitselfOrgansofspeechArticulationTransmissionHearingFeaturesPhonologystudyofspeechsoundsandhowtheyinteractAmericanEnglishBritishEnglishbarbarleaderleadercartoncartoncornercornercarrycarryhairyhairyBritainBritainriderideStandardLhasaTibetanTibetangàbàrgàbàr‘where?’phósárphósár‘youngman’márpómárpó‘red’sérnásérná‘greedy’gàrègàrè‘what?’chöràchörà‘debatinghallinamonastery’rìnpóchérìnpóché‘preciousjewel,monk’ràngwángràngwáng‘freedom’•LhasaTibetanhasthesameruleasBritishEnglish!Thisiswhatwefindwhenwelookatlanguageclosely:languagesdiffer,ofcourse,butthedifferencesarevariationsonatheme;it'snotjustrandom.Thereissomethingabouttherulerdropsattheendofasyllablethatmakesitanaturalkindofruleforalanguagetohave(asopposedtoarulelikerdropsatthebeginningofasyllable).UniversalGrammar(NoamChomsky):weareallbornknowing(tacitly)certainthingsabouthowhumanlanguageisputtogether.Thisishowwemanagetoacquirethisverycomplexsystem,withoutrelevantinstruction;wehave