Unit-8-About-Language

Unit8AboutLanguage1.ProverbsandQuotes2.AnInvitationtoLinguistics3.LanguageAcquisitionPre-reading1.ProverbsandQuotesThegiftoflanguageisthesinglehumantraitthatmarksusallgenetically,settingusapartfromtherestoflife.--LewisThomasThelanguageabilityistheonlyhumancharacteristicthatmakesahumanbeingdifferentfromotherformsoflife.Humanbrainsaresoconstructedthatonebrainrespondsinmuchthesamewaytoagiventriggerasdoesanotherbrain,allthingsbeingequal.Thisiswhyababycanlearnanylanguage;itrespondstotriggersinthesamewayasanyotherbaby.--D.HofstadterIfallotherthingsremainequal,everyhumanbrainhasthesamestructurethatcanreacttoanyfactorswhichcauseareaction.Thisiswhyababycanlearnanylanguagebecauseithasthesamereactiontothesamestimulusasanyotherbaby.Languageisnotanabstractconstructionofthelearned,orofdictionary-makers,butissomethingarisingoutofthework,needs,ties,joys,affections,tastes,oflonggenerationsofhumanity,andhaditsbasesbroadandlow,closetotheground.--WaltWhitmanLanguageisnottheworkoftheintellectualsordictionary-makers.Rather,itistheproductofgenerationsofpeople’swork,needs,relationships,andhappinessanditisbroadlyanddeeplyrootedamongcommonpeople.2.AnInvitationtoLinguisticsAnOverviewofLanguage•Whatislanguage?•Designfeaturesoflanguage•Functionsoflanguage•OriginoflanguageWhatislanguage?Languageisaofusedforcommunication.systemarbitraryvocalsymbolshumanThedesignfeaturesoflanguage•Arbitrariness•Duality•Productivity/Creativity•Displacement•CulturaltransmissionArbitrarinesstheformsoflinguisticsignsbearnonaturalrelationshiptotheirmeanings.“Arosebyanyothernamewouldsmellassweet.”---ShakespeareIconicityThereisanaturalconnectionbetweenformandmeaning.-onomatopoeicwords:rumble,crash,crackle,bang,叮咚，轰隆，咔嚓-compoundwords:typewriter,washingmachine,air-conditioner-phrasesthefamousdeliciousItalianpepperonipizzatheoldblackwoodendesk-sentencesHecameinandsatdown.Hesatdownandcamein.Hesatdownafterhecamein.Conventionality•Inanylanguage,therearecertainsequencesofsoundsthathaveaconventionallyacceptedmeaning.Thosewordsarecustomarilyusedbyallspeakerswiththesameintendedmeaningandunderstoodbyalllistenersinthesameway.•Thelinkbetweenalinguisticsignanditsmeaningisamatterofconvention.Duality•thepropertyofhavingtwolevelsofstructures,suchthatunitsoftheprimarylevelarecomposedofelementsofthesecondarylevelandeachofthetwolevelshasitsownprinciplesoforganization.•Themadmanranawaywiththegun./k/,/p/,/a://pa:k/,/ka:p/•Languageishierarchical.•Theadvantageofdualityliesinthegreatproductivepowerourlanguageisendowedwith.discourse/textssentenceswordsmorphemessoundsCreativity•Languageisresourcefulbecauseofitsdualityanditsrecursiveness.•Recursivenessreferstotherulewhichcanbeappliedrepeatedlywithoutanydefinitelimit.Therecursivenatureoflanguageprovidesatheoreticalbasisforthepossibilityofcreatingendlesssentences.•IknowthatyouknowthatIknow.Heboughtabookwhichwaswrittenbyateacherwhotaughtinaschoolwhichwasknownforitsgraduateswho...Displacement•languagecanbeusedtorefertothingswhicharepresentornotpresent,realorimaginedmattersinthepast,present,orfuture,orinfar-awayplaces.•Displacementbenefitshumanbeingsbygivingusthepowertohandlegeneralizationsandabstractions.Oncewecantalkaboutphysicallydistantthing,weacquiretheabilitytounderstandconceptswhichdenote“non-things”,suchastruthandbeauty.Culturaltransmission•Languageispassedonfromonegenerationtothenextbyteachingandlearning,ratherthanbyinstinct.•Informativefunction•Interpersonalfunction•Performativefunction•Emotivefunction•Phaticfunction•Recreationalfunction•MetalingualfunctionFunctionsofLanguageInformativeFunction•Languageservesaninformativefunctionwhenitisusedtotellwhatthespeakerbelieves,togiveinformationaboutfacts,ortoreasonthingsout.•ByuseofDeclarativeSentences.InterpersonalFunction•Bylanguagepeopleestablishandmaintaintheirstatusinasociety.•HisHighnessPrinceCharlesDearSir,yours,JohnnyPerformativeFunction•Languageisusedtodothingsorperformacts.Thekindoflanguageemployedinperformativeverbalactsisusuallyquiteformalandevenritualized.•Ideclarethemeetingopen.Inowpronounceyoumanandwife.EmotiveFunction•Itisameansofgettingridofournervousenergywhenweareunderstress,e.g.swearwords,obscenities,involuntaryverbalreactionstoapieceofartorscenery•God,My,Damnit,Whatasight,Wow,Ugh,Oh.PhaticCommunion•Languageisusedtoestablishanatmosphereormaintainsocialcontactbetweenthespeakerandthehearer.Weallusesuchsmall,seeminglymeaninglessexpressionstomaintainacomfortablerelationshipbetweenpeoplewithoutinvolvinganyfactualcontent.•Goodmorning,Godblessyou,NicedayRecreationalFunction•Therecreationalfunctionreferstotheuseoflanguageforthesheerjoyofusingit•ababy'sbabbling,poetrywriting,orachanter'schanting.MetalingualFunction•Ourlanguagecanbeusedtotalkaboutitself.•Thismakeslanguageinfinitelyself-reflexive:Wehumanbeingscantalkabouttalkandthinkaboutthinking,andthusonlyhumanscanaskwhatitmeanstocommunicate,tothink,tobehuman.OriginofLanguage•TheDivine-OriginTheory•TheInventionTheory•TheEvolutionaryTheory•AndoutofthegroundtheLORDGodformedeverybeastofthefield,andeveryfowloftheair;andbroughtthemuntoA