Chapter 1
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Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language. It studies not any particular language, but languages in general.
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The scope of linguistics The study of language as a whole is often called general linguistics.普通语言学 The study of sounds, which are used in linguistic communication, is called phonetics.语音学 The study of how sounds are put together and used in communication is called phonology. 音系学 The study of the way in which morphemes are arranged to form words are called morphology. 形态学 The study of how morphemes and words are combined to form sentences is called syntax. 句法学 The study of meaning in language is called semantics. 语义学 The study of meaning in context of use is called pragmatics. 语用学
Modern Linguisttent
Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Phonology Chapter 3 Morphology Chapter 4 syntax Chapter 5 Semantics
Chapter 6 Pragmatics Chapter 7 Historical Linguistics Chapter 8 Sociolinguistics Chapter 9 Psycholinguistics Chapter 10 Language Acquisition
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Some important distinctions in linguistics
Synchronic and diachronic Speech and writing
The description of a language at some point in time is a synchronic study; the description of a language as it changes through time is a diachronic study. In modern linguistics, synchronic study is more important.
The study of language with reference to society is called socio-linguistics. 社会语言学 The study of language with reference to the working of mind is called psycho-linguistics. 语言心理学 The study of applications (as the recovery of speech ability) is generally known as applied linguistics. （应 用语言学） But in a narrow sense, applied linguistics refers to the application of linguistic principles and theories to language teaching and learning, especially the teaching of foreign and second language. Other related branches include anthropological linguistics, （人类语言学） neurological linguistics, （神经语言 学） mathematical linguistics, （数字语言学）and computational linguistics. （计算机语言学）
Chapter 1——1
Some important distinctions in linguistics
If a linguistic study describes and analyzes the language people actually use, it is said to be descriptive, if it aims to lay down rules to tell people what they should say and what they should not say, it is said to be prescriptive. Prescriptive and descriptive Modern linguistics differs from traditional grammar. Traditional grammar is prescriptive while modern linguistics is descriptive. The task of linguists is supposed to describe the language people actually use, whether it is “correct” or not.