Lecture 2
2.2. Language teaching research
2.2.1 The Characteristic features of langauge teaching research
1) Language teaching research is an independent discipline.
2) Language teaching research is an interdisciplihary science.
3) Language teaching research is an applied science.
4) Language teaching research is an empirical science.
2.2.2 The Issues of language teaching research
a. Comparative study: of native speakers and non-native speakers, of target language and native language, of L2 learning of children and adults.
b. learning and teaching study: learning & acquisition, L2 teaching,
c. Learner study: attitudes & motivation, learning strategies & style,
d. Language study: communicative aspects, structure of convensation, code-switching, linguistic aspects of computer-assisted learning
2.2.3 possible fields of language teaching research
1)The models of linguistic theory and linguistic description
2)The models of language learning
3)The application of the theoretical models
The four areas of LT
--syllabus design, compilation of teaching material, classroom
teaching, testing/evaluation
4)Classroom teaching practice
2.2.4 Some essential factors affecting L2 learning
3. Language
3.1 Definition of language
It is really just as difficult to define language as it is to define man.
人：是一切社会关系的总和；
是唯一能把动物养成宠物和煮成食物的动物；
是一种会笑的动物；
"Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication" Wardhaugh in his "Introduction to Linguistics" (1972).语言是用于人类交际的、任意的、有声的符号系统
3.2 Design Features of Language
1) Arbitrariness---There is no logical (intrinsic or direct) connection between the sound/sign and meaning, between the word and its object, between the grammar and the meaning it carries;
or the forms of linguistic signs bear no natural relationship to their meaning.
A building we live in with our family
--house in English, maison in French, dom in Russion, casa in Spanish, fangzi in Chinese
However, language is not entirely arbitrary; there are cases where there seems to be some association between sounds and meaning, e.g.
Onomatopoetic words: bang,
Some compound words: tractor driver shoe-maker
The other side of the coin of arbitrariness is conventionality. The link between linguistic sign and its meaning is a matter of convention.
A pair of trousers---- A pair of shirts
Go shopping *go buying go hunting
冬瓜(white gourd) （夏天吃的）
北戴河is not a river 中南海is not a sea.
食堂餐厅 *餐堂 *食厅
外公—外婆*外母老公—老婆*老母
英国的语言---- 英文英语
中国的语言----中文（*中语）汉语
昨天昨晚 *昨早 *昨月 *昨年
去年 *去天 *去晚 *去月
明天明年 *明月 *明周
今天今年 *今月
二百五----傻里傻气的人
生前好友已婚夫妇未婚妻
七嘴八舌----七张嘴里如果长出把条舌头，其中必有一人为“怪胎”
四季如春----夏春秋三季温暖如春，为比喻。
“春季如春”则文理不通。
三长两短、七上八下三下五除二
2) Duality
Two levels:
Lower level---- a limit set of sounds, meaningless
Higher level----units of meaning coming from the combination of the units of lower level
Phoneme—morpheme—words—phrase—clause—sentence
3) Productivity--The users of a language can utilize a limited linguistic
rules to produce or understand infinite meaningful linguistic forms, including those they have never heard before.
The man that the girl that my wife taught married published many poems. (和我妻子教的那个女孩结婚的那个男人发表了许多诗)
他一边脱衣服，一边穿裤子。
（小学生的造句练习）
4) Displacement---Language can be used to tallk about what happened in the past, what is happening at present, or what will happen in the future. Also we can use language to refer to things no matter how far away they are or whether they are real or imagined.
5) Cultural Transmission----A language system is not genetically transmitted, but culturally transmitted. That is, a language system is passed on from
one generation to another by teaching and learning rather than by instict.
衣服搭配，时尚女装搭配，女装9元包邮
EkO07w03u85r。