• 1. What is linguistics? • -The Definition • Linguistics is the scientific study of language.
2. Scopes of linguistics
☺General linguistics—studies linguistics as a whole. ☺ Phonetics—study of sounds ☺ Phonology--study of the system of sounds, how they are combined ☺ Morphology—study of the structure and formation of words
• 2.1.4. Language is symbolic. • 2.1.5. Language is human –specific. • 2.1.6. Language is used for communication
2.2. Design features of language
• • • • • 2.2.1. arbitrariness 2.2.2. productivity 2.2.3. duality 2.2.4. displacement 2.2.5. cultural transmission
• ngue and parole • —by the Swiss linguist F. de Saussure • langue—abstract systems shared by all members of a speech community • parole—the realization of langue in actual use
3. Some important distinctions of linguistics
• 3.1 prescriptive vs. descriptive • prescriptive—Traditional Grammar taught to learners of a language is basically prescriptive. It tells the reader ―how they should say‖—laying down rules for ―correct‖ behavior • descriptive –describes and analyzes the language people are currently speaking. It deals with ―what people actually say‖
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Why linguistics?
• • For those who will be language educators…
• For those who will be engaged in other occupations than language…
Teaching approaches
☺ Syntax—study of sentences, rules governing sentence making ☺ Semantics—study of meaning in isolation ☺ Pragmatics-- study of meaning in context ☺ Sociolinguistics—study of the social aspects of language ☺ Psycholinguistics—study of how human beings acquire language
• 3.2 synchronic vs. diachronic • synchronic—description of a language at some point in time is a synchronic study • diachronic—the study of a language as it changes through time
The term paper !!
• A thesis of 1000 words is required for the course. You can choose any topic about language. Remember the DUE TIME is December 20, not the end of the semester. So you are highly recommended to start early. No excuse is accepted for delay of the paper. Serious penalty is waiting for you if you forget about the thesis: one day’s delay can make you lose 10 points, and a week’s delay means you fail in the paper.
• 3.5 competence and performance • — put forth by american linguist Noam Chomsky • competence—learner’s knowledge of a language • performance—the actual realization of the knowledge in real linguistic communication
Introduction to Modern Linguistics
Lecture 1 An Introduction
Course Description
• The course is aimed at the introduction of basic theories and principles of linguistics, as well as the best known issues and discoveries of language studies. Participants are also required to implement these theories and principles to analyze language phenomena, solve language problems and improve their own language competence.
• • • • Lectures Discussion Seminars Presentation
Assessment of the course
• • • • • • • • Total Scores 100 points 100 points 100 points 50 points 50 points 100 points 100 points 600 points 10 quizzes participation term paper class engagement performance office hours final examination
Quizzes
• A small quiz of 10 minutes is done each time when a new chapter begins. •
Reference Books
• 1. 何兆熊，梅德明， «现代语言学»， 外语 教育与研究出版社，1999，北京 • 2. 胡壮麟， «语言学教程»（修订本），北 京大学出版社，2001年，北京 • 3. Fromkin, Victoria and Rodman, Robert. 1998. An introduction to language. 6th ed. Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
☺ Applied linguistics—General sense: the application of the theories and principles of linguistics to other areas. ☺ Narrow sense: the application of the theories and principles of linguistics to language teaching ☺ Neurolinguistics—deals with the way in which language is presented in the brain
2. What is language?
• 2.1. Definition: Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication. • 2.1.1. Language is a system. • 2.1.2. Language is ቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱrbitrary. • 2.1.3. Language is vocal. • .
☺ Historical linguistics—considers how language changes over time in pronunciation, syntax, and meaning ☺ Stylistics and poetics—study literary language and how it achieves its effects ☺ Dialectology—observes how language varies across geographical or social boundaries ☺ Computational linguistics—look at languages as essentially formal systems, which could be mastered by machines