语言学概论第一章要点英语

语言学概论第一章要点

(2011-08-26 10:30:48)

第一章Introduction

1.Linguistics定义It is generally defined as the scientific study of language.Nowadays, the generally accepted definition of language is that language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.

2.The scope of linguistics语言学的主要分支是什么。每个分支的研究对象是什么？

1.General linguistics, which is the study of language as a whole and which deals with the basic concepts, theories, descriptions, models and methods applicable in any linguistic study

①Phonetics,which studies the sounds that are used in linguistic communication

②Phonology,which studies how sounds are put together and used in communication

③Morphology,which studies the way in which morphemes are arranged to form words

④Syntax,which studies how morphemes and words are combined to form sentences

⑤Semantics, which is the study of meaning in language.

⑥Pragmatics,which is the study of meaning not in isolation, but in context of use

⑦Sociolinguistics,which is the study of language with reference to society

⑧Psycholinguistics, which is the study of language with reference to the workings of mind.

⑨Applied linguistics,which is concerned about the application of linguistic findings in linguistic studies; 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 languages.

Other related branches are anthropological linguistics, neurological linguistics, mathematical linguistics, and computational linguistics.

3.现代语言学与传统语法有什么区别？

Traditional grammar is prescriptive; it is based on "high "(religious, literary) written language . It sets models for language users to follow. But Modern linguistics is descriptive; its investigations are based on authentic, and mainly spoken language data. It is supposed to be scientific and objective and the task of linguists is supposed to describe the language people actually use, whether it is "correct" or not.

4.Some important distinction in linguistics语言学五对基本概念1、descriptive(描述性) :A linguistic study describes and analyzes the language people actually use.

2、prescriptive(规定性): It aims to lay down rules for “correct” behaviors. i.e. what they should say and what they should not to say.

1、synchronic(共时语言学): It refers to the study of variation in language in different places and among different groups at a given point in time.

2、diachronic(历时语言学): Studies language change over various periods of time and at various historical stages.

什么叫共时研究Synchronic study;？什么叫历时研究diachronic study？

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. A synchronic study of language describes a

language as it is at some particular point in rime, while a diachronic study of language is a historical study; it studies the historical development of language over a period of time.

1、speech and writing are the two media of communication. Modern linguistics regards the spoken language as primary, not the written.

1、langue(语言): refers to abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of the speech community. It is the set of conventions and rules which language users all have to abide by. Such as: In English sentence must have subject and predicate.

2、parole(言语):refers to the realization of langue in actual use. It is concrete use of the conventions and the application of the rules.

1、competence(语言能力):As the ideal user’s knowledge of the rules of his language

2、performance(语言应用):the actual realization of his knowledge in linguistic communication.

5、What is language?

Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.

Language is a system i.e. elements of language are combined according to rules.

Language is arbitrary .because the fact that different languages have different words for the some object.

Language is vocal because the primary medium is sound for all languages.

Language is symbols.

The term “human” in the definition is meant to specify that language is human specific.

6、人类语言的甄别性特征design features是什么？（五个）

Design features refer to the defining properties of human language that distinguish it from any animal system of communication.The American Charles Hockett specified 12 design features, 5 of which will be discussed here.

Arbitrariness:任意性there is no logical connection between meanings and sounds .A good example is the fact that different sounds are used to refer to the same object in different language, but it is not entirely arbitrary.

Productivity:创造性language make possible the construction and interpretation of new signals by it users. Productivity is unique to human language.

Duality(二重性):Language is a system, which consists of two sets of structures, or two levels at the lower or the basic level there is a structure of sounds, which are meaningless. But the sounds of language can be grouped and regrouped into a large number of units of meaning such as morphemes and words.

Displacement:移位性Language can be used to refer to things which are present or not present, real or imagined matters in past, present or future. or in far-away place. In other words, language can be used to refer to context removed from the immediate situations of speakers.

Cultural transmission(文化传递性)While we are born with the ability to acquire language, the details of any language are not genetically transmitted, but instead have to be taught and learned anew.

5. Chomsky的语言能力和语言使用各指什么？

American linguist N. Chomsky in the late 1950’s proposed the distinction between competence and performance. Chomsky defines competence as the ideal user’s knowledge of the rules of his language. This internalized set of rules enables the language user to produce and understand an infinitely large number of sentences and recognize sentences that are ungrammatical and ambiguous. According to Chomsky, performance is the actual realization of this knowledge in linguistic communication. Although the speaker’s knowledge of his mother tongue is perfect, his performances may have mistakes because of social and psychological factors such as stress, embarrassment, etc.. Chomsky believes that what linguists should study is the competence, which is systematic, not the performance, which is too haphazard.

7、Saussure是如何区分语言和言语的？

The distinction between langue, and parole was made by the famous Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure early this century. Langue and parole are French words. Langue refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community, and parole refers to the realization of langue in actual use. Langue is the set of conventions and rules which language users all have to follow while parole is the concrete use of the conventions and the application of the rules. Langue is abstract;

It is not the language people actually use, but parole is concrete; it refers to the naturally occurring language events. Langue is relatively stable, it does not change frequently; while parole varies from person to person, and from situation to situation.