新编简明英语语言学教程(重点笔记赶考秘籍)

1.1 Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language.

It is a scientific study because it (a) is based on the systematic investigation of linguistic data. It (b) discovers the nature and rules of the underlying language system. It (c) collects language facts that display some similarities, and generalizations are made about them.

The study of language as a whole if often called general linguistics.

phonetics(语音学): the study of sounds

phonology(音位学): how sounds are put together and used to convey meaning

morphology(形态学): how morphemes(词素) are arranged and combined to form

words

syntax(句法学): the study of rules that govern the combination of words to form

grammatically permissible sentences

semantics(语义学): the study of meaning

pragmatics(语用学): the study of meaning in the context of language use

interdisciplinary branches: sociolinguistics(社会语言学), psycholinguistics(心理语言学), applied linguistics(应用语言学)

Important distinctions in linguistics

prescriptive(规定性old linguistics) vs. descriptive(描述性modern linguistics)

synchronic(共时性) vs. diachronic(历时性): most linguistic studies are of synchronic

descriptions, which is prior in modern linguistics

speech and writing: speech is prior to writing in modern linguistics

langue(语言系统abstract linguistic system) and parole(话语/言语realization of

langue in actual use): Swiss linguist F. de Saussure----forefather of modern

linguistics

competence(语言能力ideal user’s knowledge of rules of his language) and

performance(语言运用actual realization of this knowledge): American linguist N.

Chomsky

traditional grammar and modern linguistics: Saussure’s book “Course in

General Linguistics” marked the beginning of modern linguistics

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

LAD: Language Acquisition Device -----Chomsky

Arbitrariness (任意性): Different sounds are used to refer to the same object in different languages.

Productivity/creativity (能产性): Construction and interpretation of new signals are possible, so that large number of sentences can be produced.

Duality (双层性): Two levels enable people to talk about anything within their knowledge. lower level(sounds)---higher level(words)

Displacement(移位性): enable people to talk about a wide range of things, free from barriers caused by separation in time or place.

Cultural transmission(文化传承): We are born with the ability to acquire language, the details of language system have to be taught and learned.

2.1 Speech and writing are the two media for communication, of which speech is

more basic/primary.

The sounds which are produced by humans through their speech organs and meaningful in communication constitute the phonic medium of language. The individual sounds within this range are the speech sounds.

2.2 Phonetics is the study of the phonic medium of language, which concerned with all the