英语学生语言学课程

ACourseonLinguisticsforStudentsofEnglish

主讲教师：杨朝军TheGoalsforthisCourseTogetascientificviewonlanguage;Tounderstandsomebasictheoriesonlinguistics;Tounderstandtheapplicationsofthelinguistictheories,especiallyinthefieldsoflanguageteaching&learning(SLAorTEFL),cross-culturalcommunication……;Toprepareforthefutureresearchwork.TheRequirementsforthiscourseClassattendanceClassroomdiscussionFulfillmentoftheassignmentExaminationLevelsrememberingunderstandingappreciatingcreativeAlistofreferencebooks1.《语言学教程》(英语版),胡壮麟,北京大学出版社。2.《语言学概论》王德春，上海外语教育出版社。3.《现代英语语言学概论（英语版）戴炜栋,上海外语教育出版社。4.《现代语言学》何兆熊梅德明，外语教学与研究出版社5.《简明英语语言学教程》（英语版）戴炜栋等，上海外语教育出版社6.《语言学和语言的应用》王宗炎，上海外语教育出版社7.《语言学》H.G.Widdowson，上海外语教育出版社8.《语言学入门》（英语版）StuartC.Poole外语教学与研究出版社Chapter1.Introduction

1.Whatislanguage?Languagecanmeanwhatapersonsays(e.g.badlanguage,expressions)thewayofspeakingorwriting(e.g.Shakespeare’slanguage,Luxun’slanguage)aparticularvarietyorlevelofspeechorwriting(e.g.languageforspecialpurpose,colloquiallanguage)theabstractsystemunderlyingthetotalityofthespeech/writingbehaviorofacommunity(e.g.Chineselanguage,firstlanguage)thecommonfeaturesofallhumanlanguages(e.g.Hestudieslanguage)atoolforhumancommunication.(socialfunction)asetofrules.(rule-governed)Sapir’sdefinition(1921)“Languageisapurelyhumanandnon-instinctivemethodofcommunicatingideas,emotionsanddesiresbymeansofvoluntarilyproducedsymbols.”Hall’sdefinition(1968)Languageis“theinstitutionwherebyhumanscommunicateandinteractwitheachotherbymeansofhabituallyusedoral-auditoryarbitrarysymbols.”Chomsky’sdefinition(1957)“FromnowonIwillconsiderlanguagetobeasetof(finiteorinfinite)sentences,eachfiniteinlengthandconstructedoutofafinitesetofelements.”Languagecanbegenerallydefinedasasystemofarbitraryvocalsymbolsusedforhumancommunication.LanguageisasystemSystematic----rule-governed,elementsinitarearrangedaccordingtocertainrules;can’tbecombinedatwill.e.g.*bkli,*Iappleeat.languageisarbitrary①languageisnaturallyarbitrary.signifier→signified②arbitraryisprimary,motivationissecondary.Pictographoronomatopoeiaisararityinlanguage.TheyarealsoarbitraryforUnlesswe’velearnedwecannotidentifytherelations.Differentlanguageshavedifferentformsforthesamesignification.Eventhesamelanguagehasdifferentformsforthesamereferent.③arbitrarinesskeepslanguageproductive.④arbitrarinessresidesineverylevelofthelanguage.⑤structure,asasign,isalsoarbitrary.一锅饭吃了十个人。⑥languageatthesyntacticlevelisrelativelymotivated.庭には木があります。⑦arbitrarinessandconventionalism:prison-houseLanguageissymbolicinnatureSymbolic----wordsareassociatedwithobjects,actionsideasbyconvention.“Arosebyanyothernamewouldsmellassweet”----ShakespeareIcon;index;symbolLanguageisprimarilyvocalVocal----theprimarymediumissoundforalllanguages;writingsystemcamemuchlaterthanspokenform.Languageishuman-specificHuman-specific----differentfromthecommunicationsystemsotherformsoflifepossess,e.g.birdsongs,beedance,animalcries.Thedesign/definingfeaturesofhumanlanguageArbitrarinessrecursivenessProductivity/CreativityDualityDisplacementinterchangeabilityCulturaltransmissionlanguageisforhumancommunication①communicationmakeshumanhuman.②communicationisthebasisforhumandevelopment.③communicationisacculturation.④communicationmakestheworldmoreofaglobalvillage.Arbitrariness----Nological(motivatedorintrinsic)connectionbetweensoundsandmeanings.Onomatopoeicwords(whichimitatenaturalsounds)aresomewhatmotivated(English:rumble,crackle,bang,….Chinese:putong,shasha,dingdang…)Somecompoundwordsarenotentirelyarbitrary,e.g.type-writer,shoe-maker,air-conditioner,photocopy…Productivity/creativity----Peculiartohumanlanguages，usersoflanguagecanunderstandandproducesentencestheyhaveneverheardbefore,e.g.wecanunderstandsentencelike“Ared-eyedelephantisdancingonthehotelbed”,thoughitdoesnotdescribeacommonhappeningintheworld.Agibboncallsystemisnotproductiveforgibbondrawalltheircallsfromafixedrepertoirewhichisrapidlyexhausted,makinganynoveltyimpossible.Thebeedancedoeshavealimitedproductivity,asitisusedtocommunicateaboutfoodsourcesinanydirection.Butfoodsourcesaretheonlykindofmessagesthatcanbesentthroughthebeedance;beesdonot“talk”aboutthemselves,thehives,orwind,letaloneaboutpeople,animals,hopesordesiresDuality(doublearticulation)Lowerlevel----sounds(meaningless)Higherlevel----meaning(largerunitsofmeaning)Acommunicationsystemwithdualityisconsideredmoreflexiblethanonewithoutit,forafargreaternumberofmessagescanbesent.Asmallnumberofsoundscanbegroupedandregroupedintoalargenumberofunitsofmeaning(words),andtheunitsofmeaningcanbearrangedandrearrangedintoaninfinitenumberofsentences.(wemakedictionaryofalanguage,butwecannotmakeadictionaryofsentencesofthatlanguage.Displacement----Languagecanbeusedtorefertothings,whicharenotpresent:realorimaginedmattersinthepast,presentorfuture,orinfar-awayplaces.AgibbonneveruttersacallaboutsomethingheatelastyearThereissomethingspecialaboutthebeedancethough.Beescommunicatewithotherbeesaboutthefoodsourcestheyhavefoundwhentheyarenolongerinthepresenceofthefood.Inthissense,thebeedancehasacomponentofdisplacement.Butthiscomponentisveryinsignificant.Forthebeesmustcommunicateaboutthefoodimmediatelyonreturningtothehive.Theydonotdanceaboutthefoodtheydiscoveredlastmonthnordotheyspeculateaboutfuturediscoveries.Culturaltransmission----Languageisculturallytransmitted(throughteachingandlearning;ratherthanbyinstinct).Animalcallsystemsaregeneticallytransmitted.Allcats,gibbonsandbeeshavesystemswhicharealmostidenticaltothoseofallothercats,gibbonsandbees.AChinesespeakerandanEnglishspeakerarenotmutuallyintelligible.Thisshowsthatlanguageisculturallytransmitted.Thatis,itispassonfromonegenerationtothenextbyteachingandlearning,ratherthanbyinstinct.Thestoryofawolfchild,apigchildshowsthatahumanbeingbroughtupinisolationsimplydoesnotacquirehumanlanguage.FunctionsoflanguageContextREFERENTIALAddressermessageaddresseeEMOTIVEPOETICCONATIVEContactPHATICCodeMETALINGUALFunctionsoflanguage

Phatic:establishinganatmosphereormaintainingsocialcontact.Directive:getthehearertodosomething.Informative:giveinformationaboutfacts.Interrogative:getinformationfromothers.Expressive:expressfeelingsandattitudesofthespeaker.Evocative:createcertainfeelingsinthehearer(amuse,startle,soothe,worryorplease)Performative:languageisusedtodothings,toperformactions.Halliday’sFunctions

IdeationalTextualinterpersonalTheoriginoflanguage

ThedivinesourceBow-wowtheoryDing-dongtheoryPooh-poophtheoryYo-he-hotheorySing-songtheoryTa-tatheoryTheevolutionarytheory----theresultofphysicalandpsychologicaldevelopment许国璋先生认为把语言定义成交际工具不够科学,至少不够严谨.他对语言的定义做了如下概括:语言是一种符号系统.当它作用于人与人之间的关系的时候,它是表达相互反应的中介;当它作用于人与客观世界的关系的时候,它是认知事物的工具;当它作用于文化的时候,它是文化的载体.2.Whatislinguistics?----Linguisticsisthescientificstudyoflanguage.----Apersonwhostudieslinguisticsisknownasalinguist.2.LinguisticsisscientificData-collectionMethodologyObservationgeneralizationHypothesisTestingModificationconclusionFourprinciplesoflinguisticstudiesExhaustiveness/adequacyConsistencyEconomyObjectivity

(i)

Adequacyofobservation(ii)Adequacyofdescription

(iii)Adequacyofexplanation

UseoflinguisticsWhyshouldwecallthethingwesitonchair?Can’twecallchairtableandtablechair?Howisitthatchildrendon’tseemtomakeabigeffortinlearningtheirfirstlanguagewhileweadultshavetoworkveryhardtolearnasecondlanguage?Whycanwetalkaboutyesterdayandlastyearwhilecatsanddogsneverseemtomakenoisesabouttheirpastexperience?Doyouthinkwecanthinkasclearlywithoutlanguageaswithlanguage?Doeslanguagedeterminewhatwethinkorthoughtdetermineswhatwesay?Foralanguagestudent

ForateacherofforeignlanguagesForaresearcherThescopeormajorbranchesoflinguisticsTheoreticallinguisticsPhoneticsPhonologyMorphologySyntaxSemanticsUseoflinguisticsAppliedlinguisticsSociolinguisticsPsycholinguistics……TheoreticallinguisticsPhonetics----speechsound(description,classification,transcription):articulatoryphonetics,acousticphonetics,auditoryphonetics.Phonology----soundpatternsoflanguagesMorphology----theformofwordsSyntax----therulesgoverningthecombinationofwordsintosentence.Semantics----themeaningoflanguage(whenthemeaningoflanguageisconductedinthecontextoflanguageuse----Pragmatics)UseoflinguisticsAppliedlinguistics----linguisticsandlanguageteachingSociolinguistics----socialfactors(e.g.class,education)affectlanguageusePsycholinguistics----linguisticbehaviorandpsychologicalprocessStylistics----linguisticandliteratureSomeotherapplicationsAnthropologicallinguisticsNeurolinguisticsComputationallinguistics(e.g.machinetranslation)SomeimportantdistinctionsinlinguisticsDescriptivevsprescriptiveDescriptive----describe/analyzelinguisticfactsobservedorlanguagepeopleactuallyuse(modernlinguistic)Prescriptive----laydownrulesfor“correct”linguisticbehaviorinusinglanguage(traditionalgrammar)SynchronicvsdiachronicSynchronicstudy----descriptionofalanguageatsomepointoftime(modernlinguistics)

Diachronicstudy----descriptionofalanguagethroughtime(historicaldevelopmentoflanguageoveraperiodoftime)

SyntagmaticandparadigmatichorizontalverticalSpeechvswritingSpeech----primarymediumoflanguageWriting----laterdevelopedLanguevsparole(F.deSaussure)Langue----theabstractlinguisticsystemsharedbyallmembersofthespeechcommunity.Parole----therealizationoflangueinactualuse.Saussuretakesasociologicalviewoflanguageandhisnotionoflangueisamatterofsocialconventions.Competenceandperformance(Chomsky)Competence----theidealuser’sknowledgeoftherulesofhislanguagePerformance----theactualrealizationofthisknowledgeinlinguisticcommunicationChomskylooksatlanguagefromapsychologicalpointofviewandtohimcompetenceisapropertyofthemindofeachindividual.TraditionalgrammarvsmodernlinguisticsTraditionalgrammar----prescriptive,written,Latin-basedframeworkModernlinguistics-----descriptive,spoken,notnecessarilyLatin-basedframeworkDiscussion1.Thefollowingtwosentencesaresaidtobeambiguousinmeaning.Howmanyinterpretationscouldyougivetoeitherofthem?Whatcanyoudotoresolvesuchambiguity/Heturnedinhisbed.Theygavepreferencetoyoungmenandwomen.2.Identifytheunitsthathavereferenceandtheunitsthatindicatestructure.IsawMarywhenIwenttothelibrary.3.Howwouldyoujudgethefollowingfoursentences?Aretheygoodorbadsentences?Themoonismadeofbrowneggs.Moonbrowntheisofmadeegges.慢走，您。为了安全，给您。4.Howwouldyouclassifythefollowingsigns?Whatdothesesignsmeantoyouandhowdoyoucometoknowtheirmeenings/5.Ifyousawsmokecomingoutofahouse,whatconclusionwouldyoud