IntroductiontoLinguistics

Introduction to LinguisticsObjectives n nKnow the different aspects of language such as phonetics,phonology,morphology,semantics and syntaxn nBe familiar with the linguistic terminologyn nAnalyze English sentences functionally and categoricallyObjectivesn nBetter understand language as a medium for communicationn nBetter understand language universals and variationsn nAnalyze data of natural languageRequirementsn nRead carefully the text book and related literaturen nMake notes when necessaryn nWrite reading reports with own commentsn nBe active in raising questions during lecturesn nBe active in discussing on given topics n nPrepare for what you are going to write in the course paperAssessmentn nClassroom attendancen nParticipation in classroom activitiesn nReading reportsn nCourse paperMajor referencesn nRadford,A.et al.Linguistics:An Introduction 2009.Cambridge University Pressn nRobins,R.H.General Linguistics（普通语言学概论）2000.外研社Course Outlinen nWeek 1Introductionscope of linguistic studyn nWeek 2theoretical and methodological considerationsn nWeek 3-4phoneticsn nWeek 5-6phonology n n Week 7-8word classesword formationmorphology across languagesn n Week 9-10lexical semanticslexical variation and change n nWeek 11-12basic terminology of syntaxn nWeek 13-14 sentence structureempty categoriesmovementn nWeek 15syntactic variation across lang.n nWeek 16sentence meaninglogical formn nWeek 17sentence processingsyntactic disordersn nWeek 18-19Week 18-19 wider scope of linguisticswider scope of linguisticslinguistics and linguistics and anthropology/sociology/anthropology/sociology/psychology/literature/psychology/literature/information/language information/language teaching/translation/teaching/translation/cognition/law/cognition/law/etc.etc.Research questionsn nWhat is the nature of the cognitive system which we identify with knowing a language?n nHow do we acquire such a system?n nHow is this system used in our production and comprehension of speech?n nHow is this system represented in the brain?Areas of enquiryn nlinguistics itselfn ndevelopmental linguisticsn npsycholinguistics n nneurolinguisticsLanguagen nSystemn nSignsn nSymbolsn nHumann nCommunicationDesign features of languagen nArbitrarinessn nDualityn nCreativityn nDisplacementSome characteristics of language untaught n nPeople do occasionally try to teach you things about language(e.g.,dont split an infinitive),but they mostly fail,and the really interesting things that you know(e.g.,drop r at the end of a syllable,if youre British)are things nobody taught you.uniform n nAll developmentally normal children acquire language,All developmentally normal children acquire language,and speakers of the same language agree with each and speakers of the same language agree with each other about remarkably arcane and complicated other about remarkably arcane and complicated phenomena(well see lots of examples).Moreover,phenomena(well see lots of examples).Moreover,human languages,though they differ from each other,human languages,though they differ from each other,seem to differ in highly constrained ways,so that we seem to differ in highly constrained ways,so that we keep seeing the same patterns over and over again(the keep seeing the same patterns over and over again(the Tibetan/English r-loss rule is just one example).Tibetan/English r-loss rule is just one example).tacit n nWe can(and will)try to figure out how the rules of language work,but we dont think about them when were using language;its just instinctive.infinite n nWere not just memorizing sentences that weve heard.For one thing,sentences can be,in principle,infinite in length(This is the cat that chased the rat that ate the cheese that.).For another,we can create and interpret sentences weve never heard(My pet anteater wants to dye his tail purple).species-specific n nOnly humans naturally acquire language separate from general cognitive capacity n nWilliams syndrome:low IQ,but good language skills n naphasia:there are various kinds of aphasia,but for some of them only language is affected.Linguisticsn nknowing a language=having a mentally represented grammar(native speakers competence in that language)n nScientific study of languagen nHuman language used in communicationn nRich mans gameGrammarn nTwo components:(i)a lexicon(or dictionary),which lists all the words found in the language(ii)a syntactic component,which specifies how to combine words together to form phrases and sentencesTraditional grammarn nPrescriptiven nFlat sentence structuren nTo teach correct language formStructural grammarn nDescriptiven nFlat sentence structuren nConstituent analysisGenerative grammarn nto generate(i.e.specify how to form)a set of phrases and sentencesn na theory about how phrases and sentences are formedn nDescriptiven nExplanatoryn nLayered phrase structureMethods in doing linguisticsn nPrescriptiven nDescriptiven nExplanatoryn nHistoricaln nComparativen nIntuitiven nExperimentalWhat discipline?n nHumanities?n nSciences?Four tenets of sciencen nExhaustiveness/adequacyn nConsistencyn nEconomy/simplicityn nObjectivityLevels of analysisn nPhoneticsn nPhonologyn nMorphologyn nSyntaxn nSemanticsphoneticsn nStudy the material of speech itselfn nOrgans of speechn nArticulation n nTransmissionn nHearingn nFeaturesPhonologyn nstudy of speech sounds and how they interact study of speech sounds and how they interact American English American English British English British English n nbabar r babar r n nleadeleader r leadeleader r n ncacar rton ton cacar r ton ton n ncocor rnener r co co r r nener r n ncacarr rry y cacarr rry y n nhaihair ry y haihair ry y n nB Br ritain itain B Br ritain itain n nr ride ide r ride ide n nStandard Standard Lhasa Lhasa n nTibetan Tibetan Tibetan Tibetan n ngbgbr r gbgbr r where?where?n nphsphsr r phsphsr r young man young man n nmmr rp p mmr r p p red red n nssr rn n ssr r n n greedy greedy n nggr r ggr r what?what?n nchchr r chchr r debating hall in a monastery debating hall in a monastery n nr rnpch npch r rnpch npch precious jewel,monk precious jewel,monk n nr rngwng ngwng r rngwng ngwng freedom freedom n n Lhasa Tibetan has the same rule as British English!This is what we find when we look at language closely:languages differ,of course,but the differences are variations on a theme;its not just random.There is something about the rule r drops at the end of a syllable that makes it a natural kind of rule for a language to have(as opposed to a rule like r drops at the beginning of a syllable).Universal Grammar(Noam Chomsky):n nwe are all born knowing(tacitly)certain things about how human language is put together.This is how we manage to acquire this very complex system,without relevant instruction;we have a head start.Linguistics is the study of the aspects of the human mind that allow us to acquire and use language.Morphology:n nMorphology:study of how words are made up out of their parts n ne.g.industry n nMorphology:study of how words are made up out of their parts industry n nindustri-al having to do with industry n nindustri-al-ize cause to have to do with industry n nindustri-al-iz-ation the process of causing things to have to do with industry n nMorphologyMorphology:study of how words are made up out of:study of how words are made up out of their partsindustry their partsindustry n nindustri-al industri-al having to do with industry having to do with industry n nindustri-al-ize industri-al-ize cause to have to do with industry cause to have to do with industry n nindustri-al-iz-ation industri-al-iz-ation the process of causing things the process of causing things to have to do with industry to have to do with industry n nindustri-al-iz-ation-al industri-al-iz-ation-al related to the process related to the process n nindustri-al-iz-ation-al-ize industri-al-iz-ation-al-ize cause to be related to cause to be related to the process the process n nSyntax:study of how sentences are made up out of wordsThe woman will sit on the chair.The general will urge on the troops.n nWhich chair will the woman sit on?Which troops will the general urge on?n nOn which chair will the woman sit?*On which troops will the general urge?n n*The woman will sit the chair on.The general will urge the troops on.n nSyntax:study of how sentences are made up out of words Why did she say that George should resign?Why did she not say that George should resign?n nSyntax:study of how sentences are made up out of words n nJohn thinks that George is a genius n nMary said that John thinks that George is a genius n nSyntax:study of how sentences are made up out of words n nJohn thinks that George is a genius n nMary said that John thinks that George is a genius n nSusan cant believe that Mary said that John thinks that George is a genius.n nSemantics:study of meaningn nI didnt tell her that Mary was very smart.n nI didnt tell her mother that Mary was very smart.n nSemantics:study of meaning n nI didnt tell her that Mary was very smart.(herMary)n nI didnt tell her mother that Mary was very smart.(her can be Mary)n nSemantics:study of meaning n nI didnt tell her that Mary was very smart.(herMary)n nI didnt tell her mother that Mary was very smart.(her can be Mary)n nShe didnt say that Mary left.n nShe didnt regret that Mary left.n nSemantics:study of meaning n nI didnt tell her that Mary was very smart.(herMary)n nI didnt tell her mother that Mary was very smart.(her can be Mary)n nShe didnt say that Mary left.(Mary may have left,or not)n nShe didnt regret that Mary left.(Mary has to have left)n nPragmatics:study of how we get beyond the literal meanings of sentencesn nCan you close the window?(really means Close the window!)n nDid you know that theres a bear behind you?(really means Look out!)Related issuesLanguage acquisitionn nstudy of what children know,and when,and howstudy of what children know,and when,and how n nchild:child:Want other one spoon,Daddy.Want other one spoon,Daddy.n nfather:father:You mean,you want the other spoon.You mean,you want the other spoon.n nchild:child:Yes,I want other one spoon,please,Daddy.Yes,I want other one spoon,please,Daddy.n nfather:father:Can you say“the other spoon”?Can you say“the other spoon”?n nchild:child:otheronespoon.otheronespoon.n nfather:father:Say“other”.Say“other”.n nchild:child:Other.Other.n nfather:father:Say“spoon”.Say“spoon”.n nchild:child:Spoon.Spoon.n nfather:father:Otherspoon.Otherspoon.n nchild:child:Otherspoon.Now give me other one spoon?Otherspoon.Now give me other one spoon?Historical Linguistics n n How do languages change over time?(hint:the How do languages change over time?(hint:the answer isnt they deteriorate)answer isnt they deteriorate)n nphonologyphonology:IE*kwekwlos wheel Gk.:IE*kwekwlos wheel Gk.kukloskuklos,Skrt.,Skrt.chakrachakra,Eng.,Eng.wheel wheel n nsemanticssemantics:housewife hussy,Nahuatl:housewife hussy,Nahuatl ahuacatl ahuacatl testicle testicle avocado avocado n nsyntaxsyntax:Speaks he English?Does he speak English?:Speaks he English?Does he speak English?n nHow far back can we trace linguistic history?Is there a How far back can we trace linguistic history?Is there a“proto-World”,and can we know anything about it?“proto-World”,and can we know anything about it?Language Contact n nHow do languages in contact influence each other?n nLoan wordsn nSound changen nStyle changeLanguage and the Brain n nHow is knowledge of language represented in the brain?Towards a complete understanding of languagen nHorizontally:form/symbolsn nVertically:meaning/mindEnd