2010-5-16
Welcome to Linguistics
2nd Semester 2005-2006
English Department
Wuhan University of Technology
2010-5-16
Lecture I Introduction to the Course
2010-5-16
Why does language provide
such a fascinating object of
study?
2010-5-16
? Perhaps it is because its unique role in capturing
the breadth of human thought and endeavour,
? We look around us,and are awed by the variety of
several thousand languages and dialects,
expressing a multiplicity of world views,
literatures,and ways of life.
? We look back at the thoughts of our predecessors,
and find we can see only as far as language lets us
see,We look forward in time,and find we can plan
only through language,We look outward in space,
ands end symbols of communication along with
our spacecraft,to explain who we are,in case there
is anyone there who wants to know,
2010-5-16
? Alongside this,there is the importance we attach to
language,as a means of understanding ourselves
and our society,and of resolving some of the
problems and tensions that arise from human
interaction,No sector of society is unaffected,and
all can benefit from the study of the linguistic
factors that constitute a barrier,as well as a means
of communication,But linguistic problems rarely
admit simple solutions,and it is this elementary
observations that has led to the present work.
2010-5-16
? Or maybe the reason is in fact simple,human
beings are always curious in seeking what they
don’t know.
? Consider,What are taken for granted in our course
of language use without realizing its wonder?
2010-5-16
A few Questions under the study of
Linguistics
? --Where does language come from? How? When?
? --Why is language human-specific?
? --Why can a child learn his/her mother tongue in a
short period of time? --How does language
change?
? --How can people talk orderly?
? --How can we say one thing but mean another?
? --Why can a person speak and understand a
sentence s/he had never spoken or heard before?
Etc.
2010-5-16
What is linguistics
? Linguistics,the scientific study of language,
concerns itself with all aspects of how people use
language and what they must know in order to do
so,
2010-5-16
The Domain of Linguistics
? Language is a complicated entity with multiple
layers and facets,so the linguists have to
concentrate on one aspect of it at a time.
? Modern linguists concern themselves with many
different facets of language,from the physical
properties of the sound waves in utterances to the
intentions of speakers towards others in
conversations and the social contexts in which
conversations are embedded,The branches of
linguistics are concerned with how languages are
structured,how languages are used,and how
they change,
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? The study of
sounds which
are used in
linguistic
communicati
on is called
phonetics 语
音学,
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? The study of how
sounds are put
together and used in
communication is
called phonology音
系学,
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? While sounds are
primary in linguistic
communication,they
are represented by
certain symbols,i.e.,
words and morphemes,
The study of the way
in which morphemes
are arranged to form
words is called
morphology 形态学,
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? The combination of these words to
form permissible sentences in
languages is governed by rules,The
study of how morphemes and words
are combined to form sentences is
called syntax句法,
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? The ultimate objective of language
is not just to create grammatically
well-formed sentences,but to
convey meaning,The study of
meaning in language is called
semantics 语义学,
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? Language communication
does not occur in a vacuum,It
always occurs in a context,
i.e.,it always occurs at a
certain time,at a certain place,
between participants with
particular intentions,The
study of meaning in context of
use is called pragmatics
语用学
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? There is a very close
relationship between
language and literature,
The part of linguistics
that studies the
language of literature is
termed literary stylistics
文体学,
2010-5-16
II Language as a Human
Phenomenon
? The study of
language with
reference to the
workings of mind is
called
psycholinguistics.
2010-5-16
II Language as a Human Phenomenon
? Researchers have come to understand that
many of the features of language are
universal,both because there are universal
aspects to human experience and because
language has a built-in biological basis,
This latter subject belongs to the subfield
called neurolinguistics,which studies how
language is realized in the human brain.
2010-5-16
II Language as a Human
Phenomenon
? Findings in linguistic studies can
often be applied to the solution of
such problems as the recovery of
speech ability,The study of such
applications is generally known as
applied linguistics.
2010-5-16
II Language as a Human
Phenomenon
? But 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.
2010-5-16
III Language as a Social Phenomenon
in Interdisciplinary Fields
? Language changes are
often caused by social
changes,The study of
language with reference
to society is called
sociolinguistics
focusing on the
interaction between
language and the
structure and
functioning of society.
2010-5-16
III Language as a Social
Phenomenon in Interdisciplinary
Fields
? The study of language
variation and use in relation
to the cultural patterns and
beliefs of the human race,as
investigated using the
theories and methods of
anthropology is called
anthropological linguistics.
2010-5-16
III Language as a Social
Phenomenon in Interdisciplinary
Fields
? The study of language using the techniques and
concepts of computer science,especially with
reference to the problems posed by the fields of
machine translation,information retrieval,and
artificial intelligence is called computational
linguistics,
2010-5-16
Course Objective
? -- mastery of some linguistic concepts and theories
in order to understand how language is
constructed,how language operates,how language
is used to do things,how language is acquired or
learnt,how language changes over time and varies
according to the situation,etc.;
? -- improvement of English proficiency in general
and enhancement of the awareness of patterns and
regularities in the English language;
? -- preparation for further study and research about
language
2010-5-16
Textbooks
? Linguistics,A Course Book
(Second Edition)
,语言学教程, 胡壮麟主编
北京大学出版社,2001
2010-5-16
Required Reading
? A Concise Course On Linguistics For Students of
English
,简明英语语言学教程, （修订本）
戴炜栋、何兆熊、华钧
上海外语教育出版社,1993
? Linguistics H.G,Widdowson
,语言学, 牛津语言学入门丛书
上海外语教育出版社,2000
2010-5-16
References
?, 语言学教程（修订版中译本,
胡壮麟 主编 北京大学出版社
? Linguistics,An Advanced Course Book
,语言学高级教程, 胡壮麟 姜望琪 主编
北京大学出版社
? An Introduction to Modern English Linguistics
,现代英语语言学概论, 戴炜栋 主编
21世纪英语学习丛书 上海外语教育出版社
2010-5-16
References
当代国外语言学与应用语言学文库
外语教学与研究出版社
? Linguistics,An Introduction by Andrew Radford
,语言学教程,
? The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language
(Second Edition) David Crystal
,剑桥语言百科全书,
? An Introduction to Linguistics by Stuart C,Poole
,语言学入门,
2010-5-16
Study Methods
? 1 Combination of Macroscopic and Microscopic Perspective 宏观与
微观相结合
? 1) General grasp of the CONTENTS
Contents is the distilled summary and abstract of the text
providing the main idea of each chapter as well as the relationship
among the chapters.
? 2) Detailed Study of each chapter
The detailed study of each chapter will help you to understand
the contents better.
That is to say
First read the contents to make a thick book thin
Second read each chapter to make the book thick
Third the final review according to the contents to make the book
thin again
2010-5-16
Study Methods
? 2,Combination of Understanding and Memory,
Theory and Practice 理解与记忆相结合 ; 理论与
实践相结合
? The only way to memorize the basic concepts in
linguistics is to understand and analyze the
examples given to prove the concepts,
? The convenience of linguistic study is that you
can find the raw materials for linguistics
everywhere in the language use,Try to think of
more examples from your own language practice
to understand and explain theories and concepts
concerned,The application of theory into practice
can sharpen your understanding about theory
itself.
2010-5-16
Study Methods
? 3,Combination of Comparison and
Contrast 比较与对比相结合
? Comparison and contrast are the
indispensable ways in the study of
language,Comparison helps to find the
similarities between different concepts
while contrast helps to understand their
discrepancy,The employment of both of
them help to perceive the interrelationship
among the linguistic concepts.
2010-5-16
Study Methods
? 4,Combination of Reading and Exercises 阅读与
练习相结合
? The purpose of the course,besides basic
knowledge about linguistics,aims at the
application of the methods and theories,Thus,
exercises and tests assess the understanding of the
knowledge,but not study in order to sit in a test,
? Do read the text before coming to the class,
? Don’t turn to the Chinese translation
immediately without reading the English texts
2010-5-16
Course Requirements
? 1,Readings:
Read the textbook before coming
to the class
? 2,Attendance
Attendance in class and memory of
basic concepts is required,
2010-5-16
Course Requirements
? 3,Term Paper
? You will be required to write a paper of about
2000 English words,After the study of each
chapter,some questions will be given as references
to your further investigation and thinking,You can
choose the aspect you are interested at any time,
The paper will be due by the 16th week,June 10th,
? 4,Final Exam
The final exam will cover materials from the
entire course,If you really preview the text,attend
the class on time,you will gain a good
understanding of the textbook thus do well on the
final exam,
2010-5-16
Course Grading
?attendance (10%)
?term paper (20%)
?Final exam (70%)
2010-5-16
? All the suggestions on the improvement of the
course are welcomed and encouraged,
? All the complaints about the course will be
sincerely accepted and seriously considered,If
they cannot be solved,at least they will be
explained.
? All the other questions will also be welcomed,I
am more than happy to be of any help to you.
Welcome to Linguistics
2nd Semester 2005-2006
English Department
Wuhan University of Technology
2010-5-16
Lecture I Introduction to the Course
2010-5-16
Why does language provide
such a fascinating object of
study?
2010-5-16
? Perhaps it is because its unique role in capturing
the breadth of human thought and endeavour,
? We look around us,and are awed by the variety of
several thousand languages and dialects,
expressing a multiplicity of world views,
literatures,and ways of life.
? We look back at the thoughts of our predecessors,
and find we can see only as far as language lets us
see,We look forward in time,and find we can plan
only through language,We look outward in space,
ands end symbols of communication along with
our spacecraft,to explain who we are,in case there
is anyone there who wants to know,
2010-5-16
? Alongside this,there is the importance we attach to
language,as a means of understanding ourselves
and our society,and of resolving some of the
problems and tensions that arise from human
interaction,No sector of society is unaffected,and
all can benefit from the study of the linguistic
factors that constitute a barrier,as well as a means
of communication,But linguistic problems rarely
admit simple solutions,and it is this elementary
observations that has led to the present work.
2010-5-16
? Or maybe the reason is in fact simple,human
beings are always curious in seeking what they
don’t know.
? Consider,What are taken for granted in our course
of language use without realizing its wonder?
2010-5-16
A few Questions under the study of
Linguistics
? --Where does language come from? How? When?
? --Why is language human-specific?
? --Why can a child learn his/her mother tongue in a
short period of time? --How does language
change?
? --How can people talk orderly?
? --How can we say one thing but mean another?
? --Why can a person speak and understand a
sentence s/he had never spoken or heard before?
Etc.
2010-5-16
What is linguistics
? Linguistics,the scientific study of language,
concerns itself with all aspects of how people use
language and what they must know in order to do
so,
2010-5-16
The Domain of Linguistics
? Language is a complicated entity with multiple
layers and facets,so the linguists have to
concentrate on one aspect of it at a time.
? Modern linguists concern themselves with many
different facets of language,from the physical
properties of the sound waves in utterances to the
intentions of speakers towards others in
conversations and the social contexts in which
conversations are embedded,The branches of
linguistics are concerned with how languages are
structured,how languages are used,and how
they change,
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? The study of
sounds which
are used in
linguistic
communicati
on is called
phonetics 语
音学,
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? The study of how
sounds are put
together and used in
communication is
called phonology音
系学,
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? While sounds are
primary in linguistic
communication,they
are represented by
certain symbols,i.e.,
words and morphemes,
The study of the way
in which morphemes
are arranged to form
words is called
morphology 形态学,
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? The combination of these words to
form permissible sentences in
languages is governed by rules,The
study of how morphemes and words
are combined to form sentences is
called syntax句法,
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? The ultimate objective of language
is not just to create grammatically
well-formed sentences,but to
convey meaning,The study of
meaning in language is called
semantics 语义学,
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? Language communication
does not occur in a vacuum,It
always occurs in a context,
i.e.,it always occurs at a
certain time,at a certain place,
between participants with
particular intentions,The
study of meaning in context of
use is called pragmatics
语用学
2010-5-16
I Language as a Formal System
? There is a very close
relationship between
language and literature,
The part of linguistics
that studies the
language of literature is
termed literary stylistics
文体学,
2010-5-16
II Language as a Human
Phenomenon
? The study of
language with
reference to the
workings of mind is
called
psycholinguistics.
2010-5-16
II Language as a Human Phenomenon
? Researchers have come to understand that
many of the features of language are
universal,both because there are universal
aspects to human experience and because
language has a built-in biological basis,
This latter subject belongs to the subfield
called neurolinguistics,which studies how
language is realized in the human brain.
2010-5-16
II Language as a Human
Phenomenon
? Findings in linguistic studies can
often be applied to the solution of
such problems as the recovery of
speech ability,The study of such
applications is generally known as
applied linguistics.
2010-5-16
II Language as a Human
Phenomenon
? But 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.
2010-5-16
III Language as a Social Phenomenon
in Interdisciplinary Fields
? Language changes are
often caused by social
changes,The study of
language with reference
to society is called
sociolinguistics
focusing on the
interaction between
language and the
structure and
functioning of society.
2010-5-16
III Language as a Social
Phenomenon in Interdisciplinary
Fields
? The study of language
variation and use in relation
to the cultural patterns and
beliefs of the human race,as
investigated using the
theories and methods of
anthropology is called
anthropological linguistics.
2010-5-16
III Language as a Social
Phenomenon in Interdisciplinary
Fields
? The study of language using the techniques and
concepts of computer science,especially with
reference to the problems posed by the fields of
machine translation,information retrieval,and
artificial intelligence is called computational
linguistics,
2010-5-16
Course Objective
? -- mastery of some linguistic concepts and theories
in order to understand how language is
constructed,how language operates,how language
is used to do things,how language is acquired or
learnt,how language changes over time and varies
according to the situation,etc.;
? -- improvement of English proficiency in general
and enhancement of the awareness of patterns and
regularities in the English language;
? -- preparation for further study and research about
language
2010-5-16
Textbooks
? Linguistics,A Course Book
(Second Edition)
,语言学教程, 胡壮麟主编
北京大学出版社,2001
2010-5-16
Required Reading
? A Concise Course On Linguistics For Students of
English
,简明英语语言学教程, （修订本）
戴炜栋、何兆熊、华钧
上海外语教育出版社,1993
? Linguistics H.G,Widdowson
,语言学, 牛津语言学入门丛书
上海外语教育出版社,2000
2010-5-16
References
?, 语言学教程（修订版中译本,
胡壮麟 主编 北京大学出版社
? Linguistics,An Advanced Course Book
,语言学高级教程, 胡壮麟 姜望琪 主编
北京大学出版社
? An Introduction to Modern English Linguistics
,现代英语语言学概论, 戴炜栋 主编
21世纪英语学习丛书 上海外语教育出版社
2010-5-16
References
当代国外语言学与应用语言学文库
外语教学与研究出版社
? Linguistics,An Introduction by Andrew Radford
,语言学教程,
? The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language
(Second Edition) David Crystal
,剑桥语言百科全书,
? An Introduction to Linguistics by Stuart C,Poole
,语言学入门,
2010-5-16
Study Methods
? 1 Combination of Macroscopic and Microscopic Perspective 宏观与
微观相结合
? 1) General grasp of the CONTENTS
Contents is the distilled summary and abstract of the text
providing the main idea of each chapter as well as the relationship
among the chapters.
? 2) Detailed Study of each chapter
The detailed study of each chapter will help you to understand
the contents better.
That is to say
First read the contents to make a thick book thin
Second read each chapter to make the book thick
Third the final review according to the contents to make the book
thin again
2010-5-16
Study Methods
? 2,Combination of Understanding and Memory,
Theory and Practice 理解与记忆相结合 ; 理论与
实践相结合
? The only way to memorize the basic concepts in
linguistics is to understand and analyze the
examples given to prove the concepts,
? The convenience of linguistic study is that you
can find the raw materials for linguistics
everywhere in the language use,Try to think of
more examples from your own language practice
to understand and explain theories and concepts
concerned,The application of theory into practice
can sharpen your understanding about theory
itself.
2010-5-16
Study Methods
? 3,Combination of Comparison and
Contrast 比较与对比相结合
? Comparison and contrast are the
indispensable ways in the study of
language,Comparison helps to find the
similarities between different concepts
while contrast helps to understand their
discrepancy,The employment of both of
them help to perceive the interrelationship
among the linguistic concepts.
2010-5-16
Study Methods
? 4,Combination of Reading and Exercises 阅读与
练习相结合
? The purpose of the course,besides basic
knowledge about linguistics,aims at the
application of the methods and theories,Thus,
exercises and tests assess the understanding of the
knowledge,but not study in order to sit in a test,
? Do read the text before coming to the class,
? Don’t turn to the Chinese translation
immediately without reading the English texts
2010-5-16
Course Requirements
? 1,Readings:
Read the textbook before coming
to the class
? 2,Attendance
Attendance in class and memory of
basic concepts is required,
2010-5-16
Course Requirements
? 3,Term Paper
? You will be required to write a paper of about
2000 English words,After the study of each
chapter,some questions will be given as references
to your further investigation and thinking,You can
choose the aspect you are interested at any time,
The paper will be due by the 16th week,June 10th,
? 4,Final Exam
The final exam will cover materials from the
entire course,If you really preview the text,attend
the class on time,you will gain a good
understanding of the textbook thus do well on the
final exam,
2010-5-16
Course Grading
?attendance (10%)
?term paper (20%)
?Final exam (70%)
2010-5-16
? All the suggestions on the improvement of the
course are welcomed and encouraged,
? All the complaints about the course will be
sincerely accepted and seriously considered,If
they cannot be solved,at least they will be
explained.
? All the other questions will also be welcomed,I
am more than happy to be of any help to you.
