英語語言學復習重點

1、1語言學復習重點3whether it is “correct” or not.Synchronic Synchronic and and diachronic diachronic 共時和歷時 共時和歷時The description of a language at some point in time is a synchronic study; the description of a language as it change

2、s through time is a diachronic study. In modern linguistics, synchronic study is more important.Speech Speech and and writing writing 口頭語與書面語 口頭語與書面語Speech and writing are the two major media of communication. Modern lin

3、guistics regards the spoken form of language as primary, but not the written form. Reasons are: 1. Speech precedes writing; 2. There are still many languages that have only the spoken form; 3. In terms of function, the s

4、poken language is used for a wider range of purposes than the written, and carries a larger load of communication than the written.Langue Langue and and parole parole 語言和言語 語言和言語The Swiss linguist F. de Saussure made t

5、he distinction between langue and parole early 20th century.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. S

6、aussure made the distinction in order to single out one aspect of language for serious study. He believes what linguists should do is to abstract langue from parole, to discover the regularities governing the actual use

7、 of language and make them the subjects of study of linguistics.Competence Competence and and performance performance 語言能力和語言運用 語言能力和語言運用Proposed by American linguist N. Chomsky in the late 1950’s. He defines competence

8、as the ideal user’s knowledge of the rules of his language, and performance the actual realization of this knowledge in linguistic communication. He believes the task of the linguists is to discover and specify the langu

9、age rules. 4.What 4.What is is language? language? 語言的定義 語言的定義Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.Sapir uses “ideas” “emotions” and “desires” in his definition. Hall, like Sapir,

10、treats language as a purely human institution. Chomsky’s definition is quite different, it focus on the purely structural properties of languages and to suggest that these properties can be investigated from a mathemati

11、cally precise point of view.5. 5. Design Design features features 語言的甄別性特征 語言的甄別性特征Design features refer to the defining properties of human language that distinguish it from any animal system of communication. American

12、 linguist Charles Hockett specified twelve design features, five of which will be discussed here.Arbitrariness Arbitrariness 語言的隨意性 語言的隨意性Arbitrariness means that there is no logical connection between meanings and soun

13、ds. It is not entirely arbitrary. Example: different sounds are used to refer to the same object in different languages.Productivity Productivity 語言的創(chuàng)造性 語言的創(chuàng)造性Language is productive in that it makes possible the constru