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1、Teaching aim Introduce some basic things about linguistics to the students: the definition of linguistics and language, the main branches of linguistics, and the design features of language.,FOREIGN LANGUAGES COLLEGE,Part One,Chapter 1 Invitations to Linguistics,Teaching points 1. What is linguistic
2、s? 2. What is language? 3. The design features of language 4. The main branches of language,Why does language provide such a fascinating object of study?,Perhaps it is because its unique role in capturing the breadth of human thought and endeavor. We look around us, and are awed by the variety of se
3、veral 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 outw
4、ard in space, and send symbols of communication along with our spacecraft, to explain who we are, in case there is anyone there who wants to know.,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 proble
5、ms 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 observa
6、tions that has led to the present work.,Or maybe the reason is in fact simple: human beings are always curious in seeking what they dont know. Consider: What are taken for granted in our course of language use without realizing its wonder?,A few Questions under the study of Linguistics,-Where does l
7、anguage 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
8、 spoken or heard before? Etc.,What is linguistics? Linguistics is a scientific study of language. Emphasize on how to understand the statement about linguistics, especially what “scientific” means, or how to be scientific in the study of language.,FOREIGN LANGUAGES COLLEGE,Part One,Chapter 1 Invitat
9、ions to Linguistics,We have four principles: 1. Exhaustiveness: Gather all the materials relevant to the investigation and give an adequate explanation. 2. Consistency: No contradiction 3. Economy: Other things being equal, a shorter statement is preferred to a longer one. 4. Objectivity: No prejudi
10、ce.,What is language?,FOREIGN LANGUAGES COLLEGE,Part One,Chapter 1 Invitations to Linguistics,According to Websters dictionary 9th, language is: Strictly speaking: 1. Human speech. 2. The ability to communicate by this means. 3. A system of sounds and the combinations of these sounds to which meanin
11、g is attributed, used for the expressions or communication of thoughts and feelings. 4. The writing representation of such a system.,Generally speaking: 1. Any means of expressing or communicating such as gestures, signs, or even animal sounds. 2. A special set of symbols, letters, numerals, rules,
12、etc. used of the transmission of information.,FOREIGN LANGUAGES COLLEGE,Part One,Chapter 1 Invitations to Linguistics,FOREIGN LANGUAGES COLLEGE,Part One,Chapter 1 Invitations to Linguistics,In linguistics, language is defined as a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication. A sys
13、tem: Language is a system. There are the rules by which language is structured and develops.,Arbitrary: no intrinsic relationship between the linguistic form and its meaning. Vocal: 1. Speech came before in the origin of language 2. Not all the languages in the word has written form. Symbols: signs
14、Used for human communication: In linguistics, language is human specific.,FOREIGN LANGUAGES COLLEGE,Part One,Chapter 1 Invitations to Linguistics,The design features of language Simply speaking, the design features of language means the features of language which make language human-specific.,FOREIG
15、N LANGUAGES COLLEGE,Part One,Chapter 1 Invitations to Linguistics,1. Arbitrariness There is no essential(intrinsic) relationship between linguistic form and its meaning. (1) Arbitrariness between a sound of morpheme and its meaning. Morpheme: the smallest unit of meaning. Language is arbitrary at th
16、e morphemic level. (2) Arbitrariness at syntactic level According to American functional-structural linguistics, language is not arbitrary at syntactic level. The different syntactic organizations produce different meanings. (3) Arbitrariness and convention,FOREIGN LANGUAGES COLLEGE,Part One,Chapter 1 Invitations to Linguistics,2. Duality Language has two levels of structures, one of which is primary level, and the other secondary level. The units of primary level is
