英语语言学笔记讲解

第一章

Chapter 1 Invitations to Linguistics

Teaching aims: let the students have the general idea about language and linguistics.

Teaching difficulties: design features of language ; some important distinctions in linguistics

Teaching procedures

nguage

1.1Why study language?为什么学习语言

A tool for communication交流的工具

An integral part of our life and humanity 人类生活和人性中不可或缺的一部分.

If we are not fully aware of the nature and mechanism of our language, we will be ignorant of what constitutes our essential humanity.如果不能完全理解语言的本质和结构,我们就会对人类的本质一无所知.

1.2What is language?什么是语言

1.2.1different senses of language 语言的不同意义

1. what a person says( concrete act of speech)

a person’s consistent way of speaking or writing

a particular level of speaking or writing e.g. colloquial language

an abstract system

2. A Webster’s New Dictionary offers a frequently used sense of the word “language”:

a. human speech 人类的言语

b. the ability to communicate by this means 通过言语来交流的能力

c. a system of vocal sounds and combinations of such sounds to which meaning is attributed, used for

the expression or communication of thoughts and feelings; 用来表达或交流思想和感觉的一套声

音及这些声音互相结合的系统

d. the written representation of such a system 系统的文字表达

3. the barest of definition, language is a means of verbal communication.最简洁的定义:语言是言语交

流的一种方式.

Language is instrumental in that communicating by speaking or writing is a purposeful act. It is social and conventional in that language is a social semiostic and communication can only take place

effectively if all the users share a broad understanding of human interaction including such

associated factors as nonverbal cues, motivation, and socio-cultural roles. Language distinguishes

us from animals.因为说和写的交流方式是一种有目的的行为,所以语言是实用性的;因为语言

是社会符号,语言的交流只能在所有参与者广泛理解了人类的那些非言语的暗示,动机,社会文

化角色等等互相关联的因素之后才能有效进行,因此语言又是社会的,约定俗成的.语言使人类

区别于动物.

1.2.2definitions

Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.

What is communication?

A process in which information is transmitted from a source (sender or speaker) to a goal (receiver or

listener).

A system----since elements in it are arranged according to certain rules systematically, rather than randomly.

They cannot be arranged at will. e.g. He the table cleaned. (×) bkli (×) Why do we say language is arbitrary?

Arbitrary----there is no intrinsic (logic) connection between a linguistic form and its meaning, between the sounds that people use and the objects to which these sounds refer. This explains and is