语言学1.intoduction

animal languages?
The features that define our human languages can be
called design features.
（1）Arbitrariness (Saussure)
It refers to the fact that the forms of linguistic signs /
2.2 Design features of languages
Language is human-specific. Only human beings
possess language, which is quite different from animal communication system. But it is hard to specify what makes our language advantageous over animal languages. No doubt animals are not really using languages.
for human communication.
Language is used for human communication. It is human-
specific. Communication, in simple words, is to exchange information and to express emotions. From the perspective of function, we may say that language is the most important tool for human thinking and recording the achievement of human civilization.
.
Linguistics exerts special significance on English
majors, which plays a critical role in developing our ability to thinking logically and dialectically.
As Russell once observed: “No matter how eloquently
a dog may bark, he cannot tell you that his parents were poor but honest.”
So what makes human language so distinctive from
Language study is an area full of charming and challenge: on the one hand, we are so familiar with language; on the other, there is still a long way before we get to know how it works after all
In summary, for students of language to know the
general properties of language can help them to have
an overview of human language, to understand that
Language is symbolic and arbitrary. A symbol is
a an item substituting for something, and there are two facets for every symbol: form and content. Language is symbolic, in which sounds (form) are used to represent meaning (content). Symbols can generally be classified to two categories: arbitrary and iconic / motivated. There is no intrinsic or logic connection between sound and meaning, so that most linguists believe that language is arbitrary by nature.
What is language?
what is meaning?
Are human beings born with linguistic competence or
we master our mother tongue by learning?
一个没有理论思维的民族，是不可能站在科学的最高峰的。同样，
human languages have important features in common while differ greatly in many details. The course of introduction to linguistics might prepare them in their later M.A. program, might put them onto the path
在繁华的巴黎大街的路旁，站着一个衣衫褴褛、头发斑白、双目失明的 老人。他在身旁立一块木牌，上面写着：“我什么也看不见！”街 上过往的行人很多，看了木牌上的字都无动于衷，有的还淡淡一笑，便姗 姗而去了。 这天中午，法国著名诗人让· 彼浩勒也经过这里。他看看木牌上的字，问 盲老人：“老人家，今天上午有人给你钱吗？” 盲老人叹息着回答：“我，我什么也没有得到。”说着，脸上的神情非 常悲伤。 让· 彼浩勒听了，拿起笔悄悄地在那行字的前面添上了“春天到了，可是” 几个字，就匆匆离开了。 晚上，让· 彼浩勒又经过这里，问那个盲老人下午的情况。盲老人笑着回 答说：“先生，不知为什么，下午给我钱的人多极了！”让· 彼浩勒听了， 摸着胡子满意地笑了。 “春天到了，可是我什么也看不见！”这富有诗意的语言， 产生这么大的作用，就在于它有非常浓厚的感情色彩。是的，春天是美好 的，那蓝天白云，那绿树红花，那莺歌燕舞，那流水人家，怎么不叫人陶 醉呢？但这良辰美景，对于一个双目失明的人来说，只是一片漆黑。当人 们想到这个盲老人，一生中竟连万紫千红的春天都不曾看到，怎能不对他 产生同情之心呢？
leading to their final profession either as a teacher of
language or as a researcher of linguistics.
2. Language
2.1 Definition
Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used
sound bear no natural or intrinsic relationship to their meanings.
However arbitrariness of language is not absolute and
there seems to be different levels of cond, arbitrariness is a matter of degree.
Introduction
Why study language? What is language? What is linguistics?
Textbook and reference books
胡壮麟，语言学教程（第四版）。北京大学出版社。 胡壮麟，语言学教程（第四版中文本）。北京大学出版社。 圣才考研网，胡壮麟《语言学教程》（第3、4版）笔记与考研 真题详解。中国石化出版社。
1. Why study language?

There are many myths about language

The function of language is only to exchange information. English is more difficult than Chinese Black English is not standard and should be reformed. As for language study, writing is more important than speech.
First， the words with
different degrees of onomatopoeia, namely words for the naturally occurring sounds, that sound like the sounds they describe.
汪汪！汪 汪汪 ！
一个没有理论思维的民族，也不可能站在文明和社会发展的前列。 哲学是一种人所特有的对自身生存根基和生命意义的永不停息的 反思和探究性活动。通过这种反思和探究不断提升人的自我意识 和生存自觉，是哲学的根本使命。哲学标志着一个民族对它自身 自我认识所达到的高度和深度，体现着它的心智发育和成熟的水 准，在一定意义上讲，哲学代表着一个民族的“思想自我”。 —— 恩格斯：《自然辩证法》
A Story about Mark Twain
马克· 吐温在一次酒会上答记者问时说： “某些国会议员是狗娘养的。” 记者将 他的话公诸于众，华盛顿的议员们一定要 马克· 吐温在报上登个启事，赔礼道歉。于 是，马克· 吐温写了这样一张启事：“以前 鄙人在酒席上发言，说某些国会议员是是 狗娘养的，我再三考虑，觉得此言不妥， 而且不合事实，特登报声明，把我的话修 改成：某些国会议员不是狗娘养的。
Vocal: the primary medium is sound for all
languages, no matter how well developed are their writing systems. All evidence shows that writing system came much later than the spoken forms. The fact that children acquire spoken language first before they can read or write also indicates that language is primarily vocal. In fact, voice as the primary medium for human language is an inevitable result in the course of language development; it is the optimal choice of the primitives.
Language
is a system. There are a key factor as to a system: structure, which results from the combination of components based on certain rules. Obviously, the elements in language are arranged according to rules. The elements can not be produced and combined at random. If so, language can not be used and learned consistently.