语言学期末复习

第一章

（判）Language is only a means of communication.（F）

Language has a form-meaning correspondence.(F)

The function of language is to exchange information.(F)

English is more difficult to learn than Chinese.(F)

Black English is not standard and should be reformed.(F)

The following are some fundamental views about language.

判）Children learn their native language swiftly, efficiently and without instruction.(T)

Language operates by rules.(T)

All languages have three major components: a sound system语音系统, a system of lexicogrammar词汇语法 and a system of semantics语意学.(T)

Everyone speaks a dialect.(T)

Language slowly changes.(T)

Speakers of all languages employ a range of styles and a set of jargons行话.(T) Languages are intimately related to the societies and individuals who use them.(T) Writing is derivative 来源的of speech.(T)

Language is a means of verbal communication.

分析）P3)it is instrumental in that communication by speaking or writing is a purposeful act. It is social and conventional in that language is a social semiotic 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.

Design features of language

The features that define our human languages can be called design features.

(1)Arbitrariness任意性分析，以下三点

瑞士Saussure（现代语言学之父）: the forms of linguistic signs bear no natural relationship to their meaning . (定义)

(1)Arbitrary relationship between the sound of a morpheme词素and its meaning, even with onomatopoeic拟声的 words:

The dog barks bow wow in English but “汪汪汪” in Chinese.

2）Arbitrariness at the syntactic句法的level: language is not arbitrary at the syntactic level.（判）

By syntax that sentences are constructed to the grammar of arrangement

3）Arbitrariness and convention. Conventionality 规约性

T he link between a linguistic sign and its meaning is a matter of convention.

Conventionality , as learners of English we are often told “this is an idiom”—meaning it is conventional to say things this way and you cannot change the expression any other way even if you think it does not look or sound logical.

(2)Duality 双重性定义/单

By duality is meant the property of having two levels of structures, such that units of the primary level are composed of elements of the secondary level

(3)Creativity 创造性定义/填

Language is resourceful because of its duality and its recursiveness递归性. (4)Displacement 移位性定义

Human languages enable their users to symbolize objects, events and concepts which are not present (in time and space) at the moment of communication.

And one thing we can say for certain is that language evolves within specific historical, social and cultural contexts.单

Functions of language

For Jakobson, language is above all for communication.

In his famous article, Linguistics and Poetics, he defined six primary factors of any speech event, namely:

speaker, addressee, context, message, code元语言解码, contact.

Six key elements of communication,namely:

referential (to convey message and information),

Poetic诗学 (to indulge in language for its own sake),

emotive (to express attitudes, feelings and emotions),

conative意动(to persuade and influence others through commands and requests), phatic寒暄(to establish communion with others)

Metalingual funcation (to clear up intentions and meanings).

Halliday proposes a theory of metafunctions of language, that is, language has ideational概念功能, interpersonal 人际功能and textual 语篇功能functions.填(1)Informative function最重要

For most people the informative function is predominantly the major role of language.判

The informative function is indeed a crucial function of language.

(2)Interpersonal function

By far the most important sociological use of language, by which people establish and maintain their status in a society.

(3)Performative function施为功能

The performative function of language is primarily to change the social status of persons, as in marriage ceremonies, the sentencing of criminals, the blessing of