戴伟栋-新编简明英语语言学教程笔记

戴伟栋-新编简明英语语言学教程笔记

-CAL-FENGHAI-(2020YEAR-YICAI)_JINGBIAN

戴版语言学

Chapter One----Introduction

Part one----What is linguistics

1. Definition----linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language. Scientific means it is based on the systematic investigation of linguistic data, conducted with reference to some general theory of language structure.

No Article before language in this definition means that linguistics studies language in general.

Linguists’ task: basically study and understand the general principles upon which al l languages are built.

Interest of linguists is “what is said”

2. The scopes of linguistics

General linguistics----the study of language as a whole-----the core of linguistics Phonetics----the study of sounds used in linguistic communication.

Phonology----the study of how sounds are put together and used to convey meanings in communication.

Morphology----the study of the way in which the symbols are arranged and combined to form words.

Syntax-----the study of the rules for sentence formation

Semantics-----the study of meaning.

Pragmatics----the study of meaning in the context of language use.

Above are made up of the core of linguistics

Sociolinguistics-----the study of all social aspects of language and its relation with society from the core of the branch.

Psycholinguistics-----the study of language processing, comprehending and production, as well as language acquisition.

Applied linguistics-----the application of linguistic theories and principles to language teaching , especially the teaching of foreign and second languages.

3. Some important distinctions in linguistics.

(1) prescriptive vs. descriptive

prescriptive----the linguistic study aims to lay down rules for “correct and standard” behavior in using language, . to tell people what they should say and what they should not say.

Descriptive----the linguistic study aims to describe and analyze the language people actually use.

Modern linguistics is mostly descriptive.

(2) Synchronic vs. diachronic

Synchronic----the description of a language at some point of time in history. Diachronic----the description of a language as it changes through time----the historical development of language over a period of time----another name: historical linguistics.

A synchronic approach enjoys priority over a diachronic one.

(3) Speech vs. writing

Two major media of linguistic communication

Speech is prior to writing:

(1)writing system is always “invented” by its users to record speech.

(2)speech plays a greater role than writing in information conveyance.

(3)speech is acquired as mother tongue while writing is learned and taught.

(4)speech reveals true features of human speech while writing language is only the “revised” record of speech.

(4) Langue vs. parole

Proposed by Swiss linguist----F. de Saussure----sociological view.

Purpose: discover the regularities governing the actual use of language and make them the subjects of study of linguistics.

Langue----the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of s speech & stable.

Parole-----the realization of language in actual use----concrete & varied

(5) Competence vs. performance

Proposed by American linguist Noam Chomsky----psychological view

Purpose: discover and specify the internalized sets of rules.

Competence----the ideal user’s knowledge of the rules of his l anguage. Performance----the actual realization of this knowledge in linguistic communication.

(6) Traditional grammar and modern linguistics

The beginning of modern linguistics-- the publication of Saussure’s “Course in General Linguistics” in early 20th

Modern linguistics differs traditional grammar:

(1) descriptive vs. prescriptive.

(2) spoken language vs. written language.

(3)ML doesn’t force languages into a Latin-based framework.

Part Two----What is language

1. Definition----language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.

System----elements of language are combined according to rules.

Arbitrary----there is no intrinsic connection between a linguistic symbol and what symbol stands for.

Vocal----the primary medium for all language is sound.

Human----language is human-specific.

2. Design features----proposed by American linguist Charles Hockett.(5/12)

Design features: the defining properties of human language that distinguish it from any animal system of communication-----human-specific.

(1) Arbitrariness----there is no logical connection between meanings and sounds. Exceptions: Onomatopoeic words and some compound words are not entire arbitrary.

(2) Productivity----language is creative in that it makes possible the construction and interpretation of new signals by its users----users can produce and understand sentences that they have never heard before.

(3) Duality----(another name: double articulation.) Language is a system which consists of two sets of structures, or two levels. The lower lever is the structure of meaningless sounds and the higher level is the structure of & meaning

(4) Displacement----language can be used to refer to things which are present or not present, real or imagined matters in the past, present, or future, in a faraway places------ It doesn’t matter how far away the topic is of conversation is in time or space-----free from the barriers caused by separation in time and place.

(5) Cultural transmission----the capacity for language is genetically based while the details of and language system should be taught and is passed down from one generation to the next through teaching and learning, rather than by instinct.

3. The functions of language.

(1) Informative: The main function of language that when people use language to communicate with each other, their experience in the real world, record or describe the “content” of the reality, they are actually taking advantage of this most important function.

(2) Interpersonal: people establish and maintain their identity in the society by this function.

(3) Performative: this is a function whereby the language influences directly on the reality, such as the sentence of imprisonment by the judge, the naming of a certain ship and the curses as believed by the ancient people.

(4) Emotive: this function is performed by those linguistic elements used to express strong feelings, such as exclamatory expressions.

(5) Phatic: this is function realized by those “Phatic language”, aiming to establishing

a harmonious and intimate relationship among people. Examples in Chinese:吃了没in English: Good norning. & A nice day, isn’t it

(6) Recreational: This function means that sometimes people may enjoy language for language’s sake, . no using language in any practical purposes, such as tongue-twisters and children’s babbles and chanter’s chanting.

(7) Metalingual: people may use language to talk about, explain or even change language itself. This is the metalingual function of language. For example, we may use “book” to refer to the existing object in the real world, and yet may also use “the word book” to stand by the concept “book” as embodied in language.

Chapter 2: Phonology

Part One: The phonic Medium of Language

Linguists concern only with the sounds that are produced by humans through their speech organs and have a role to play in linguistic communication.

phonic medium : The meaningful speech sound in human communication.

Speech sounds: the individual sounds within phonic medium are the speech sounds. Part Two: Phonetics

1. What is phonetics

phonetics : The study of phonic medium of language and it is concerned with all sounds in the world’s languages.

Classification:

articulatory phonetics : It studies sounds from the speaker’s point of view, . how a speaker uses his speech organs to articulate the sounds. -------speaker

auditory phonetics: The studies sounds from the hearer’s point of view, . how the sounds are perceived by the

acoustic phonetics: It studies the way sounds travel by looking at the sound waves, the physical means by which sounds are transmitted through the air from one person to properties

2. Organs of Speech

1 the pharyngeal cavity----throat.

2 the oral : most flexible.

3 the nasal cavity-----------nose. In English, there are three nasal sounds, namely, [m], [n], [η].

voicing: the way that sounds are produced with the vibration of the vocal cords. voiceless: the way that sounds are produced with no vibration of the vocal cords. 3. Orthographic representation of speech sounds----broad and narrow transcriptions. IPA: short for International Phonetic Alphabets, a system of symbols consists of letters and diacritics, used to represent the pronunciation of words in any language. broad transcription: The use of letter symbols only to show the sounds or sounds sequences in written form.

narrow transcription: The use of letter symbol, together with the diacritics to show sounds in written form.

diacritics: The symbols used in the narrow transcription to show detailed articulatory features of sounds.

aspiration: A little puff of air that sometimes follows a speech sound.

4. Classification of English Speech Sounds

Classification:

consonant: a speech sound in which the air stream is obstructed in one way or another.

vowel : a speech sound in which the air stream from the lung meets with no obstruction.

1 Classification of English consonants:

1 Manner of articulation: The manner in which obstruction is created.

Stops: [p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [g].

Fricatives: [f], [v], [s], [z], [θ], [], [∫] [3], [h].

Affricates: [t∫],[d3]

Liquids: [l], [r].

Nasals: [m], [n], [η]

Glides: [w], [j].------semi-vowels

2 place of articulation : The place where obstruction is created.

Bilabial: [p], [b], [m], [w].

Labiodental: [f], [v]

Dental: [θ], [ ]

Alveolar: [t], [d], [s], [z], [n], [l], [r]

Palatal: [∫] [3], [t∫],[d3], [j].

Velar: [k], [g], [η]

Glottal: [h].

Manner of articulation, place of articulation and voicing/ voiceless help describe a consonant.

2 Classification of English Vowels.

1 the position of the tongue:

front: [i:], [i], [e], [ε], [?], [a]

central: [з:], [з], [/\]

back: [u:], [u], [o], [o:], [a:]

2 the openness of the mouth.

Close vowels: [i:], [i], [u:], [u],

Semi-close: [e], [з:]

Semi-open: [з], [o:]

Open vowels: [?], [a], [/\],[o], [a:]

3 shape of the lips:

unrounded: [i:], [i], [e], [ε], [?], [a], [з:], [з], [/\],[a:]

rounded: [u:], [u], [o], [o:].

4 length of the sound:

long vowels: [i:], [з:], [u:], [o:], [a:]

short vowels: [i], [e], [ε], [?], [a], [з], [/\],[u], [o].

5 monophthong : the individual vowels are all monophthongs.

diphthong : The vowel which consists of two individual vowels, and functions as a single one.

[ei], [ai], [oi], [iз], [au], [зu], [eз], [uз]----eight diphthongs.

Part Three: Phonology

1. Phonology and Phonetics

phonetics : The study of phonic medium of language and it is concerned with all sounds in the world’s languages.

phonology : The description of sound systems of particular languages and how sounds function to distinguish meaning.

Similarity: all concerned with the same aspect of language----the speech sounds. Differences: approach and focus.

1 Phonetics is of a general nature; it is interested in all the speech sounds used in all human languages-----how they are produced, how they differ from each other, what phonetic features they possess, how they can be classified.

2 Phonology aims to discover how speech sounds in a language from patterns and how these sounds are used to convey meaning in linguistic communication.

. allophones clear [l] and dark [l]:

Phonetically speaking, they are interested in the differences how they are pronounced.