语言学Lecture1 Orientation to Linguistics.ppt

Orientation to Linguistics;scientific study of language;Course objectives:;Textbook and reference books;Course assessment:;Outline of the Course;Language;列宁(《论民族自治》)：Language is the most important tool for human communication.;The often-quoted definition of language:;Exercise: “language” used in various contexts (pp.10-11, No. 1);Question: Is language the only medium for human communication?; SEMIOTICS Auditory-Vocal Visual Tactile Olfactory Gustatory ?Speech Sign languages Deaf-blind Smell Taste Physiological Writing codes language Muscle effects Kinesics(身势) Voice qualities Proxemics(空间关系);Two types of communication ;Communication in Animals and Nature;;In the 1960s Washoe, a chimpanzee, was taught in captivity from birth to communicate with humans using American sign language. ;The Uniqueness of Human Language ;— features that distinguish language from any animal system of communication. Also called design features (C. F. Hockett, A Course in Modern Linguistics, 1958);Arbitrariness –What’s in a name that which we call a rose? – By any other name would smell as sweet. --Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2) ;Note: language is not entirely arbitrary. Onomatopoeic words: bang, crush in English;Discussion: P. 17 No. 6 Iconicity(象似性) (1) No. e.g. slight, slim (2) Gliding: slide, slip, slippery; Rolling: tumble (fall quickly), stumble J-: joy, jovial, jubilate, joyous, joyful, jubilant Gl-: glow, glisten, gleam, glare, glint, glimmer, glitter (3) Front vowels for near-speaker concepts; central or back vowels for far-from-speaker concepts. There seems to be a similar kind of pattern in Chinese. C.f. 近 jin /远 yuan；这 zhe /那 na;Discussion: P. 12 No. 5 Can one really invent a language of one’s own? No. Why? A language comes into being and is used by convention or agreement among its speakers.;3. Displacement With language, it is possible for people to talk