张韧教授讲座课件 lang and mind ntro.pptVIP

Investigating Language as a Cognitive Phenomenon Zhang Ren School of Foreign Studies/Institute of Linguistics, Nanjing University Linguistics: scientific study of language. 1. What is language after all? ?Immediate reaction to the question? (A) Usual answers (commonsense notions) (a) “语言是进行思维和传递信息的工具。是人类保存认识成果的载体。” Q-properties of language derivable from thought? --To give the barest of definition,language is a means of verbal communication.It is instrumental in that communicating by speaking or writing is a purposeful act. (Hu Zhuanglin et al’s coursebook) Cf. 语言学帮助提高交际能力，外语水平 =Q: differences between cars, guns, pens and language as tools? =Q: where is the tool so that we go get it? (b) Language as a form of expression? E.g. the language of the body/the hand, the language of music/dance, the language of bees =any expressive thing Cf. 注意你的语言，说话讲究 --Hence too vague as object of scientific inquiry. (c) Language as a system of communication? =Undesirable properties for a good communication code: much ambiguity and redundancy, etc. (Morris Halle) Some comments (1) Common trait: language reified as physical entity used for a conventional purpose. (cf. distinction: natural object vs. artifact) (2) Various consequences ?how we view language and language-related issues, incl. language education. ?how we study language:socio-cultural vs. naturalistic (seeking for underlying laws) ?how we view the nature of linguistics, where do we put it in the curriculum, as science or as arts? Cf. Effects of academic posters? (B) Another tack: looking at obvious properties of language behavior (1) People of different cultures say things differently-problem of understanding. Look at the following strings: kurdu kamina =Q: What do they mean? Why don’t you know? “I don’t know the language” Warlpiri: spoken in Australia Implications People speak different languages, hence with different knowledge. Growing up in Brain/mind works different environments