第一讲courseinformationandintroductionppt课件.ppt

Lecture One: Course information and Introduction,Contents of this lecture,1. Course information and requirements 2. What is linguistics? 3. Contents and aims of this course 4. Significance of learning language or linguistics 5. Learning strategies for this course 6. Questions for reflection and discussion,1. Course information and requirements,1. Instructor: Aimei (Grace) Chen gracechen89yahoo.com.cn 2. Teaching Method: discussion and presentation. 3. Grading: Attendance (5%) Performance (presentation and participation) (15%) Mid-term paper(20 %); Final exam (60 %).,2. What is linguistics,研究语言的科学。同哲学、心理学、历史学、文 学和自然科学技术均有密切的联系。分理论语言 学和具体语言学；前者研究人类语言的一般规 律，后者研究具体语言的存在和发展的规律，如 汉语语言学、英语语言学，根据不同的研究目 的，具体语言学又可分为描写语言学和历史语言 学，前者研究语言在某一时期的状态，后者研 究语言的古今演变。,2. What is linguistics,此外，为研究语言实践问题，特别是同通讯科学 技术，机器翻译，语言教学和语言运用等有关的 语言实践问题，又分出应用语言学、数理语言 学、心理语言学和社会语言学等。语言学的内部 分科由语音学、语文学、语法学、语用学等。语 言研究已经有二千多年的历史，中国，印度，希 腊是世界上最早研究语言的国家（辞海，1989年版， 第447页） 。,2. What is linguistics,1) Definition “Linguistics may be defined as the scientific study of language” (Lyons 1968: 1). This definition is well accepted because it pinpoints the object and methods of linguistics as a discipline.,The object of linguistics：language Notice that the word language is not preceded by an article (i.e. without a or the), nor in the plural form. This means that linguistics studies all languages.,The kind of science for linguistics: Its object of study, language, determines that it is a discipline among humanities, because language is mostly a social phenomenon, despite a biological aspect of it. Its method of study is close to that used in natural sciences. From these two perspectives linguistics is seen as a discipline closest, among humanities, to natural sciences.,Methods of study: First, certain linguistic phenomena are observed and questions are raised about them. Second, hypotheses (which are generalizations based on observations) are formulated to explain the phenomena.,Third, the hypotheses are tested by further observations or experiments. If they are valid, the hypotheses become theories. If they are not, then the researcher must reformulate hypotheses and then verify them until no data collected contradict the hypotheses. Forth, linguistic theories thus produced, just as other scientific theories, are open to challenge.,2) Branches of linguistics Intra-disciplinary divisions The study of language in general is often termed general linguistics. It is based on the view that language as a system is composed of three aspects: sound, structure and meaning. The core of general linguistics is the study of these aspects, dealing with the regularities of these across languages.,Phonetics Phonology Morphology Syntax Semantics Pragmatics,Phonetics studies speech sounds, including the production of speech, that is how speech sounds are actually made, transmitted and received, the description and classification of speech sounds, words and connected speech, etc.,Phonology studies the rules governing the structure, distribution, and sequencing of speech sounds and the shape of syllables. It deals with the sound system of a language by treating phoneme as the point of departure. A phoneme is the smallest linguistic unit of sound that can signal a difference in meaning.,Morphology is concerned with the internal organization of words. It studies the minimal units of meaning morphemes and word-formation processes. Although many people think of words as the basic meaningful elements of a language，many words can be broken down into still smaller units, called morphemes.,Syntax is about principles of forming and understanding correct sentences.The form or structure of a sentence is governed by the rules of syntax, which specify word order, sentence organization, and the relationships between words, word classes and other sentence elements.,Semantics examines how meaning is encoded in a language.It is not only concerned with meanings of words as lexical items, but also with levels of language below the word and above it, e.g. meaning of morphemes and sentences.,Pragmatics is the study of meaning in context. It deals with particular utterances in particular situations and is especially concerned with the various ways in which the many social contexts of language performance can influence interpretation. In other words, pragmatics is concerned with the way language is used to communicate rather than with the way language is internally structured.,Inter-disciplinary divisions Language as a system is also closely interwoven with other aspects of man and society. It has often been studied in ways that relate linguistics to other disciplines. Linguistics is not the only field concerned with language. Other disciplines such as psychology, sociology, ethnography, the science of law and artificial intelligence etc. are also preoccupied with language.,Sociolinguistics studies language in relation to society. Language varies from region to region, from class to class, and it also varies with age and sex. Language changes are mostly caused by social changes. Language is part of culture and the carrier of culture.,Psycholinguistics investigates the interrelation of language and mind, for example, in processing and producing utterances and in language acquisition. It also studies language development in the child, such as the theories of language acquisition, biological foundations of language, and a profound aspect the relationship between language and cognition.,Computational linguistics centers around the use of computers to process or produce human language (also known as “natural language”, to distinguish it from computer languages). To this field, linguistics contributes an understanding of the special properties of language data, and provides theories and descriptions of language structure and use,Some current application areas include translating from one language to another (Machine Translation), storing and finding relevant documents in large collections of text (Corpus Linguistics and Information Retrieval), and carrying out various forms of computer mediated communication.,Applied linguistics is concerned with the application of linguistic theories and descriptions in other fields, particularly in language teaching.,3. Contents and Aims of this course,1) Materials: This course is based upon George Yules “The Study of Language” and draws on merits of many different books.,1. 赵华威,语言研究学习指要,黑龙江教育出版 社, 2008. 2. 胡壮麟，姜望琪，语言学教程(第三版)， 北京大学出版社，2001。 3. 杨信彰，语言学概论，高等教育版社, 2005。 4. 钱冠连,语言:人类最后的家园 ，商务印书馆, 2005.,2) Contents: This course is devoted to discussion of such things as the nature and functions of language, the fields and areas of linguistics, the relationship between linguistic theory and use of language, language and brain, language acquisition and learning, language and Culture, language and society, and language history and change.,3) Aims The aims of this course are to help the students to develop a better awareness of language, have a good knowledge of the above-mentioned things, develop individual insights into language and linguistics, get prepared for future studies and research in language and linguistics or use linguistic theories to solve problems in your own research areas.,4. The importance of studying language or linguistics,Discussion,5.Learning strategies for this course,语言学是一门最接近自然科学的社会科学。说它是社会科学是因为语言文字是社会现象。说它最接近自然科学是因为语言学研究借鉴了自然科学的一些研究方法。 语言学的特性和本门课程的目的决定了学习策略。要学好语言学概论这门课程，应遵循以下几点：,1) 体会价值，激发动力,语言学是比较抽象的学科，要学好非下一番功夫不可。人们说兴趣是最好的老师，是因为有了兴趣就有持久的学习动力。然而在没进入一个学科之前无法谈到是否会产生兴趣。就个人而言，要不要学习某个学科，取决于个人对那个学科价值的判断，看它对自己的素质提高和专业发展是否有作用。对于语言教师来说，语言学的价值毋须质疑。应用语言学家将语言学对语言教学的贡献概括为应用和启示两方面。语言描述的成果为语言教学直接提供内容，如音标、教学语法等。语言学理论研究成果对语言教师思考教什么和怎样教两个根本问题颇有启发。,一个语言教师如果没有语言理论知识就好比一个不懂人体科学的体育教练。无论他/她自己运动水平多高，不研究运动机理就不可能培养出高水平运动员。同样道理，语言教师只有懂得语言符号系统是怎样构成的，是如何发挥作用的，语言学习过程有那些因素，怎样发挥这些因素的作用，才能更有效地从事语言教学，提高人才培养质量。,2) 整体入手，见木见林,语言是非常复杂的现象，语言学分支很多，派别林立。语言学的分支是依其研究对象划分的，即依语言的各种要素划分的。语言的基本要素是语音、结构、意义。研究语音的分支是语音学、音位学，研究结构的是形态学和句法学，研究意义的是语义学和语用学。语言与社会、心理、文化、教育等密切相关，因此出现一些语言研究的交叉学科，如社会语言学、心理语言学、应用语言学等。,首先在宏观上对该课程的内容有所了解。在学习时，首先要仔细阅读目录。目录是全书内容的高度浓缩和概括，它不仅包括本学科所涉及到的主要内容，而且也涉及到内容与内容之间的联系。 在整体把握课本内容的基础上，再从宏观进入到微观学习。通过细节的学习来加深对课本宏观的把握，而对课本宏观的把握又会有助于课本细节的学习，做到“既见森林，又见树木。”,3)了解立论过程，深入理解理论,理论是对自然和社会现象的系统性解释。任何理论都产生于研究过程。研究过程始于观察和提问，然后提出假说（即对所观察到的现象的初步解释或对所提出问题的初步解答），最后验证假说。如果假说得到充分验证，则成为理论。如果验证失败，则须重新提出假说，再验证新的假说。语言学理论也是在这样的过程中产生的。理解一个语言学理论，就须从语言学家所提出的问题开始，弄清假说，看它是如何被验证的。这样才能深入理解理论。,4) 用例证解读术语,每一门科学都有术语。语言学术语也很多。术语是一门科学的专门用语。学习语言学就必须掌握其专门用语。在语言学文献中重要术语都给出明确的定义。尽管如此，初学者仍感到术语很抽象，难以理解和记忆。因此，在学习过程中要重视举例。每接触到一个新术语，首先要仔细揣摩它的定义, 然后看所给的例子。这样就把抽象的概念具体化，便于理解和记忆。,比较和对比是该课程中不可缺少的两种方法。通过比较，可以找出不同概念之间的相似之处，通过对比可以理解不同概念之间的相异性。比较和对比的结合有助于弄清概念之间的异同和内在的联系。,5) 仔细阅读，勤于思考,语言学文献逻辑性很强。语言学家采用演绎推理或归纳推理提出理论。要理解语言学理论就必须仔细阅读文献，跟上作者的思路。阅读语言学文献不同于阅读文学作品。读小说好比喝冷饮，不停顿地喝下去才感到解渴。而读语言学著述则不同，要像喝咖啡一样，一点儿一点儿地品才得其味。品的过程就是深入思考的过程。,换句话说，学习语言学的过程就是训练语言研究思维方法的过程。培养逻辑思维能力比记住一些具体的事实更重要。 研究语言的目的是要探索语言内部的规律。音位规则、构词法、句法、语义成分、合作原则和礼貌原则等都是语言学家经过观察、分析、概括、推理总结出来的规律。要理解这些规律，就需要通过仔细阅读和思考跟上语言学家的思路，看他们如何发现问题，如何解决问题。,A Motto to Follow,子曰：“学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆”。 The Master said, “He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.”,Read extensively and intensively in linguistics, make sure that you have a thorough understanding of what you read, keep your mind open, read critically (try to find fault what you read), do not follow anybody blindly, think while reading, keep notes while reading of your findings and your own inspirations.,6) 双语并用，重视对比,双语并用是指在学习过程中用英语和汉语两种语言理解和记忆术语，这样可以理解更透彻，记忆更牢固。 在学习过程中对比英语与汉语的异同既能深化对两种语言的认识，又有助于探索语言的普遍规律。,6. Questions for Reflection and Discussion,1. Many people say that linguistics is boring. Do you think so? 2. What do you expect from this course?,