Transcript [ 1 ] (a)

Hello, Everyone!
I. Review
 Qs:
 1. How do you understand that
“linguistics is the scientific study of
language”?
 2. What’s the difference between
phonetics and phonology?
 3. What’s the difference between
semantics and pragmatics?
 4. Why is speech considered as the
primary medium of human language?
II. Other Important Distinctions
 4. Langue Vs. Parole
 Langue: the abstract linguistic
system shared by all members of a
speech community.
 Parole: the realization of langue in
actual use.
 A Sociological View
Ferdinand de Saussure
 (1857-1913), Swiss,
founder of
structuralism,
modern linguistics,
semiology.
 Course in General
Linguistics, 1916
5. Competence Vs Performance
 Competence: the ideal user’s
knowledge of the rules of his
language
 Performance: the actual realization
of this knowledge in linguistic
communication
 A Psychological View
Avram Noam Chomsky
 (1928-), founder
of TG(Pp. 42), a
revolution to
structuralism.
 LAD- (Pp.145)PPH-Universal
Grammar
 ST-EST-REST
6. Traditional Grammar VS. Modern
Linguistics
 Three Criteria:
 1. Exclude linguistic facts such as
“we can’t …”, “taller than me”, etc
 2. Use written material as the
material for analysis
 3. Apply Latin-based model to other
languages
III. Definition of Language
 Question:
 What’s
language?
Webster' s New World Dictionary (Pp. 759) [ 1 ]
 (a) human speech;
 (b)the ability to communicate by this
means;
 (c) a system of vocal sounds and
combinations of such sounds to which
meaning is attributed, used for the
expression or communication of
thoughts and feelings;
 (d) the written representation of such a
system;
Webster' s New World Dictionary (Pp. 759) [2]
 (a) 'any means of expressing or
communicating, as gestures, signs,
or animal sounds;
 (b) a special set of symbols; letters,
numerals, rules etc. used for the
transmission of information, as in a
computer; ...
A Generally Accepted Definition
Language is a system of
arbitrary vocal symbols used for
human communication.
Understanding the Definition
 QS:
 1. Why a system?
 2. Why arbitrary?
 3. Why vocal?
 4. Why symbols?
 5. Why human?
 6. Why communication?
IV. Functions of Language
Question:
What do you think are the
functions of language?
Elements of Communication: Jakobson’s
Model (1960)


Context
Referential
 Addresser
 Emotive
Message
Poetic


Contact
Phatic


Code
Metalingual
Addressee
Conative
Metafunctions of Language: Halliday’s
Model
 1. Ideational: Constructs a model of
experience and constructs logical
relations ( through transitive system)
 (Linguistic Constructionism)
 2. Interpersonal: enacts social
relationships (through mood and
modality)
 3. Contextual: creates relevance to
context (through coherence and cohesion)
 Systemic Functional Linguistics
M. A. K. Halliday（韩礼德）
 (1925-), founder of
systemic functional
linguistics,1947-1949
studied at Beijing
University, 1949-1950
studied at Ling Nan
University, 1955 got
doctor’s degree at
Cambridge University
with The Language of
the Chinese “Secret
History of the Mongols”
Summary of the Functions of
Language
 1. Informative （信息功能）:
Language serves an informative
function when it is used to tell what
the speaker believes, to give
information about facts, or to
reason things out.
 By use of Declarative Sentences
Summary of the Functions of
Language
 2. Interrogative（询问功能）:
When language is used to get
information from others, it serves
an interrogative function
 Through Questions that expect
answers.
Summary of the Functions of
Language
 3. Interpersonal（人际功能）:
Language serves an interpersonal
function when it is used to establish and
maintain their status in a society.
 Five sub-categories of interpersonal
function: performative, directive,
emotive, expressive, and phatic.
Summary of the Functions of
Language
 3.1 Performative（行事功能）: the
use of language to “do things”, to
perform actions.
 Through quite formal and even
ritualized language.
Summary of the Functions of
Language
 3.2 Directive（指令功能）: When
language is used to get the hearer do
something, it serves a directive
function.
 Most Imperative sentences.
Summary of the Functions of
Language
 3.3 Emotive（感情功能）: the use
of language to create certain
feelings in the hearer.
 Through Jokes, Advertising,
Propaganda, etc.
Summary of the Functions of
Language
 3.4 Expressive（表达功能）: the
use of language to reveal something
about the feelings and attitudes of
the speaker.
 Through Exclamations, etc.
Summary of the Functions of
Language
 3.5 Phatic（寒暄功能）: the use of
language to establish an atmosphere
or maintaining social contact.
 E.g. Greetings, Farewells, and
Comments on the weather, etc.
Summary of the Functions of
Language
 4. Recreational（娱乐功能）: the
use of language for the sheer joy of
using it.
 E.g. baby’s babbling, poetry, etc.
Summary of the Functions of
Language
 5. Metalingual（元语言功能）: the use
of language to talk about language itself.
 This makes language infinitely selfreflexive: We human beings can talk
about talk and think about thinking, and
thus only humans can ask what it means
to communicate, to think, to be human.
Home Work
 1. Q6, Pp. 12
(written)
 2. Prepare the
rest of the
chapter.