Introduction to LinguisticsIntroduction to Linguistics

Class # 1Class # 1

What is Linguistics? What is Linguistics?

Linguistics is NOT:Linguistics is NOT:

learning to speak many learning to speak many languageslanguages

evaluating different languagesevaluating different languages

improving your languages skills improving your languages skills

What is Linguistics? What is Linguistics?

Study of human languagesStudy of human languages Scientific methodology: observations Scientific methodology: observations

form hypothesis form hypothesis hypothesis testing hypothesis testing theory theory

Objectives: Objectives: Structural linguistics: find patterns Structural linguistics: find patterns

across languages (find what is universal) across languages (find what is universal) Find patterns within the same language Find patterns within the same language

(how do language users utilize language (how do language users utilize language in different circumstances) in different circumstances)

What does Linguistics What does Linguistics study?study?

Theoretical Linguistics: Phonetics, Theoretical Linguistics: Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, Lexicon Semantics, Lexicon

Applied Linguistics: Sociolinguistics, Applied Linguistics: Sociolinguistics, Pragmatics, Psycholinguistics, Pragmatics, Psycholinguistics, Corpus Linguistics, Computational Corpus Linguistics, Computational Linguistics Linguistics

What is language? What is language? adapted from Larsen-Freeman (2003). From Grammar to Grammaringadapted from Larsen-Freeman (2003). From Grammar to Grammaring

Language is a means of cultural Language is a means of cultural transmission transmission

Language is what people use to talk about Language is what people use to talk about the things that are important to them the things that are important to them

Language is a set of sounds (or signs) and Language is a set of sounds (or signs) and sentence patterns that express meanings sentence patterns that express meanings

Language is a set of rules through which Language is a set of rules through which humans can create and understand novel humans can create and understand novel utterances, ones that they have never utterances, ones that they have never before articulated or encountered before articulated or encountered

What is language? What is language?

Language is a means of interaction Language is a means of interaction between and among peoplebetween and among people

Language is the means for doing Language is the means for doing something – accomplishing a purpose, something – accomplishing a purpose, for example, agreeing on a plan of for example, agreeing on a plan of action for handling a conflictaction for handling a conflict

Language is a vehicle for Language is a vehicle for communicating meaning and communicating meaning and messagesmessages

What is language?What is language?

Language is an instrument of Language is an instrument of power power

Language is a medium through Language is a medium through which one can learn other thingswhich one can learn other things

Language is holistic and is Language is holistic and is therefore best understood as it is therefore best understood as it is manifest in discourse or whole manifest in discourse or whole texts texts

What is grammar? What is grammar?

Grammar is used to make sense of Grammar is used to make sense of the world and express meanings the world and express meanings

Grammar does not ONLY have to Grammar does not ONLY have to do with rules do with rules

Grammar changes over timeGrammar changes over time Grammatical knowledge is Grammatical knowledge is

subconscious subconscious

What is grammar? What is grammar?

Prescriptive grammar: (rules from Prescriptive grammar: (rules from the traditional “grammar book”; the traditional “grammar book”; “standard” language; power)“standard” language; power)

Good:Good: She doesn’t speak French. She doesn’t speak French.

Bad:Bad: She don’t speak French. She don’t speak French.

What is grammar? What is grammar?

Descriptive grammar (describe)Descriptive grammar (describe)

GrammaticalGrammatical (depends on dialect, (depends on dialect, style) style)

He doesn’t know; He don’t knowHe doesn’t know; He don’t know

UngrammaticalUngrammatical (regardless of style) (regardless of style)

He not know; He known’t He not know; He known’t

ConclusionConclusion

The way you define language, The way you define language, linguistics and grammar reveals linguistics and grammar reveals your beliefs about language your beliefs about language