1. Intro. Linguistics 2011-12 Lecture 1 Introduction

1.Intro.Linguistics2011-12Lecture1IntroductionThisisatrailerforSemester2!Whoarewe?MargaretGillonDowensLecturerinAppliedLinguisticsSeniorTutorforUndergraduateStudentsRoom-ABBuilding429Margaret.Dowens@nottingham.edu.cnTel:008657488180515JiajiaXuSeminarTutorWhathappensinthismodule?Modulespecification2hourweeklysessionsfor2semesterseachsessioncomprisinga1-hour(interactive)lectureand1-hourseminarwithfurtherindividualconsultationsandself-directedstudy.Theseminarseachweekdealwiththecontentoftheweek’slectureandarebothteacher-andstudent-led.Someoftheseminarswillinvolvestudentspresentingresearchpapersandotherrelevantinformation.AssessmentdetailsOne2-hourexaminationexamination(50%);attheendofsemesterI;one2000wordwrittenassignment(50%)attheendofsemester2.AimsThisintroductorymoduleallowsstudentstogainabroadandbasicunderstandingofLinguisticsasanacademicdiscipline.ItisdesignedtoequipstudentsforfurtherstudiesinthefieldofLinguisticsasawhole,andtodevelopindividualspecialismsinthefuture.Ideally,studentsshouldbewellpreparedtobecomemorespecialisedinanyoftheareascovered,andtakeinitialinterestsfurther.Attheendofthismodule,studentsshouldbeabletodefinethediscipline,andthemainpre-occupationsofitssub-fields.Studentswillbeexpectedtohavedevelopedanunderstandingoflinguisticcontrasts,fromthephonologicaltothepragmaticlevel,andofthetypesofanalysesopentostudentsofthosefields.LearningOutcomesKnowledgeandunderstanding:AnabilitytodefinecoreprinciplesandprioritiesinthestudyofLinguisticsasawhole,andinitssub-fields.Intellectualskills:Anabilitytodistinguishrelevant,i.e.meaningful,fromirrelevantaspectsoflanguageandlinguisticanalysis.Additionalabilitiestoengagewithlinguisticenquiry,reflectionanddebate,tothinkcriticallyforthemselves,askquestionsandsolveproblems.Professionalpracticalskills:Anabilitytoanalysesimpleinstancesoflinguisticdataaccordingtobasicphonological,morphological,syntactic,semantic,pragmatic,social,historicalandvariationalprinciples.Transferable(key)skillsCommunicateeffectivelyinwritinganddiscussionRetrieveinformationfromarangeofwrittenandelectronicsourcesandpresenttheresultsprofessionallyReflectuponandassessyourownprogress,strengthsandweaknesses.ReadingListFinegan,E.2008Language:itsstructureanduse.BostonMA:ThomsonWadsworthRecommendedreading:IntroductiontoLinguisticsChapman,S.(2006):ThinkingAboutLanguage.TheoriesofEnglish.Palgrave.Davies,A.(2007):AnIntroductiontoAppliedLinguistics:FromPracticetoTheory.(SecondEdition).EdinburghUniversityPress.Nunnan,D.(2007):WhatisThisThingCalledLanguage?Palgrave.Trask,R.L.(2008):Language:TheBasics.(ThirdEdition).Routledge.Trudgill,P.(2000):Sociolinguistics:AnIntroductiontoLanguageandSociety.(FourthEdition).Penguin.Pinker,S.TheLanguageInstinct(1995,2007)Perennial(HarperCollins)IntroductiontoLinguisticsModuleSpecificationThismoduleintroducesstudentstothecoreareasofLinguistics:PhoneticsandPhonology:thestudyofthesoundsofEnglish,andhowtheycontributetomeaningfullinguisticdistinctions.Morphologyandthestructureofwords:thestudyoflexicalcategories,suchasverbs,nouns,etc.,andtheirorganisationintomorphemes,thatis,thesmallestmeaning-bearinglinguisticentities.Syntax:thestudyoftheorganisationofwordsintosentences,andtherulesthatgovernthisorganisation.Semantics:thestudyofwordandsentencemeaning.Pragmatics:thestudyoftherelationshipsbetweenexpressionsandtheircontextofuse.?Historicallinguistics:thestudyof.theoriginsanddevelopmentoflanguage(s)/languagechange?ConversationanalysisthestudyoflanguageasatoolforsocialinteractionLanguagevariation:thestudyofvaryingregional,socialandsituationalusesoflanguageLanguageacquisition:thestudyoflearningfirstandsecondlanguagesWhendoesithappen?COURSEPROGRAMME Semester1Semester21.Courseoverviewandintroduction.2.Originsoflanguage/Developmentofwriting3.Animalsandhumanlanguage4.SoundsofLanguage(Phonetics)5.Soundpatterns(Phonology)6.Wordsandwordformation(lexis)7.Morphology8.Phrasesandsentences:grammar/syntax8.Semantics9.Pragmatics10.DiscourseAnalysis11.Revision1.D.A./LanguageandtheBrain2.LanguageandtheBrain23.FirstLanguageAcquisition4.SecondLanguageAcquisition5.Gesturesandsignlanguages6.LanguageHistoryandChange?7.Languageandregionalvariation8.Languageandsocialvariation9.Languageandculture?*ProbablynotexammaterialCalendarandTimetableCalendarTimetableSeptember6thIntroductionSeptember13thReadingweekSeptember20th,27thClassesOctober4th.HolidayOctober11th,18th,25th.November1st,8th,15th,22ndDecember6thClassesTuesday2-3(Lecture)Tuesday3-4(Seminar)20classes+???Hoursofwork. INTRODUCTIONTOLINGUISTICSWhatdolinguistsdo?Whatislanguage?WHATDOLINGUISTSDO?Theydon’tnecessarilylearnlanguagesLinguistcanbeanambiguoustermTheyareofteninterestedinthestructureoflanguages.Theymightspecializeinonelanguage,oragroupoflanguagescomparedifferentlanguagesstudyfeaturessharedbyalllanguagesSomelinguistsstudyspeechsounds,othersstudywordconstruction,grammar,word/sentencemeaning,meaning-in-context,etc.Whatarethesefieldscalled?LINGUISTICSINTHEREALWORLDSpeechdisordersLanguageproblemsafteraccidentorillnessLearningdisordersForensic(legal)linguisticsAccentdetectionStyleverification(egpolicestyle)LanguageteachingComputationalapplicationsMachinetranslationSpeechrecognitionandsynthesisLanguageidentificationALSO…Languagepolicyandpoliticsintheglobalvillage.COMMUNICATIONDEFININGCHARACTERISTICSOF:BananasDogsElephantsGarbageLanguageTheimportanceofterminologyandmetalanguageANIMALCOMMUNICATIONVSHUMANLANGUAGESpeakingWritingSigningDisplacementandProductivity(amongothers)RIGHTORWRONGLANGUAGEUSE?DescriptiveLinguisticsPrescriptiveLinguisticsPure,correct,original,true,best,finest“TheQueen’sEnglish”,RPetc.AcademiaNacionaldelaLengua,AcadémieFrançaise,etc.KingCanuteholdingbackthetide!!China-IsPutonghua“morecorrect”?PROFESSIONALLINGUISTS.Standardvarieties-languageneeds(Un)grammaticalityNovaluejudgementsMultiplicityofviewsLanguagedifferences.LanguageUniversals?TheOriginsofLanguage.Whenandwheredidorallanguagedevelop?Whenandwheredidwrittenlanguagedevelop?Howdoweknow?WheredoYOUthinklanguagecamefrom?Nextweek–readingweek.ReadChapters1and2ofthetextbook.EditorialReviewsFromPublishersWeeklyAthree-year-oldtoddleris"agrammaticalgenius"--masterofmostconstructions,obeyingadultrulesoflanguage.ToPinker,aMassachusettsInstituteofTechnologypsycholinguist,theexplanationforthismiracleisthatlanguageisaninstinct,anevolutionaryadaptationthatispartly"hard-wired"intothebrainandpartlylearned.Inthisexcitingsynthesis--anentertaining,totallyaccessiblestudythatwillregalelanguageloversandchallengeprofessionalsinmanydisciplines--Pinkerbuildsabridgebetween"innatists"likeMITlinguistNoamChomsky,whoholdthatinfantsarebiologicallyprogrammedforlanguage,and"socialinteractionists"whocontendthattheyacquireitlargelyfromtheenvironment.IfPinkerisright,theoriginsoflanguagegomuchfurtherbackthan30,000yearsago(thedatemostcommonlygivenintextbooks)--perhapstoHomohabilis,wholived2.5millionyearsago,oreveneonsearlier.Pepperedwithmind-stretchinglanguageexercises,thenarrativefirstunravelshowbabieslearntotalkandhowpeoplemakesenseofspeech.Professorandco-directorofMIT'sCenterforCognitiveScience,Pinkerdemolisheslinguisticdeterminism,whichholdsthatdifferencesamonglanguagescausemarkeddifferencesinthethoughtsoftheirspeakers.Hethenfollowsneurolinguistsintheirquestforlanguagecentersinthebrainandforgenesthatmighthelpbuildbraincircuitscontrollinggrammarandspeech.Pinkeralsoarguesthatclaimsforchimpanzees'acquisitionoflanguage(viasymbolsorAmericanSignLanguage)arevastlyexaggeratedandrestonskimpydata.Finally,hetakesdelightfulswipesat"languagemavens"likeWilliamSafireandRichardLederer,accusingthemofrigidityandofgrosslyunderestimatingtheaverageperson'slanguageskills.Pinker'sbookisabeautifulhymntotheinfinitecreativepotentialoflanguage.