新编语言学教程第一章 chapter1.pptVIP

6) Functionalism vs Formalism功能主义 vs 形式主义 Functionalism or functional linguistics refers to the study of the forms of language in reference to their social function in communication. Functionalism is an approach which is concerned with language as an instrument of social interaction rather than as a system that is viewed in isolation. Formalism or formal linguistics is the study of the abstract forms of language and their internal relations. Thank You ! Animal communication is normally under “immediate stimulus control”(直接刺激控制). For instance, a warning cry of a bird instantly announces danger. Human language is stimulus-free. What we are talking about need not be triggered by any external stimulus in the world or any internal state. Displacement benefits human beings by giving us the power to handle generalizations and abstractions. Once we can talk about physically distant thing, we acquire the ability to understand concepts which denote “non-things”, such as truth and beauty. (6) Specialization—It refers to the fact that man does not have a total physical involvement in the act of communication. We use language in a detached manner. We can talk about an exciting experience while engaged in activities completely detached from the subject under discussion. Eg: A man can discuss a football game with his friend while driving a car. (7) Cultural Transmission—It means that language is not genetically passed down from one generation to another. Rather, language has to be learned. A Chinese speaker and an English speaker are not mutually intelligible. This shows that language is culturally transmitted. That is, it is pass on from one generation to the next by teaching and learning, rather than by instinct. The story of a wolf child, a pig child shows that a human being brought up in isolation simply does not acquire human language. 2005 39. Which of the following is NOT a distinctive feature of human language? A. Arbitrariness. B. Productivity