Chap和ter One --3-2012.pptVIP

Chapter One –3 Important Concepts Lectured by Liu Donglou February 28/9, 2012 Overview Review Some pairs of Concepts -- Descriptive vs. prescriptive --Synchronic vs. diachronic --Langue parole --Competence and performance Review Scientific/human language Core branches Macro-linguistics Four principles  of linguistic studies Exhaustiveness/adequacy Consistency Economy Objectivity Main branches of linguistics Phonetics Phonology Morphology Syntax Semantics Pragmatics Macrolinguistics 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. Psycholinguistics It 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. Sociolinguistics An umbrella term which covers a variety of different interests in language and society, including the social functions of language and the social characteristics of its users. Sociolinguistics is the study of the characteristics of language varieties, the characteristics of their functions, and the characteristics of their speakers as these three constantly interact and change within a speech community. Anthropological linguistics The two disciplines became closely associated in the early days of anthropological fieldwork when anthropologists enlisted the help of linguists to study unwritten languages. In contrast with other linguists, then, anthropological linguists are interested primarily in the history and structure of formerly unwritten languages. Because an unwritten language must be heard in order to be studied, it does