现代语言学理论和流派.pptVIP

Modern Linguistic Theories and Schools 1. Introduction Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure—”father of modern linguistics” “Course in General Linguistics” in 1916 marked the beginning of modern linguistics. Major contributions made by Saussure: ① Language is a system of signs. The linguistic unit is a sign. The sign is the union of a form (sound image) and an idea (concept). E.g. “chalk” signifier: signified: the object it refers to The bond between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary. ② He made a distinction between langue and parole. Questions: What is langue? What is parole? What are their differences? An utterance is a unit of parole. A sentence is a unit of langue. Two utterances can be the realization of the same sentence. ③ Another great contribution made by him to general linguistics is the distinction between synchronic studies and diachronic studies. Language exists in time and changes through time. 2. The Prague School 布拉格学派 1926, 1st meeting of Circle of Linguistics of Prague. Its most important contribution to linguistics is that it sees language in terms of FUNCTION. Three points are of special importance of the many ideas developed in Prague School: ① It was stressed that the synchronic study of language is fully justified. ② emphasis on the systemic character of language. ③ Language is looked on as functional, as a tool performing a number of essential functions or tasks for the community using it. The Prague School is best known and remembered for its contribution to phonology and the distinction between phonetics and phonology. FSP→Functional Sentence Perspective功能句子观 It is a theory of linguistic analysis which refers to an analysis of utterances (or texts) in terms of the information they contain (to describe how information is distributed in sentences). A sentence contains a point of departure and a THEME主位 goal of discourse. RHEME