英语专业 语言学 复习资料.docVIP

What is language? Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication. Design features of language ①Arbitrariness任意性: The property of language by which there is in general no natural (i.e. logical) relation between the form of a single lexical unit and its meaning. ②Duality二重性Language consists of two levels of structures. The lower (secondary) level is a definite set of meaningless sounds, which combine to form meaningful units which constitute a higher (primary) level. ③Creativity创造性 Language is creative in the sense that its users can understand and produce sentences they have never heard before. ④Displacement移位性 By displacement is meant that language can be used to refer to things that are not present (in time and space) at the moment of communication. Functions of language ①Informative信息功能 Language serves an informative function when it is used to express the speaker’s opinion, to state a fact, or to reason things out. ②Interpersonal function人际功能 Language serves to establish and maintain social relations between people. ③Performative行事功能 Language can be used to do things, to perform action. e.g. “I surrender.” “I’ll do it tonight.” “I declare the meeting open.” “ I sentence you to three years in prison.” ④Emotive function感情功能 The use of language to reveal the feelings and attitudes of the speaker. e.g. “Ouch!”, “I’m terribly sorry about… ” (alternatively called expressive function) ⑤Phatic communion寒暄交谈 The use of language to establish or maintain a comfortable social contact between people without involving any factual content. E.g. greetings, farewells, and talking about the weather. ⑥Recreational function娱乐功能 The use of language for the sheer joy of using it. E.g. singing, poetry writing. ⑦Metalingual function元语言功能 The use of language to make statements about language itself. The language about which they are made is called the object language. What is linguistics? The scientific study of language. Microlinguistics ①Ph