corpus—based and corpus—driven studies of collocationideas and methods.ppt

Corpus-based and Corpus-driven Studies of Collocation: ideas and methods Wei Naixing Shanghai Jiaotong University 1 Major Principles of Firthian Linguistics 2 Towards defining collocations3 Corpus based and Corpus-driven  Studies4 Extensions J. R Firth (1890-1960)  Major works include: “Papers in Linguistics 1934-1951”, London: Oxford university Press “A Synopsis of Linguistic Theory 1930-1955.” Oxford: Philological Society. Neo-Firthians: M. Halliday J. Sinclair A. McIntosh P. Strevens etc. Post-Firthian corpus Linguists John Sinclair Michael Stubbs Antoinette Renouf Wolfgang Teubert Elena Tognini-Bonelli Etc. Principles Language is mode of actions, a way of doing things. Linguistics is concerned with the study of meaning; meaning is always contextual; Principles Language should be studied in actual, attested, authentic instances of use, not as intuitive, invented sentences. Linguistic analysis is empirical. Principles There is no boundary between lexis and syntax; lexis and syntax are interdependent. Form and meaning are inseparable. Much language use is routine. Language in use transmits the culture. language is monist and probabilistic 1.1 Language is a mode of action, a way of doing things. Firth: Anti-mentalism As we know so little about mind and as our study is essentially social, I shall cease to respect the duality of mind and body, thought and word, and be satisfied with the whole man, thinking and acting as a whole, in association with his fellows. (1957:19) A comparison: Chomskyan Mentalism linguistics is to account for the ideal language user’s competence of his language, that is, the innate knowledge of linguistic rules. The central object of linguistics is the I Language. 1.2 Linguistics is concerned with the study of meaning; meaning is always contextual Firth: Contextualism The complete meaning of a word is always contextual, and no study of meaning apart from a complete context can be taken seriously. (19