(精选)英语语言学A New Concise Course in Linguistics for Students of English课件.pptVIP

A New Concise Course in Linguistics for Students of English;Course Introduction;Course evaluation;Course Contents: an overview; The languages of the world The origin of language The definition of language The defining features of language The function of language ;Discussion;The languages of the world;Some interesting ideas about language;Some interesting ideas about language;Some myths about language ;There are over 100 language families in the world. Top ten are as follows: 1. The Indo-European Family 印欧语系 2. The Uralic Family 乌拉尔语系 3. The Altaic Family 阿尔泰语系 4. The Sino-Tibetan Family 汉藏语系 5. The Malayo-Polynesian Family 南岛语系（马来·波里尼西亚语系） 6. The Afro-Asiatic Family 亚非语系（闪含语系） 7. The Caucasian Family 高加索语系 8. The Dravidian Family 达罗毗荼语系 9. Austro-Asiatic Family 南亚语系 10. Niger-Congo Family 尼日尔·刚果语系 ;The origin of language;The invention theory;The Evolutionary Theory ;Definition of language;Jack et al.(1985) in Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics define language as the system of human communication by means of a structured arrangement of sounds (or their written representation) to form larger units, e.g. morphemes, words, sentences. ;Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication(p.7).;System: elements of language are combined according to rules(p.7). Arbitrary: there is no intrinsic connection between a linguistic symbol and what the symbol stands for(p.7 last line). Vocal: because the primary medium for all languages is sound(p.8, para.2). Human: language is human specific, different from animals’ communication systems, such as birds songs, bee dances, and so on(p 8, para. 3). ;Language is Systematic ;Language is Symbolic ;Arbitrariness  We say language is a symbolic system in the sense that there is no or little connection between the sounds that people use and the objects to which these sounds refer. Words are associated with objects, actions and ideas by social convention. For example: the Chines