语言学概论讲课稿版.ppt

Section A Mini-lecture Paralinguistic features of languages Good morning, everyone. Today well continue our discussion on describing language. Last week we examined such features of language as grammar, vocabulary, the sounds of language, etc. In this lecture, well look at another important aspect of language. Perhaps some of you may wonder what is this important aspect of language. Let me tell you. It refers to features of communication that takes place without the use of grammar and The second is breathiness. This is to show deep emotion. The third is huskiness (嗓子哑的), which is to show unimportants. The fourth is nasality. This is to indicate anxiety. The last is extra lip-rounding, which expresses greater intimacy, expecially with babies, for example. So we can see that there are a number of ways of altering our tone of voice. And when we do this consciously, we do it to create different effects in communication. …… Proofreading Error Correction So far as we can tell, all human languages are equally complete and perfect as instruments of communication: that is, every language appears to be as well equipped as any other to say the things its speakers want to say. It may or may not be appropriate to talk about primitive peoples or cultures, but that is another matter. Certainly, not all groups of people are equally competent in nuclear physics or psychology or the cultivation of rice or the engraving (版画/雕版印刷品) of Benares (贝拿勒斯) brass.But this is not the fault of their language. The Eskimos can speak about snow with a great deal more precision and subtlety than we can in English, but this is not because the Eskimo language (one of those sometimes miscalled ‘primitive’) is inherently more precise and subtle than English. This example does not bring to light a defect in English, a show of unexpected ‘primitiveness’. The position is simply and obviously that the Eskimos and the English live in different environments. The English la