LI 2013 NATHALIE F. MARTIN

INTRODUCTIONTO LINGUISTICS

LANGUAGE: AN INTRODUCTION

(chap. 1, O’Grady)

What you should know:

How humans are made to speak What is language Linguistic competence vs.

performance Descriptive vs. Prescriptive approach

to language Grammar:

Generality, parity, universality, mutability, inaccessibility

LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION

Fill in the Blanks

Communication Process (Jakobson)

COMMUNICATION – Discussion

WHO/WHAT CAN COMMUNICATE?

WHAT DOES ONE (HUMAN OR NON HUMAN) NEED TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE?

WHAT IS LANGUAGE?

DO ANIMALS HAVE LANGUAGE ABILITIES?

Communication

Communication is a behaviour, or the transmission of information, that affects the behaviour of others.

When a living organism (or machine) communicates it sends messages about itself or its environment.

The message is placed into a code.

Humans have a highly elaborate code called language.

Language, Dialect, Pidgin or Creole?

1. Language:

2. Dialect:

3. Variety:

4. Pidgin:

5. Creole:

a. intergroup communication

b. characterized by it’s own phonological, syntactic, or lexical properties

c. A code or system used by consensus.

d. native language deroved from a pidgin.

e. A regional or social variety of a language.

Dialect: A regional or social variety of a language

characterized by it’s own phonological, syntactic, or lexical properties.

We will use the term « Variety » in this class instead of speaking of dialects.

DIALECTS - Define

PIDGIN - Define

Pidgin: A variety that emerges when speakers of a different language are brought together in a stable situation requiring intergroup communication; it has no native speakers and generally is considered to have a reduced grammatical system.Ex: Blood Diamond (Leonardo Dicaprio)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP5ILgKxapI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04QTfxGMe_Y

CREOLE - Define

Creole:

A variety that arises as the native language of the children of members of a pidgin speech community.

Language, Dialect, Pidgin or Creole?

1. Language:

2. Dialect:

3. Variety:

4. Pidgin:

5. Creole:

a. Trade language

b. Chiac

c. Swahili

d. Hatian

e. African American Vernacular English

GRAMMAR

EXPLAIN A LINGUISTS’ VIEW OF LANGUAGE AND GRAMMAR.

Language According to Linguists - Discussion

Linguistic Performance:

How you use How you use this knowledge in actual speech production and comprehension.

Linguistic Competence:

What you know What you know about a language.

Linguistic Competence Vs Performance Contemporar

y Linguistics Analysis: p. 5.

Prescriptive or Descriptive Grammar

1. In Chiac French, the borrowed English verb is always conjugated as an “er” French verb.

2. In French negative sentences, we should always have “ne” + the verb + “pas” (ex: Elle ne veut pas)

3. In African American Vernacular English, some speakers pronounce the final sound of “sing” as an “n”.

4. Never say “ain’t”

a. DESC.

b. PRESC

c. DESC.

d. PRESC.

Prescriptive vs. Descriptive Grammar

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRESCRIPTIVE GRAMMAR AND DESCRIPTIVE GRAMMAR?

GENERALITY: ALL LANGUAGES HAVE A GRAMMAR PARITY: ALL GRAMMARS ARE EQUAL UNIVERSALITY: GRAMMARS ARE ALIKE IN BASIC WAYS MUTABILITY: GRAMMARS CHANGE OVER TIME INACCESSIBILITY: GRAMMATICAL KNOWLEDGE IS SUBCONSCIOUS

GRAMMAR PRINCIPLES

Reference: Chapter 1 (O’Grady & Archibald)

The Truth About Grammar

Name all five characteristics of grammar according to linguists.

Generality: All languages have a grammarParity: All grammars are equalUniversality: Grammars are alike in basic

waysMutability: Grammars change over timeInaccessibility: Grammatical knowledge is

subconscious

Contemporary Linguistics Analysis: p. 5.

Associate

Generality:

Parity:

Universality:

Mutability:

Inaccessibility:

Contemporary Linguistics Analysis: p. 5.

• Grammars change over time.

• All grammars are equal.• All languages have a

grammar.• Grammatical knowledge is

subconscious.• Grammars are alike in

basic ways.

Define each

Generality: All languages have a grammar

Parity: All grammars are equal

Universality: Grammars are alike in basic ways

Mutability: Grammars change over time

Inaccessibility: Grammatical knowledge is subconscious

Contemporary Linguistics Analysis: p. 5.

FIELDS OF LINGUISTICS

(handout and Powerpoint)

What you should know:

Linguistics Fields of linguistics (handout

and in class) Descriptive linguistics Applied linguistics

FIELDS OF LINGUISTICS

THEORETICAL THEORETICAL LINGUISTICSLINGUISTICS

APPLIED LINGUISTICS

FIELDS OF LINGUISTICS

THEORETICAL THEORETICAL LINGUISTICSLINGUISTICS

b) Morphologyd) Phonology e) Pragmatics g) Semantics i) Syntax 

APPLIED LINGUISTICS

a) Computational linguisticsc) Neurolinguisticsf) Psycholinguisticsh) Sociolinguistics

PHONETICS: A Brief Introduction

(Handout and Powerpoint)

What you should know:

Sounds of English Consonants, vowels & glides

IPA symbols general Consonants

Phonetic Practice

1. Read these words phonetically and write them out using conventional English spelling.

[mit]

[ ʃuz]

[skul] [mjuzɪk]

MEATSHOESSCHOOLMUSIC

Phonetic Practice

2. Fill in the missing symbols.Cartoons = [ _ ɑ _ _ u _ _ ]Singing = [ _ ɪ _ ɪ _ ]English = [ɪ_ _ _ ɪ_]Cheese = [_ _ _ _ ]

[ k ɑ r t u n z ]

[ s ɪ ŋ ɪ ŋ ]

[ ɪ ŋ g l ɪ ʃ ]

[ t ʃ i z ]

IPA Consonants Examples

IPA Vowels (examples)

IPA Vowels (Diphthongs)

IPA Glides (examples)