Running head: INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS 1
Introduction to Linguistics
Summary
Name
Institution
Course
Tutor
Date
,INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS 2
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS LANGUAGE ?
What is language?
„we’re all familiar with at least one language, our own“
branches:
universal grammar - specific grammar of all human languages
differences between languages (limited)
parts of all grammars are interrelated
grammar of a specific language
finite set of rules to produce and understand an infinite set of possible
sentences
rules: sound system (phonology and phonetics), structure of words
(morphology), combination of words into sentences (syntax), relation
between sound and meaning (semantics), the words themselves (lexicon)
first and second language acquisition
language acquisition = rule-governed activity which cannot be reduced to
simple behaviorism
language faculty and innateness hypothesis
poverty of the stimulus
,INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS 3
language is investigated in several different contexts:
spoken / written English
words, lexical categories (noun,verb,adjective,…)
national languages —> monolingualism, bilingualism, multilingualism
regional varieties (BE vs. AE)
social varieties
functional varieties
language is…
… a complex system of communication
… intuitive & systematic
… instinctual, different „babbling“ of babies, language developes because of
instinct
…a system of sings and linguistic behaviour (governed by abstract principles and
rules)
intuitive and systematic:
sounds [r] [s] [t] [u] exist in english, different combinations theoretically possible:
rust, rsut,urts, utrs, stru, tsru
—> RUST sounds more english than RSUT
language instinct:
= capacity to learn language deeply ingrained in humans
many humans can live without learning to read or to write
, INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS 4
—> but they can all produce and understand using language
language = system of signs and linguistic behavior
but: governed by abstract principles and ruleschildren can acquire linguistic
principles that don’t appear on the surface within a short amount of time —>
Innanteness hypothesis by Noam Chomsky
language and intelligence
- seems to be independent of intelligence (apes intelligent but cannot learn
language)
- no significant difference in language competence between low-intelligent
and high-intelligent people
- children: ability to form abstract grammarsadults: encounter challenges when
learning a new language
although adults are more intelligent, brain loses flexibility
fundamentals of language are innate, rather than acquired through learning
The Wug Test
= investigation of English inflections and common morphemes
outcome: young children already have internalized systematic aspects of the
linguistic system that enable them to produce plurals, past tenses, possesives of
words they never heard before
learning by not being explicitly taught, not memorizing, proof: nonsense words
creative construction:
Introduction to Linguistics
Summary
Name
Institution
Course
Tutor
Date
,INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS 2
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS LANGUAGE ?
What is language?
„we’re all familiar with at least one language, our own“
branches:
universal grammar - specific grammar of all human languages
differences between languages (limited)
parts of all grammars are interrelated
grammar of a specific language
finite set of rules to produce and understand an infinite set of possible
sentences
rules: sound system (phonology and phonetics), structure of words
(morphology), combination of words into sentences (syntax), relation
between sound and meaning (semantics), the words themselves (lexicon)
first and second language acquisition
language acquisition = rule-governed activity which cannot be reduced to
simple behaviorism
language faculty and innateness hypothesis
poverty of the stimulus
,INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS 3
language is investigated in several different contexts:
spoken / written English
words, lexical categories (noun,verb,adjective,…)
national languages —> monolingualism, bilingualism, multilingualism
regional varieties (BE vs. AE)
social varieties
functional varieties
language is…
… a complex system of communication
… intuitive & systematic
… instinctual, different „babbling“ of babies, language developes because of
instinct
…a system of sings and linguistic behaviour (governed by abstract principles and
rules)
intuitive and systematic:
sounds [r] [s] [t] [u] exist in english, different combinations theoretically possible:
rust, rsut,urts, utrs, stru, tsru
—> RUST sounds more english than RSUT
language instinct:
= capacity to learn language deeply ingrained in humans
many humans can live without learning to read or to write
, INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS 4
—> but they can all produce and understand using language
language = system of signs and linguistic behavior
but: governed by abstract principles and ruleschildren can acquire linguistic
principles that don’t appear on the surface within a short amount of time —>
Innanteness hypothesis by Noam Chomsky
language and intelligence
- seems to be independent of intelligence (apes intelligent but cannot learn
language)
- no significant difference in language competence between low-intelligent
and high-intelligent people
- children: ability to form abstract grammarsadults: encounter challenges when
learning a new language
although adults are more intelligent, brain loses flexibility
fundamentals of language are innate, rather than acquired through learning
The Wug Test
= investigation of English inflections and common morphemes
outcome: young children already have internalized systematic aspects of the
linguistic system that enable them to produce plurals, past tenses, possesives of
words they never heard before
learning by not being explicitly taught, not memorizing, proof: nonsense words
creative construction:
