语言学一至三章重点.doc

Chapter 1 Invitations to linguistics 1.1 What is language? Language is a means of verbal communication. Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication. 1.2 What are the design features of language? The features that refer to the defining properties of human language that distinguish it from any animal system of communication can be called design features. 1] Arbitrariness The forms of linguistic signs bear no natural relationship to their meaning. There are different levels of arbitrariness. 2] Duality a By duality is meant the property of having two levels of structure that units of the primary level are composed of elements of the secondary level and each of the two levels has its own principles of organization. We call sounds here primary units as opposed to such secondary units as words, since the primary units are meaningless and the secondary units have distinct and identifiable meaning. 3] Creativity Creativity refers to the ability to construct and understand an indefinitely large number of sentences in one’s native language. By creativity we mean language is resourceful because of its duality and its recursiveness. 4] Displacement Displacement means that human languages enable their users to symbolize objects, events and concepts which are not present at the moment of communication. 1.3 What are the functions of language? 1] Informative function It is also called ideational function in the framework of functional grammar. Language serves for the expression of content: that is, of the speaker’s experience of the real world, including the inner world of his own consciousness. 2] Interpersonal function By far the most important sociological use of language is the interpersonal function, by which people establish and maintain their status in a society. 3] Performative function The perfomative function of language is primarily to change the social status of persons. 4] Emotive function It is so crucial in changing the emotion