The Study of Language – Part I: Why study it?P. Sebastian

Why study linguistics?

1. It’s what makes us distinctly human.2. The more you know the more effective you are.3. It’s interesting.4. A well-educated person should know something about

language.5. “The study of language is ultimately the study of the mind.”

Aspects of Language Development

• Learn language• Learn through language• Learn about language

Deductive vs. Inductive Approaches

• Rule instruction vs. linguistic investigation

Linguistic Investigation• Eu tenho os livros.• Posso ter os bilhetes por favor?• O gato correu para a casa.• Eu conheci o professor hoje.• Você tem as mochilas?

• What do the words o, a, os, and as mean in Portuguese and what are their functions?

• What determines their usage?

As regras• http://www.learn-portuguese-with-rafa.com/portuguese-defi

nite-articles.html

More investigations!• http://translate.google.com/#en/no/I%20have%20the%20boo

ks.%20%0ACan%20I%20get%20the%20tickets%20please%3F%20%0AThe%20cat%20ran%20to%20the%20house.%20%0AI%20met%20the%20teacher%20today.%20%0ADo%20you%20have%20the%20backpacks%3F

The Human Language

• 3:00-4:25 – Language is made up of rules that we must follow in order to communicate. There are violations of grammar rules that prevent meaning and there are those that simply distort it.

• 9:15-10:20 – Sounds, words, sentences (Language Productivity)• 28:45-30:30 – “Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.”• 30:30-35:00 Universal Grammar, differences and similarities between

languages• In what ways are human languages similar?

• 38:00-39:50 – Grammar of Warlpiri (inflective with suffixes to denote function of words)

• 44:00-45:00 - How effective is language?• What is a spiral?• Draw a picture of “it’s not going to rain”

• 50:00 – Displacement though abstraction (talking about future/past etc.)

The Study of Language – Part II: What it is and what it ain’tP. Sebastian

Why study language – Language Files

• It’s what makes us distinctly human• It is evidence of our thoughts, ideas, and feelings• It reflects identity• Design tools for language instruction, design computers that

can interact with humans using language, and treat people with language disorders

Some important concepts

• Linguistic competence vs. Linguistic performance• The speech communication chain p. 7• Are there other models of speech communication?• Try talking to each other at the same time.

What you know when you know a language

• Phonetic system• Sounds production

• Phonological system• Possible sound combinations• Pterodactyl, fsap, libg• Spaff, blig, splunch• Word endings

• Morphological system• Word parts

• Syntactical system• I will pick the package up at eight o’clock.• Package up pick at o’clock will the eight I.

• Semantic system• Pragmatic system

What you don’t (necessarily) know when you know a language

• How to write• Grammar (prescriptive)• Linguistics vs. applied linguistics

• How do prescriptive rules that do not describe natural language use survive?

Descriptive vs. Prescriptive

Descriptive and Prescriptive Rules

• Handouts & 3 groups: come up with some descriptive rules for the grammar in the text provided.

Prescriptive grammar• Advantages• Efficient for large

amounts of information or information too complex to discover on your own

• Allows for cognitive application (processing)

• Good for learners who don’t have exposure to context

• Provides a standard reference point

• Limitations• Less authentic• Detached from

culture• *(different between

L1 and L2 acquisition)• Doesn’t improve

fluency in language• Not as powerful,

lessons are not retained as long

Descriptive grammar• Advantages• *See previous slide and

think backwards• Allows learner to follow

personal interests/curiosities• Motivating/exciting/

interesting

• Removes stigmas biases• Allows learner to create

their own context• Using comparisons and

contrasts

• Flexible to pace of learner

• Limitations• Onerous (time-

consuming and such)• Lacks clear structure• Often complex• Requires more prep• Assessment is a beast

• Norm-referencing is complicated

What is Language?

•“Knowing how, when and why to say what to whom.” • Standards for Foreign Language Learning

• Which linguistic areas do associate with each part of this sentence?

The Study of Language – Part III: Design FeaturesP. Sebastian

9 Ideas About Language-H. Daniels1. Children learn their native language swiftly, efficiently, and largely

without instruction2. Language operates by rules3. All languages have three major components: a sound system, a

vocabulary, and a system of grammar4. Everyone speaks a dialect (a variety of a particular language which has a certain set of

lexical, phonological, and grammatical rules that distinguishes it from other dialects)

5. Speakers of all languages employ a range of styles and a set of subdialectes or jargons

6. Language change is normal (simplification and regularization p 29)7. Languages are intimately related to the societies and individuals

who use them (language and culture p. 31)8. Value judgments about different languages or dialects are matters

of taste9. Writing is derivative of speech (fish = ghoti p. 34)

Natural vs. Constructed Language• “The distinction between constructed languages and natural

languages is that constructed languages are not the sort of system that a child can acquire naturally.”

Hockett’s Design Features of Language• Some guy on Youtube• Wikipedia• Features unique to

human language:• Discreteness

• Moveable parts• Displacement

• Talking about things not present

• Productivity• Moving the moveable

parts to create novel utterances

Arbitrary or Iconic?

The Onomatopoeia• Animal sounds in other languages

Discussion Questions and other Activities• #25 on p. 33• Act. 26