Unit 1: The study of language

Introduction to linguistics

Capacity for language

Unless a human being was born with a physical or mental disability, he or she will be born with the capacity for language: the innate ability to speak a language.

This capacity does not involved any kind of learning and occur in predictable stages.

Study of language

The study of language is conducted within the field of linguistics.

Linguists (primary interest)

Linguists’ primary interest is the scientific study of language.

A linguists studies the structure of language: how speakers create meaning through combinations of sounds, words and sentences that ultimately result in texts.

Linguistics (subject matter)

Linguists examine their subject matter (language) objectively. They are not interested in evaluating “good” versus “bad” uses of language.

Linguistics (subject matter - importance)

This is an important point because much of what is written or said about language is highly evaluative.

Linguists (goal)

It is important to distinguish the goal of the linguist (describing language) from the goal of the teacher or writer (prescribing English usage, telling people how they should or should not speak or write)

Language as part of a semiotic system

Semiotic systems are systems of communication, and language is a system of communication.

Language

Like any other system, language has structure, including modes and conventions.

Modes of language

Speech, writing and signs, in which language is transmitted.

Conventions

(Both linguistic and social) for how sounds, words, sentences and texts are structured.

Communication systems

The study of communication systems has its origin in semiotics, a field of inquiry that originated in the work of Ferdinand de Saussure.

Signs (definition)

According to Saussure, meaning in semiotic systems is expressed by signs.

Signs (parts)

Signs have a particular form, called SIGNIFIER, and some meaning, called SIGNIFIED.

Signs (example)

In English, the word table would have two different signifiers.

In speech, it would take the form of a series of phonemes.

In writing, it would be spelled with a series of graphemes or letters T-A-B-L-E.

Signifier and signified

Signifiers are associated with the signified.

Upon hearing or reading the word table, a speaker of English will associate the word with the meaning that it has (its signified)

Semiotic systems (characteristics)

Although semiotic systems are discrete, they often reinforce one another, such as language and gestures.