Introduction to English studies

Page 1

• Presenter: Mgr. Gregor Vnucko, PhD

• Contact: gvnucko@ukf.sk

• Topic: An Introduction to English Studies

Page 2

• Linguistics: The scientific study of all forms of language manifestations.

• Applied Linguistics: Application of linguistic theory to practical issues (e.g., language teaching, translation, speech therapy).

Page 3

• Convention: General acceptance within a speech community.

  • Society uses the same language conventions.

  • Linguistic sign: A chain of sounds resulting in an acoustic realization of a notion (Ferdinand de Saussure, 20th century).

Page 4

• Linguistic Sign: Dual nature.

  • Notion: Non-linguistic world concept.

  • Phonetic realization as language phenomenon.

  • Example of phonetic variation across languages: dog (English), Hund (German), chien (French), sobaka (Russian), kutya (Hungarian), perro (Spanish), cachorro (Portuguese), pes (Slovak).

Page 5

• Speech Community: A group where linguistic signs are arranged in a grammatical system as conventions.

• Unique capacity of humans to create systems out of signs.

Page 6

• Language: Basic means of human communication.

  • Most widely used and convenient means.

  • Concept of Homo loquens: humans as speaking beings.

Page 7

• Language Families: Over 4000 languages classified into several families.

  • Range of 2 to 100+ related languages.

  • Languages have diverged from ancestral tongues (protolanguages).

Page 8 - 9

• Language Families: More than 4000 languages are spoken worldwide, categorized into diverse families arising from protolanguages.

Page 10

• Basic English (Backronym): Created by Charles Kay Ogden in 1927.

  • A simplified form of English language for international communication and language teaching.

  • Vocabulary: 850 words including 600 nouns, 150 adjectives, and 100 operators.

Page 11-12

• Backronyms: Acronyms formed from existing words.

  • Examples of backronyms:

    • Seasonal Affective Disorder: SAD

    • Mothers Against Drunk Driving: MADD

    • News: Notable events, weather, sports

    • Save Our Souls/Ship: SOS

Page 13

• Grammar of Basic English: Minimal grammatical rules necessary for clear communication and everyday existence.

  • Examples include plural forms, comparative/superlative forms, and certain syntactical structures.

Page 14-15

• Extended Core Vocabulary: Additional 300 words for various fields (trade, science) and 350 international words.

  • Understanding relationships between words (collocations) and their meanings (semantics) is crucial for language learning.

Page 16-17

• Compound Words: Two words combined to form a single concept; compounds may have meanings different from their individual parts.

  • Examples include: Toothbrush, sunflower (Noun stem + Noun stem), blue jay (Adjective stem + Noun stem).

Page 18

• Idioms: Phrases whose collective meaning differs from individual words; examples include:

  • "to give someone the green light"

  • "to kick the bucket"

  • "a hard/tough nut to crack"

Page 19

• Idiomatic Pairs: Common phrases with specific forms, e.g.

  • Spick and span (adjectives)

  • Ifs and buts (nouns)

  • Do or die (verbs)

Page 20

• Types of Speech:

  • Literary Standard: Formal language used by educated individuals.

  • Colloquial Standard: Informal language used by educated speakers in relaxed contexts.

Page 21

• Standard Types of Colloquial Speech: Regional variations exist among educated speakers; examples include different forms in UK, USA, and Australia.

Page 22

• Provincial Standard: Speech showing minor phonetic and lexical variations.

• Substandard: Speech deemed uneducated or from lower classes.

• Local Dialect: Unique to small areas, often difficult to understand outside their region.

Page 23-24

• Slang: Non-standard language often used to be informal or exclusive. Specific phrases may carry cultural meanings; examples given in British slang.

Page 25

• Understanding British Slang: Definitions and cultural meanings of phrases presented.

Page 26

• Differences in Spoken vs. Written English: Variants in development, pronunciation, and spelling leading to inconsistencies.

Page 27-29

• Phonetics and Phonology: Branches defining the different features of speech sounds and their functions within language systems.

Page 30

• Phonetic Transcription: Learning correct pronunciation using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Importance of differentiating between sounds and letters.

Page 31

• English Sounds and Letters: Example of how single sounds can have multiple spellings and how one letter can produce different sounds.

Page 32

• Phonetic Transcription: Emphasis on learning pronunciation through the IPA.

Page 33-34

• Hints on Pronunciation: Engaging poem detailing tricky English pronunciations to aid learners.

Page 35-43

• Properties of Human Language:

  1. Duality

  2. Productivity (creativity)

  3. Arbitrariness

  4. Interchangeability

  5. Specialization

  6. Displacement

  7. Discreteness (sounds are distinct)

  8. Cultural Transmission (language & culture interdependence).

Page 44-51

• Speech Acts: Manifestations of communicative activities conveying illocutionary forces; distinctions between declarative statements and polite requests.

Page 52-54

• Formality vs. Informality: Relationship between expression and context; varying degrees of politeness.

Page 55

• Example: Polite request phrasing illustrated through different interactions.

Page 56-57

• Accent vs. Dialect: Importance of pronunciation identifying regional origins while dialect encompasses broader grammar and vocabulary aspects.

Page 58

• Influential Videos: Various resources for modern-day English usages and how they evolve.

Page 59-62

• Regional Varieties: Linguistic investigations of geographical pronunciations and dialectal features.

Page 63-67

• Linguistic Characteristics of English: Overview of isoglosses in the USA, Canadian bilingualism, and differences between education types.

Page 68-75

• Language as a Social Phenomenon: Language's role as a tool for communication within social groups; jargon variances stemming from job types and demographics.

Page 76-78

• Dialect Formation: Influences of geography on dialect evolution; idiolect as an individual's distinct speech pattern.

Page 79-88

• Language Families: Overview of historically related languages and the common ancestor theories in Indo-European languages.

Page 89-96

• Influences on the English Language: Language evolution through various invasions and adopted words from different languages such as Latin, Scandinavian, and French.

Page 97

• False Cognates: Exploration of words that appear similar in different languages but vary in meaning.

Page 98

• Humorous Language Errors: Examples of amusing how phrases can differ in translation.

Page 99-113

• History of the English Language: Overview from Celtic, Latin, Germanic, Scandinavian to significant French influence.

Page 114-127

• Modern Evolution: Development and simplification of English phonetics and vocabulary; impact of different dialects and neologisms in the contemporary era.

Page 128-141

• Structuralist Theories: The evolution of linguistics with notable figures contributing to structuralism and semiotics.

Page 142-156

• Prague School Theories: Introduction to functional linguistics and how language operates in various contexts and functions.

Page 157

• Conclusion on Speech Features: Emphasis on prosody and its role in interpreting utterances.