LI 2013 NATHALIE F. MARTIN INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS

LANGUAGE: AN INTRODUCTION (chap. 1, O’Grady) What you should know:  How humans are made to speak  What is language  Linguistic competence vs. performance  Descriptive vs. Prescriptive approach to language  Grammar:  Generality, parity, universality, mutability, inaccessibility

L ANGUAGE & C OMMUNICATION

Fill in the Blanks Communication Process (Jakobson)

COMMUNICATION – Discussion W HO / WHAT CAN COMMUNICATE ? W HAT DOES ONE ( HUMAN OR NON HUMAN ) NEED TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE ? W HAT IS LANGUAGE ? D O ANIMALS HAVE LANGUAGE ABILITIES ?

Communication Communication is a behaviour, or the transmission of information, that affects the behaviour of others. When a living organism (or machine) communicates it sends messages about itself or its environment. The message is placed into a code.  Humans have a highly elaborate code called language.

Language, Dialect, Pidgin or Creole? 1. Language: 2. Dialect: 3. Variety: 4. Pidgin: 5. Creole: a. intergroup communication b. characterized by it’s own phonological, syntactic, or lexical properties c. A code or system used by consensus. d. native language deroved from a pidgin. e. A regional or social variety of a language.

Dialect:  A regional or social variety of a language characterized by it’s own phonological, syntactic, or lexical properties.  We will use the term « Variety » in this class instead of speaking of dialects. DIALECTS - Define

PIDGIN - Define Pidgin: A variety that emerges when speakers of a different language are brought together in a stable situation requiring intergroup communication; it has no native speakers and generally is considered to have a reduced grammatical system. Ex: Blood Diamond (Leonardo Dicaprio)  

CREOLE - Define Creole : A variety that arises as the native language of the children of members of a pidgin speech community.

Language, Dialect, Pidgin or Creole? 1. Language: 2. Dialect: 3. Variety: 4. Pidgin: 5. Creole: a. Trade language b. Chiac c. Swahili d. Hatian e. African American Vernacular English

G RAMMAR

 EXPLAIN A LINGUISTS’ VIEW OF LANGUAGE AND GRAMMAR. Language According to Linguists - Discussion

Linguistic Performance: How you use How you use this knowledge in actual speech production and comprehension. Linguistic Competence: What you know What you know about a language. Linguistic Competence Vs Performance Contemporary Linguistics Analysis : p. 5.

Prescriptive or Descriptive Grammar 1. In Chiac French, the borrowed English verb is always conjugated as an “er” French verb. 2. In French negative sentences, we should always have “ne” + the verb + “pas” (ex: Elle ne veut pas) 3. In African American Vernacular English, some speakers pronounce the final sound of “sing” as an “n”. 4. Never say “ain’t” a. D ESC. b. P RESC c. D ESC. d. P RESC.

Prescriptive vs. Descriptive Grammar  WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRESCRIPTIVE GRAMMAR AND DESCRIPTIVE GRAMMAR?

 GENERALITY: ALL LANGUAGES HAVE A GRAMMAR  PARITY: ALL GRAMMARS ARE EQUAL  UNIVERSALITY: GRAMMARS ARE ALIKE IN BASIC WAYS  MUTABILITY: GRAMMARS CHANGE OVER TIME  INACCESSIBILITY: GRAMMATICAL KNOWLEDGE IS SUBCONSCIOUS G RAMMAR P RINCIPLES Reference: Chapter 1 (O’Grady & Archibald)

The Truth About Grammar Name all five characteristics of grammar according to linguists.  Generality: All languages have a grammar  Parity: All grammars are equal  Universality: Grammars are alike in basic ways  Mutability: Grammars change over time  Inaccessibility: Grammatical knowledge is subconscious Contemporary Linguistics Analysis : p. 5.

Associate Generality: Parity: Universality: Mutability: Inaccessibility: Contemporary Linguistics Analysis : p. 5. Grammars change over time. All grammars are equal. All languages have a grammar. Grammatical knowledge is subconscious. Grammars are alike in basic ways.

Define each Generality:  All languages have a grammar Parity:  All grammars are equal Universality:  Grammars are alike in basic ways Mutability:  Grammars change over time Inaccessibility:  Grammatical knowledge is subconscious Contemporary Linguistics Analysis : p. 5.

FIELDS OF LINGUISTICS (handout and Powerpoint) What you should know:  Linguistics  Fields of linguistics (handout and in class)  Descriptive linguistics  Applied linguistics

EXERCISE: DIVIDE THESE FIELDS OF LINGUISTICS INTO THESE TWO CATEGORIES THEORETICAL LINGUISTICS APPLIED LINGUISTICS a. Computational linguistics b. Morphology c. Neurolinguistics d. Phonology e. Pragmatics f. Psycholinguistics g. Semantics h. Sociolinguistics i. Syntax

ANSWERS: FIELDS OF LINGUISTICS THEORETICAL LINGUISTICS b) Morphology d) Phonology e) Pragmatics g) Semantics i) Syntax APPLIED LINGUISTICS a) Computational linguistics c) Neurolinguistics f) Psycholinguistics h) Sociolinguistics

PHONETICS: A Brief Introduction (Handout and Powerpoint) What you should know:  Sounds of English  Consonants, vowels & glides  IPA symbols general  Consonants

Phonetic Practice 1. Read these words phonetically and write them out using conventional English spelling.  [ mit ]  [ ʃ uz ]  [ skul ]  [ mjuz ɪ k ]  MEAT  SHOES  SCHOOL  MUSIC

Phonetic Practice 2. Fill in the missing symbols.  Cartoons = [ _ ɑ _ _ u _ _ ]  Singing = [ _ ɪ _ ɪ _ ]  English = [ ɪ _ _ _ ɪ _]  Cheese = [_ _ _ _ ] [ k ɑ r t u n z ] [ s ɪ ŋ ɪ ŋ ] [ ɪ ŋ g l ɪ ʃ ] [ t ʃ i z ]

IPA Consonants Examples

IPA Vowels (examples)

IPA Vowels (Diphthongs)

IPA Glides (examples)