WHAT IS LANGUAGE?

4 The study of language (linguistics) may treat a language as a self- contained system; or it may treat it as an object that varies over space, time, and social class. 4 We will consider only the SECOND (focus on diachronic linguistics and sociolinguistics).

4 We can study the way in which language organizes thought and expresses statements about (perceived) reality; or, 4 We can study the internal structure of language systems. Language Perceived reality

4 Humans manage to analyze an extremely complex acoustic signal and translate it into an internal representation linked to meaning with little conscious awareness of the intermediate steps or the complexity of the operation.

Linguistics Phonetics: sound, described as an acoustic and articulatory event Phonology: the study of systems of discrete sounds Morphology:... the internal structure of words Syntax:...the principles governing combinations of words. Semantics:...the relationship between syntactic structures and meaning.

Language is a brain function Since the 19th century, we’ve known about 4 Broca’s area (posterior inferior frontal lob) (damage leads to non-fluent speech, lack of grammatical markers) 4 Wernicke’s area (left temporal lobe, auditory association area). (damage leads to aphasia with fluent speech lacking in content)

But what is language? 4 A system of great complexity 4 Much of the complexity is learned (we know that, because it is “language-specifïc”) 4 It still eludes our attempts to accurately model it on computers (witness continuous speech recognition products)

Language A system of rules for using symbols to share meaning!

modes ReceptiveExpressive

methods Oral Written Visual

ReceptiveExpressive OralListenSpeak

ReceptiveExpressive OralListenSpeak WrittenReadWrite

ReceptiveExpressive OralListenSpeak WrittenReadWrite VisualAppreciateCreate

What do you ‘know’ when you ‘know’ a language?

16 4 A body of Linguistic Knowledge 4 How to: Combine sounds Create words Build sentences Construct texts Participate in conversations Language is axiomatic to being human.

17 Arbitrariness 4 the connection between the signifier (form) and the signified (meaning) is arbitrary 4 these arbitrary relationships are agreed upon by speakers, i.e. a matter of convention (consensus) 4 even interjections and onomatopoetic signs are arbitrary –ouaoua ~ bow-wow ~ mŏng-mŏng ~ wan- wan –aïe! ~ ouch! ~ aigo! ~ aiya! moon signifier signified

18 Arbitrariness shoe “shu” all “tu” two/too/to “tu” cabbage “shu”

19 Duality 4 Linguistic units have a dual nature: 1.They are observable physical events  “noise” or “image” 2.They are more than simple physical events They are produced in order to communicate meaning They are connected to a concept

20 Discreteness 4 What is “discrete” vs. “continuous”? 4 Discrete entities have clear boundaries; they’re units; categorical. 4 Continuous entities don’t have clear boundaries. 4 Language is… DISCRETE  Language is made up structured units if…  … you have knowledge of the system!  Otherwise, utterances can sound like continuous streams of sound, without discernible units.

21 The last three Design Features 4 Displacement –We can communicate beyond the here and now –We are not “stimulus bound” 4 Cultural Transmission –Grammars are transmitted from one generation to the next –Acquiring “a language” requires involvement in a culture Each human is born with Language; it’s a biological instinct. 4 Interchangeability –All members of the community are physically capable of transmitting and receiving messages

22 Assessing the Design Features 4 Arbitrariness 4 Productivity 4 Duality 4 Discreteness 4 Displacement 4 Cultural Transmission 4 Interchangeability

23 Relationship between Prescription and Description Universe of all word combinations in language X Combinations that speakers actually produce Combinations that are officially sanctioned by the authorities Descriptively grammatical but prescriptively ungrammatical Descriptively ungrammatical but prescriptively grammatical

24 Comparing Languages: Who’s is Better? Who gets to judge what is good? 4 Do you have the right to say that somebody else’s language is too hard or backwards or illogical or ugly? 4 We have to be wary of 2 traps: –Because language is changing, it is getting “corrupted.” –My language variety is more X than another. 4 All languages are capable of communicating what they need to communicate.