What is Linguistics? «… window to understanding the brain» Pinker. S.( 2012)  Linguistics studies the language(s) – The way how language works language form language meaning language in context  Linguistics studies the influence of social, historical and political factors on language  Linguistics studies semiotics (the study of signs and symbols

What is Language?  Language is cognition and communication  Language is a medium to express past, present and future.  Language is a social phenomenon

Language has two primary meanings: An abstract concept, and a specific linguistic system, Ferdinad de Saussure formulated the distinction of langue as a concept, and parole for the concrete usage of speech in a particular language. Chomsky used the terms competence and performance; he describes 'competence' as an idealized capacity that is located as a psychological or mental property or function and ‘performance’ as the production of actual utterances

Chomsky: Language is innate, that is why children acquire their own language easily. They acquire grammar which goes well beyond imitation of any utterances they may hear. There must exist some kind of innate, genetically programmed Language Acquisition Device (LAD) which directs the process whrereby children infer rules from the language data they are exposed to

How does language work?  What words mean = Semantics  How to make new words = Morphology  How to put words together = Syntax  How to pronunce words= Phonetic  What word combinations are best in what situations = Pragmatics ("Would you mind moving your foot?" could quickly change to "Get off my foot, please!" if the first request did not produce results)

What is not language?  It is not Written language  Proper Grammar  Thought

Design Features of the Language  Arbitrarineess: no natural resemblance to their meaning flor, flower, fleur  Duality: elements that has no meaning in themselves but which combine to form units at another level do have meaning. f / v safe / seif/, save / seiv/

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