Basicintroduction
Linguisticsisthescienceoflanguageresearch.Theobjectofitsresearchishumanlanguage,anditstaskistostudyanddescribethestructure,functionandhistoricaldevelopmentoflanguage,revealtheessenceoflanguage,andexplorethecommonlawsoflanguage.
Relatedclassifications
Linguisticsinabroadsenseincludeslinguistics.Thestudyoflanguageinacertainperiodoftimeiscalledsynchroniclinguistics;thestudyoflanguagechangesindifferentperiodsiscalledDiachroniclinguistics;comprehensiveresearchonmultiplelanguages,tryingtofindcommonrulesamongthem,calledgenerallinguistics;applyinglinguisticknowledgetopracticalwork,calledappliedlinguistics;tracingcertainlanguagesthroughthecomparisonofphoneticsandmorphologyThekinshipofthetwolanguagesiscalledhistoricalcomparativelinguistics;theuseofcomparativemethodstodiscoversomecommonphenomenainvarioushumanlanguagesiscalledtypelinguistics;thecomparisonofthesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweentwolanguagesinordertosolveteachingortranslationproblemsiscalledcontrastivelinguistics.
Languagehasfivecommonmeanings:(1)Theactofutteringaspecificsentenceinaspecificcontext;(2)Thespecificspeakingstyleofaspecificspeaker,alsocalledidiolect;(3)Referstoaspecificvariantoflanguage;(4)Referstotheabstractsystemextractedfromthespeechact;(5)Theabstractsystemwithcommonfeaturesofallhumanlanguages.
Thesubjectsofphonetics,grammar,vocabulary,andwritingallfocusonthestructureoflanguageitself,whichisthecenteroflinguistics.Somepeoplecallitmicro-linguistics.
Theresearchonthephysicalpropertiesofspeech,humanpronunciationmethods,andthephysiologicalprocessesofspeechperceptionisphonetics.
Thestudyofhowmanydifferentsoundsalanguagehas,andhowtheyaredifferentandrelatedtoeachotherisphonologyorphonology.
Theresearchonthewayofwordformationandinflectionismorphology,alsocalledmorphology;theresearchonhowtocomposewordsintophrasesorsentencesisthestudyofsentenceformation,alsocalledsyntax.Accordingtotraditionalgrammar,thecombinationofmorphologyandsentencemakingisgrammar.
Theresearchofvocabularyitems,lexicalmeaning,andwordevolutionislexicology;thesourceandhistoryofwordsaretracedbacktoetymology;theonethatcollectsmanylexicalitems,classifies,compares,andannotatesthemislexicology.
Tostudytherelationshipbetweentermsandconceptsandreferents,tofigureoutthesimilaritiesanddifferences,prosandcons,upperandlower,andcrossrelationsofvariouswordmeanings,andtoanalyzethemeaningoftheentiresentenceorsomeofitscomponents.Thisissemantics.Thedisciplinethatstudiestheshape,system,origin,evolutionanddevelopmentofcharactersisphilology.
History
Thehistoryoflinguisticsisveryold.Theearliestlanguageresearchofmankindbeganwiththeinterpretationofancientdocuments,andthestudyoflanguageforthepurposeofstudyingphilosophy,historyandliterature.DuringtheHanDynasty,Chinaproducedelementaryschools,includingwriting,phonologyandexegesis.InIndiaandGreece,grammarwasestablishedfromthe4thtothe3rdcenturyBC.Modernlinguisticswasestablishedintheearly18thcentury.AsWesternlinguistsdiscoveredthesimilaritiesbetweenIndo-EuropeanlanguagesandSanskrit,historicalcomparativelinguisticscameintobeing,whichaimedtofindtheoriginallanguageofvariouslanguages.
Role
Languageisauniquewayofcommunicationforhumanbeings.Itreflectsthehighlyevolvedmentalabilitiesofhumanbeingsonthebiologicalorpsychologicallevel,andreflectstheprogressofhumancivilizationonthesocialandculturallevel.Linguisticsistostudythecoreinstinctofhumanlanguageability,throughtheanalysisandresearchofspokenlanguage,writtenlanguageandevensignlanguage,andthenunderstandthenatureofhumanbeings.
Inadditiontounderstandingtheessenceofhumanlanguage,linguisticresearchalsohasavarietyofapplications.Intermsoflanguageeducation,throughtheunderstandingofthelanguageitself,variousdictionaries,grammarbooks,andtextbooksarecompiledforpeopletolearnthelanguage,whichalsohelpstoimprovetheabilitytodealwiththedifficultiesanderrorsencounteredintheprocessoflanguagelearning.Intermsoftranslationindifferentlanguages,linguistictheoryprovidesmorespecificguidancefortranslationandinterpretation,anditalsohelpstousetechnologyformachinetranslation.
Researchobjects
Themainresearchobjectsofmodernlinguisticsarelanguageandcharacters.Thejoboflinguisticsistostudy:
Languagestructure
Phonetic
Wordformation
Syntax
Semantic
Discoursechapter
Languageapplication
Pragmatics
Languagelearningandeducation
Translation
PrimarySchool
Linguistics
Phonology
Sub-disciplines
Linguisticshasmanysub-disciplines:
SynchronousLinguistics
DiachronicLinguistics
GeneralLinguisticsandMicro-Linguistics
Phonetics
Phonology
p>Wordformation
Grammar
Semantics
Pragmatics
Lexicology
Dialectology
Rhetoric
Words
Etymology
Dictionary
Stylistics
ComparativeLinguistics
ComparativeHistoricalLinguistics
TypeLinguistics
ContrastiveLinguistics
ComparativeLinguistics
LanguageGeography
Sociolinguistics
Dialectology:DialectGeography
Stylistics
Psycholinguistics
CognitiveLinguistics
AppliedLinguistics
LanguageTeaching
FirstLanguageTeaching
SecondLanguageTeaching:EnglishTeaching
ForeignLanguageTeaching
DiscourseLinguistics
ExperimentalLinguistics
MathematicalLinguistics
AlgebraicLinguistics
StatisticalLinguistics
AppliedMathematicalLinguistics
ComputationalLinguistics
CorpusLinguisticsTranslationStudies
NetworkLinguistics
Neurolinguistics
ConcomitantLinguistics
HumanLinguistics
EthnicLinguistics
Phonology
Synonyms
Writing
InternationalLinguistics
Exegetics
ContextStudies
Biolinguistics
CosmoLinguistics
GeneralLinguistics
MainSchools
LinguisticSchool
NaturalSchool
NewGrammarSchool
SociologicalSchool
AestheticSchool
StructuralistSchool
FunctionalSchool
LanguageSchool
AmericanDescriptiveLinguisticSchool
InstitutionalSchool
IdealismSchool
CaseGrammarSchool(CaseGrammar)
RelationalGrammarSchool(RelationGrammar)
Formalism
GenerativeGrammar
GenerativeSemantics
Lexical-FunctionalGrammar
Head-DrivenPhraseStructureGrammar
Cognitive-Functionalism
Head-DrivenPhraseStructureGrammar
Cognitive-Functionalism
p>FunctionalGrammar
Systemicfunctionallinguistics
RoleandReferenceGrammar
CognitiveGrammar
FutureDevelopment
Asanancientdiscipline,themajoroflinguisticsisusedbytheChinesenationtounderstandChinesehistoryandstudyChinesecultureAtooltoimproveourownqualityhasextremelysignificanthumanisticandsocialsciencevalueforsocialdevelopment.Becauseofthis,accordingtosurveys,almost80%ofcollegesanduniversitieshaveestablishedlinguisticsmajorssincetheestablishmentoftheirschools,andtheyrecruitnewstudentsatasteadyrateeveryyear.Aconsiderablenumberofpeoplechooselinguisticsastheirmajorafterenteringtheuniversity.Itisafactrecognizedbythesocietythatmorethan90%ofpeoplebelievethatthelinguisticsmajorofnormalcollegeshasmoredevelopmentpotential.AccordingtoasurveyconductedbyBei’anCollegeEntranceExaminationNetwork,in2004,theteachingprofessionhasbecomeoneofthemostpopularprofessions.Oneisthestabilityandautonomyofthejob,andtheotheristhatthesalaryofteachershasbeensteadilyimprovedinrecentyears,andtherehavebeengratifyingchanges.In2005,thedemandfornormalstudentswasstillverylarge.
Ingeneral,theestablishmentofthelanguageandliteraturemajorhasmanymeanings.Fromapracticalpointofview,thehighemploymentrateandabundantemploymentbenefitsoflinguisticsareenoughtoenableaconsiderablenumberofpeopletolivearelativelyprosperouslife.Atthesametime,thehardworkofworkersontheeducationfronthaseliminatedamajorproblemforthesociety.Somesocialinstabilityfactors;fromtheperspectiveofdevelopment,duetothestrongatmosphereofChinesecultureandthestrongattractionofnationalspirit,sincetheinitialestablishmentofthelinguisticsmajor,itsgradualimprovementandrapiddevelopmentareobvioustoall.Becauseofthisinfluence,Chineselanguageandliteraturemajors,especiallylinguisticsmajorsinnormaluniversities,willsurelycreateabroaderdevelopmentspaceforstudentsinanincreasinglydiversifiedsocialenvironment.
Famouslinguist
Chineselinguist
GuYanwu(1613-1682),formerlynamedJiangJiang,withthewordZhongqing.AfterthedeathofMingDynasty,hechangedhisnametoYanwu,withthewordNingren,andalsosignedJiangShan'sservant.ThescholarrespectsMr.Tinglin.AnativeofKunshan,Jiangsu.Awell-knownthinker,historian,andlinguistinthelateMingandearlyQingdynasties.Hehasmadegreatcontributionstothecountry.HeparticipatedinthestruggleagainsttheQingDynastyandlaterdevotedhimselftoacademicresearch.Inhislateryears,hefocusedonthetextualresearchofConfucianclassics,andeditedtheancientpronunciation,dividedinto10ancientrhymes.Theauthorof"Rizhilu","FiveBooksofPhonology",etc.,hewasthepioneerofancientrhymeintheQingDynasty,andhehasmademanyachievements;healsocontributedtothestudyofrhyme,butnotasmuchashiscontributiontothestudyofancientrhyme.ThegreatestfeatureofGuTinglin’sacademicstudiesistheidealisticmetaphysicsthatcontradictstheSong-MingNeo-Confucianism,whileemphasizingobjectiveinvestigationandresearch,creatinganewgenerationofnewstyles,andproposing"agentlemanlearnsbyunderstandingthewayandsavingtheworld.Itisonlybypoetry.That'sit,howgoodistheso-calledcarvingandsealcarving?"
LiLinsi(1896-1970),formerlyknownasLiJiaxiang,anativeofHangzhou,Zhejiang,wasadirectdescendantofLiE,awell-knownwriterintheQingDynasty,andafamousmodernlinguist.Inhisearlyyears,hestudiedinJapanandGermanyformorethantenyears,andobtainedamaster'sdegreeinlawfromtheUniversityofJenainGermanyandadoctorateinphilosophyfromtheUniversityofHeidelberg.HehasasolidfoundationinChinesestudiesandisproficientinGerman,Japanese,Englishandotherlanguages.Hehasintroducedandtranslatedandpublishedalargenumberofforeignbooksandfilmandtelevisionworks.Atthesametime,hehasintroducedChina'sexcellenttraditionalculturetotheWesternworld.DuringhistenureasaprofessoratNationalCentralUniversity,JinanUniversity,andShanghaiInternationalStudiesUniversity,hetrainedalargenumberoftalentsforthecountry.HealsotranslatedandintroducedalargenumberofJapaneseandGermanmilitaryworks,andmadeimportantcontributionstothevictoryoftheWarofResistanceAgainstJapan.
Westernlinguist
NoamChomsky,themostfamouscontemporaryAmericanlinguist,MITprofessor,founderofstructuralgenerativegrammar,hasaprofoundinfluenceHehaswrittenlinguistics,philosophy,psychology,andcomputerscience.HeisalsoadecisivefigureincontemporaryWesternintellectualsopposinghegemonism.Hehaswrittenalargenumberofpoliticalessaysandworks.Whenevertheinternationalpoliticallandscapeundergoesmajorchanges,Westernintellectualsoften"LookuptoChomsky",andhehasrepeatedlymadelandmarkspeechesatthesemoments.After"September11",Chomskyacceptedinterviewsfromalmostallfamousmediaintheworld,andhisuniversitylecturesalsoattractedhundredsofmetersofticket-collectingteams.
EdwardSapir,anAmericanlinguist.Firth(J·R·Firth)wasthefirstlinguistinBritain.Heacceptedtheideaof"languageenvironment"anddevelopeditintoa"system"ideainlanguageresearch."System"thoughtlaterbecameamajorfeatureofBritishlinguistics.
SwisslinguistFerdinanddeSaussure(1857-1913)isanimportantfounderofmodernlinguisticsandoneofthepioneersofstructuralism.Heiscalledthefatherofmodernlinguisticsandtheoriginatorofstructuralismbylatergenerations."CoursdeLinguistiqueGenerale"(CoursdeLinguistiqueGenerale)isSaussure'srepresentativework,whichembodieshisbasiclinguisticideasandhasaprofoundinfluenceonmodernlinguisticresearchinthe20thcentury.Atthesametime,duetothegeneralityandprofoundnessofitsresearchperspectiveandmethodology,theideasinthebookhavebecomeanimportantsourceofthoughtforstructuralism,animportantphilosophicalschoolinthe20thcentury.