Chap 1 Linguistics pdf - Notes de cours 1 PDF

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Summary

Premier chapitre du cours "Introduction to linguistics" du premier semestre des L1 CLE, L1 Prépa renforcement anglais et L1 Anglais
Cours assuré par monsieur JAURIBERRY DIT BULAIN Thomas...

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CHAPTER ONE : Linguistics What is linguistic ? Linguistic is the scientific study of human language Objectives : - Observe languages and describe them accurately - Find generalization within what has been described - Draw conclusion about general nature of human language What is science ? It’s not an object but it’s a method, it’s a way of working Definition : the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment

Scientific method :

You can do science with anything you like. Language and communication : knowledge, beliefs, opinions, wishes, treats, commands, thanks, promises, declarations, feelings, etc... There are many way to express something but the main system of communication for the human being is language. Language is a system of communication based upon words and the combination of words into sentences.

Communication in general can be defined as the transmission of information between a source and a receiver by means of signs.

The sign = exponant : physical (heard seen touch) ex : a gesture, picture, a word spoken of written Referent = the thing in a real life Meaning : semantic feature «.girl.» exponent ‘girl’ ; semantic features : human / female / young ; The signs used in a communication system constitute a code Signs can be divided into three basic kinds : symbolic, iconic, indexical

SYMBOLIC SIGNS = symbols

Ex:

ICONIC SIGNS = an icon

Ex :

(You know that the red thing means that it’s forbidden and you know that the burger and the drink are a burger and a drink.)

INDEXICAL SIGNS

Ex :

- blushing : embarras - smoke : fire - panneau restaurant : means that’s there is a restaurant, doesn’t need be careful because of a fork and a spoon lol

DEFINITIONS : Signifier : any material thing that signifies, words on a page, a facial expression, an image Signified : the concept that a signifier refers to Sign : the smallest unit of meaning. Anything that can be used to communicate. Together, the signifier and signified make up the sign Symbolic (arbitrary) signs : signs where the relation between signifier and signified is purely conventional and culturally specific, e.g, most words. Ironing signs : signs where the signifier resembles the signifies, e.g., a picture Indexical signs : signs where the signifier is cause by the signified, e.g., smoke signifies fire

Linguistics communication • the basic signs = words • Symbolic signs (some are partly iconic = onomatopoeia) The linguistic signs and the rules for their combinations used by a communication constitute a linguistic code (a language), when you change de language you change the linguistic code

Paralanguage • Language is characteristically vocal and verbal behavior • Paralanguage = accompanies or replaces language Paralanguage may be non vocal, or vocal but nor verbal and not discrete (sarcasm, irony..etc) Meaning and structures • Sounds • Words • Morphemes • Word order Paralanguage - Gestures - Body movements - Facial expressions - Noises - Intonation - Voice quality - Etc.

WHAT IS LANGUAGE ? Edward Sapir says : «.Language is purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols.» In the words of Noam Chomsky, language is «.a set of (finite or infinite) sentences, each finite in length and constructed out of a finite set of elements..»

⚠ English : language -> French : langage + langue...