Introduction to English Linguistics By Yan Houping

A. Contents for the course –Brief introduction to the features of human language, the origin and the process of the language, and the concepts and insights of the language; –The long and constant exploration, research and insight into the language itself, and the remarkable linguists and linguistic theories; –Linguistic approaches: observation, description and analyses; –Different perspectives: science and culture, form and competence, and meaning and application; –Scientific linguistic research work’s impact on and implication to the language teaching.

B. Objectives for the course –To be familiar with different schools of English linguistics and their focuses and trends as well; –To be familiar with the scientific linguistic approaches and be quite able to analyze linguistic problems occurring in linguistic studies and language teaching.

C. Approaches to the course –Lecturing mainly; –Group reading and presentation for respective topics; –Internet resources surfing for pre-reading and after-work; –Field survey on linguistic phenomena.

D. Schedule for the course.1. Semester 1 Week Introduction to the course studies Week The nature of linguistics and the origin of language Week The definition of language and the history of linguistics Week Phonetics Week Holiday for National Day Week 6~ Teaching Practice in Middle Schools Week Phonology Week Morphology Week Syntax (1) word-level Week Syntax (2) sentence-level Week Semantics (1) Lexical meaning Week Semantics (2) Analysis of meaning Week Pragmatics Week Revision and examination

D. Schedule for the course.2. Semester 2 Week Language change Week Language and society (1) Week Language and society (2) Week Presentation Week Language and culture (1) Week Language and culture (2) Week Presentation Week Language acquisition (1) child language Week Language acquisition (2) language development Week Holiday for May Day Week Presentation Week Second language acquisition (1) SAL theories Week Second language acquisition (2) SLA’s implications Week Language and brain (1) neurolinguistics Week Language and brain (2) psycholinguistics Week Revision and final examination

E. Requirements for and evaluation of the students for the course a. Attendance: Any absence without any good reason in advance will be an equivalent to failure, just for once and for all; absence from lectures (with good reasons) will be OK on condition that a book report on related topic is handed in afterwards; b. After-class preparation for related topics and linguistic terms; (10%) c. In-class performance and involvement; (10%) d. Individual presentation; (20%) e. Papers on specific topic as required; (20%) e. Final exam’s result. (40%)

F. Reference for the course –Dai Weidong and He Zhaoxiong: A New Concise Course on Linguistics for Students of English, Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2002 –Li Yanfu: A First Course in English Linguistics, Shandong University Press,1997 –Li Xuezheng: An Introduction to Language, Shandong University Press, 1999 –H. G. Widdowson: Linguistics, Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2000

G. Supplementary readings –Library work –Internet surfing

H. Assignments What is linguistics? Does a language consist merely of sound and meaning? Why or why not? Where does language come from? What do you think of the study of linguistics so far?