1. LING507 Linguistics The Nature of Language LECTURE 1: WHAT ıS LANGUAGE & LıNGUıSTıCS? 1 Asst. Prof. Dr. Emrah Görgülü

2. What is language?  Sapir (1921:7) in Language Language is purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols.  Mario Pei and Frank Gaynor in A Dictionary of Linguistics Language is a system of communication by sound, through the organs of speech and hearing, among human beings of a certain group or community, using vocal symbols posssessing arbitrary meanings. 2

3. (Some) Features of Language  Language is systematic  In natural verbal communication, people can learn and use a language consistently, showing that language is systematic.  Language is symbolic  Language is a symbolic system in the sense that there is no or little connection between the words that people use and the objects these words refer to.  Language is human specific  There are certain characteristics of human language that are not found in the communication systems of any other species. 3

4. What is Linguistics?  Every human knows at least one language, spoken or signed. Linguistics is the science of language, including the sounds, words, grammar rules and meaning.  Linguistics is the study of language not just particular languages, but the system of human communication. Some of the basic issues of this field are:  What is language and how is it organized?  How is it analyzed? How are its units discovered and tested?  What do all lanuages have in common?  How did language originate? What does it have in common with animal communication? How is it different? 4

5. The core areas of Linguistics  Phonetics  The study of speech sounds (production, transmission and perception)  [d], [θ], [i], [m]  Phonology  The patterning of sounds in a particular language  kleptomania [kl], *lk…..; splint [spl], *lps… / -ng sound (only at the end of a word)  Morphology  The structure and formation of words  How many morphemes does ‘antiestablishmentarian’ have? anti-establish-ment-arian / 4 morphemes 5

6. The core areas of Linguistics (cont’d)  Syntax  The study of sentential structure  Sue saw the car / Who saw the car? / Who saw what? / *What did who saw?  Semantics  The study of linguistic meaning  The boy ate the hamburger / #The hamburger ate the boy  Pragmatics  Language in context  Can you open the window? / Have you stopped beating your dog? 6

7. Linguistics and Language Teaching  Language teaching usually refers to the teaching of any language, either as a first language, second language or as a foreign language.  Both linguistics and language teaching takes language as their subject.  Linguistics aims at exploring the general principles upon which all languages are constructed and operate as systems of communication.  The achievements of linguistic inquiry can be utilized for effective language teaching. The bridge between linguistics and language teaching is __applied linguistics_______. 7

8. Linguistics and Language Teaching  In what ways does linguistics help the English teacher in the classroom? 8