绗竴鍗曞厓
I.
True or False:
1. Modern linguistics is mainly diachronic.
T
2. In everyday communication, writing plays a greater role than speech in terms of the
amount of information conveyed.
F
3. The features that define out human languages can be called DESIGN FEATUREs.
T
4.
According
to
Saussure,
the
relation
between
the
signified
and
the
signifier
is
arbitrary.
T
5.
Human
capacity
for
language
has
a
genetic
basis,
i.e.
we
are
all
born
with
the
ability
to
acquire
language
and
the
details
of
a
language
system
are
genetically
transmitted.
T
II.
Explain the following terms:
1. linguistics :
.Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language.
2.
language:
Language
is
a
system
of
arbitrary
vocal
symbols
used
for
human
communication.
3. langue
锛?/p>
Langue refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of
a speech community. It is the set of conventions and rules which language users all
have to abide by.
4. parole
锛?/p>
Parole refers to the realization of language in actual use. It is the concrete
use of the conventions and the application of the rules.
5.prescriptive
锛?/p>
.Prescriptive refers to the situation in which the linguistic study aims to
lay down rules for 鈥渃orrect and standard鈥?nbsp;behaviour in using language, i.e. to tell
people what they should say and what they should not say.
III.
Answer the Following questions:
1.
What are the major branches of linguistics? What does each of them
study?
The major branches of linguistics are:
(1) phonetics: it studies the sounds used in linguistic communication;
(2)
phonology:
it
studies
how
sounds
are
put
together
and
used
to
convey
meaning in communication;
(3)
morphology:
it
studies
the
way
in
which
linguistic
symbols
representing
sounds are arranged and combined to form words;
(4) syntax: it studies the rules which govern how words are combined to form
grammatically permissible sentences in languages;
(5) semantics: it studies meaning conveyed by language;
(6) pragmatics: it studies the meaning in the context of language use.
2.
In
what
basic
ways
does
modern
linguistics
differ
from
traditional
grammar? How?
Modern linguistics differs from traditional grammar in several basic ways.