文档介绍：Language & Linguistics
Course description
16 weeks
4 credits
Assessment
final exam 80% ‘对一般性语言知识的检查,对基本原理的理解和把握以及运用语言理论知识对语言现象的分析。’
formative assessment 20%
‘语言学是介于人文与自然科学之间的一学科,理论性、专业性和抽象性是很高的.’
Learning Objectives
To improve our English proficiency through massive reading on arts and science
To understand the relation between language&civilization, language&society, language&the mind, the symbolic nature of language, and the various functions of language.
Unit 1 Awareness of our languages
Warming-up
Do you think that language is important?
More important than our eyes, ears, mouth, etc?
Do you agree with the following fundamental views about language:
1 Chirldren learn their native language swiftly, efficiently and without instruction.
2 language operates by rules.
3 Everybody speaks a dialect.
4 Language slowly changes.
5 Speakers of all languages employ a range of styles and a sort of jargons.
6 Languages are intimately related to societies and individuals who use them.
7 Writing is derivative of speech.
Activity 1 Language, Homo Sapiens and Civilization
Q: Can animals learn human language?
No. language is unique to humans, and no other animals will be able to speak a human language.
Is language in the brain?
Transformational-generative grammar emphasizes the innateness of human language. Some argue that babies are born with some sort of “language” already there in the brain.
Is language outside the brain?
Nature-nurture controversy: the debate over the issue of whether language is already there in the brain when a baby is born or it is not there and it has to be learned. . nurtured.