语言学论述题答案 3页

1、HowisSaussure’sdistinctionbetweenlangueandparolesimilartoChomsky’sdistinctionbetweencompetenceandperformance?Saussure’sdistinctionandChomsky’sareverysimilarinthattheyboththinkthatlanguagecanbedividedintotwolevels,onelevelisabstract(e.g.langue;competence)andtheotherconcrete(e.g.parole;performance).Andtheyalsothinkthatwhatlinguistsshoulddealwithistheabstractlevelwhichcanrevealtherealnatureoflanguage.Atthesametime,theydifferatleastinthatSaussuretookasociologicalviewoflanguageandhisnotionoflanguageisamatterofsocialconventions,andChomskylooksatlanguagefromapsychologicalpointofviewandtohimcompetenceisapropertyofthemindofeachindividual.2、Whatisaphone?Howisitdifferentfromaphoneme?Howareallophonesrelatedtoaphoneme?Aphoneisaphoneticunitorsegment.Thespeechsoundswehearandproduceduringcommunicationareallphones.Aphonemeisnotanyparticularsound,butratheritisrepresentedorrealizedbyacertainphoneinacertainphoneticcontext.Thedifferentphoneswhichcanrepresentaphonemeindifferentphoneticenvironmentsarecalledtheallophonesofthatphoneme.Forexample,thephoneme/p/inEnglishcanberealizedas[p]and[ph],whichareallophonesofthephoneme/p/.3、Whatarethemajorviewsconcerningthestudyofmeaning?(1)ThenamingtheoryproposedbytheancientGreekscholarPlato.Accordingtothistheory,thelinguisticformsorsymbols,inotherwords,thewordsusedinalanguagearesimplylabelsoftheobjectstheystandfor.Sowordsarejustnamesorlabelsforthings.(2)Theconceptualistviewhasbeenheldbysomephilosophersandlinguistsfromancienttimes.Thisviewholdsthatthereisnodirectlinkbetweenalinguisticformandwhatitrefersto(i.e.,betweenlanguageandtherealworld);rather,intheinterpretationofmeaningtheyarelinkedthroughthemediationofconceptsinthemind.(3)Thecontextualistviewheldthatmeaningshouldbestudiedintermsofsituation,use,context––elementscloselylinkedwithlanguagebehaviour.TherepresentativeofthisapproachwasJ.R.Firth,famousBritishlinguist.(4)Behavioristsattemptedtodefinethemeaningofalanguageformasthe“situationinwhichthespeakeruttersitandtheresponseitcallsforthinthehearer.”Thistheory,somewhatclosetocontextualism,islinkedwithpsychologicalinterest.\n4、WhatarethefivetypesofillocutionaryspeechactsSearlehasspecified?Whatistheillocutionarypointofeachtype?(1)representatives:statingordescribing,sayingwhatthespeakerbelievestobetrue(2)directives:tryingtogetthehearertodosomething(3)commissives:committingthespeakerhimselftosomefuturecourseofaction(4)expressives:expressingfeelingsorattitudetowardsanexisting(5)declarations:bringingaboutimmediatechangesbysayingsomethingTheillocutionarypointoftherepresentativesistocommitthespeakertosomething'sbeingthecase,tothetruthofwhathasbeensaid,inotherwords,whenperforminganillocutionaryactofrepresentative,thespeakerismakingastatementorgivingadescriptionwhichhehimselfbelievestobetrue.Stating,believing,sweating,hypothesizingareamongthemosttypicaloftherepresentatives.Directivesateattemptsbythespeakertogetthehearertodosome-thing.Inviting,suggesting,requesting,advising,wanting,threateningandorderingareallspecificinstancesofthisclass.Commissivesarethoseillocutionaryactswhosepointistocommitthespeakertosomefuturecourseofaction,i.e.whenspeakingthespeakerputshimselfunderacertainobligation.Promising,undertaking,vowingarethemosttypicalones.Theillocutionarypointofexpressivesistoexpressthepsychologicalstatespecifiedintheutterance.Thespeakerisexpressinghisfeelingsorattitudestowardsanexistingstateofaffairs,e.g.apologizing,thanking,congratulating.Thelastclass“declarations”hasthecharacteristicthatthesuccessfulperformanceofanactofthistypebringsaboutthecorrespondencebetweenwhatissaidandreality.5、Howdobilingualismanddiglossiadiffer,andwhatdotheyhaveincommon?Thelanguageacquisitiontheoriesmentionedinthischapterhavedifferentemphasisondifferentaspects.Behavioristsviewsoundsreasonableinexplainingtheroutineaspects,theinnatistaccountsmostplausibleinexplainingchildren'sacquiringcomplexsystem,andtheinteractivedescriptionconvincinginunderstandinghowchildrenlearnandusethelanguageappropriatelyfromtheir\nenvironment.Inmyopinion,behavioristsviewismorereasonableandconvincingbecauselanguageacquisitionisaprocessofenforcingandreinforcing.Onlythroughthisprocesscanapersonlearnalanguagewell.Bilingualismreferstothesituationthatinsomespeechcommunities,twolanguagesareusedsidebysidewitheachhavingadifferentroletoplay;andlanguageswitchingoccurswhenthesituationchanges.Butinsteadoftwodifferentlanguages,inadiglossicsituation,twovarietiesofalanguageexitsidebysidethroughoutthecommunity,witheachhavingadefiniteroletoplay.Thetwolanguagesofbilingualismandthetwovarietiesofdiglossiceachhasdifferentroletoplayassituationchanges.6、Basedonyourownlearningexperiences,pleaseillustratehowimportantitistolearnitsculturewhenlearningaforeignlanguage?Basedonmyownlearningexperiences,Ifinditisveryimportanttolearnitsculturewhenlearningaforeignlanguage,Atypicalexampleoftheseisthatwhengreetingacquaintances,wetendtosay"Haveyoueaten?",whichwillcausemisunderstandingtoaforeigner.7、Amongthelanguageacquisitiontheoriesmentionedinthischapter,whichonedoyouthinkismorereasonableandconvincing?Explainwhy.Thelanguageacquisitiontheoriesmentionedinthischapterhavedifferentemphasisondifferentaspects.Behavioristsviewsoundsreasonableinexplainingtheroutineaspects,theinnatistaccountsmostplausibleinexplainingchildren'sacquiringcomplexsystem,andtheinteractivedescriptionconvincinginunderstandinghowchildrenlearnandusethelanguageappropriatelyfromtheirenvironment.Inmyopinion,behavioristsviewismorereasonableandconvincingbecauselanguageacquisitionisaprocessofenforcingandreinforcing.Onlythroughthisprocesscanapersonlearnalanguagewell.