Introduction to Contemporary Linguistics
September 23, 1998
What is linguistics?

OVERVIEW:

1.	Introduction to the teachers and the course
2.	What is linguistics?
3.	Some linguistic head-scratchers

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1.	Introduction to the teachers and the course

	>We've already done this!

2.	What is linguistics?

	>Linguistics (»y¨¥¾Ç) is the scientific study of human language.

	>"Human language" is a VERY BIG TOPIC because human beings 
	  NEVER SHUT UP!

		>Language is like air:  it's necessary for life (mental and 
		  social), it follows us everywhere (even in our dreams), 
		  and yet most people ignore it because it's "invisible".
		  Linguists want to make language "visible".

		>Language is like baseball, and linguistics is like physics:
		  playing baseball depends on the laws of physics, but
		  you can't understand physics just by playing baseball,
		  AND if you want to improve your baseball skills, you can't
		  just study physics.  (...and of course, most people think 
		  baseball is more fun than physics....)

	>Since language is a big topic, linguistics has many branches.

		>CORE TOPICS (language itself):

		>Morphology (ºcµü¾Ç):  the structure of words.
		>Syntax (»yªk¾Ç¡B¥yªk¾Ç):  the structure of sentences.
		>Semantics (»y·N¾Ç):  the meaning of words and sentences.
		>Phonetics (»y­µ¾Ç):  the physical sounds of language.
		>Phonology (­µÃý¾Ç):  the mental sound systems of language.


		>OTHER TOPICS (language with other things):

		>Sociolinguistics (ªÀ·|»y¨¥¾Ç):  language in society.
		>Historical (or diachronic) linguistics (¾ú¥v»y¨¥¾Ç):
			language change.
		>Psycholinguistics (¤ß²z»y¨¥¾Ç):  the psychology of language, 
			including how language is acquired by babies.
		>Neurolinguistics (¯«¸g»y¨¥¾Ç):  language and the brain.
		>Computational linguistics (­pºâ»y¨¥¾Ç):  language and 
			computers.

	>Some practical uses of linguistics:

		>Language learning and language teaching
		>Translating
		>Improving one's own writing abilities
		>Developing the writing system of a language
		>Helping children with speech problems
		>Helping brain-damaged patients
		>Human-computer communication
		>Improving relations in society
		>Saving dying languages and cultures
		>Understanding history
		>Understanding "human nature" (my favorite)

	>OK, so linguistics is a kind of science.  But what is science?

		>The "scientific method":
		  a way to help people avoid fooling themselves
		  when trying to find out about the world.

			(1) Ask a question about the world

			(2) Guess what the answer might be
				(make a hypothesis)

			(3) Test the hypothesis:  TRY TO PROVE IT'S WRONG!

			(4) If the hypothesis is a little bit wrong,
				then fix it.

			(5) If the hypothesis is totally wrong, throw it away!

		>Example 1:  Being scientific about magic tricks.
		>Example 2:  Being scientific about the "magic" of language


3.	Some linguistic head-scratchers:  examples of "step (1)"

	>Why do most Americans speak Chinese so badly?  Is it because 
	  only Chinese brains can learn Chinese correctly?

	>How is language processed in the human brain?

	>Why can't other animals talk, not even chimpanzees?

	>Is the sign language (¤â»y) used by deaf people a real language?

	>Why does English writing use letters, but Chinese writing uses 
	  characters?  Is one system "better" than the other?

	>Why can't we communicate with computers using ordinary 
	  language (yet)?

	>How do you translate "word" into Chinese:  ¦r or µü or...?

	>Why do you say "Who are you?" (½Ö¬O§A¡H) in English, but 
	  §A¬O½Ö¡H("You are who?") in Chinese?

	>How do you translate ªº into English?  How do you translate 
	  "than" into Chinese?  Why are those kinds of words harder to 
	  translate than words like ®à¤l, "table", etc...?

	>Where did the name "Taiwan" come from?

	>What's the difference between ÄÑ¥] and ¤g¥q?

	>Why do you say ¤G¤Q for "20", but ¨â¦  for "200" (not ¤G¦ )?

	>What is the commonest sound in the world's languages?

	>THINK OF MORE QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS ON FRIDAY!!