Chapter 12

Theories and Schools of Modern LinguisticsChapter 12 1

In EuropePrague School 1926 – Birth of Modern Linguistics 1907 – 1916 London School

1944 –

In USAAmerican Structuralism TG Grammar

1911 –

Bloomfield Era Post-Bloomfieldian Linguistics 1933 – 1950 1950 –Chapter 12

1957 –

Case Grammar 1968 –2

Birth of Modern Linguistics When

is the beginning of modern linguistics? We date modern linguistics from the early twentieth century when scholars worked out detailed scientific methods for establishing relationships among languages. This is marked by the publication of Ferdinand de Saussure's book Course in General Linguistics (1916).Chapter 12

Birth of Modern Linguistics During the years between 1907 to 1911, Saussure lectured on general linguistics in the University of Geneva. After he died in 1913, two of his students, C. Bally and A. Sechehaye, collected lecture notes from students and put them together to produce the great work, Course in General Linguistics, in 1916.Chapter 12 4

Birth of Modern Linguistics This

book became the most important source of Saussure's ideas and of his influence upon succeeding generations of linguists. Saussure's ideas were developed along three lines: linguistics, sociology, and psychology.Chapter 12 5

Birth of Modern Linguistics Why

is Saussure hailed as the father of modern linguistics? (1) The book ―Course in General Linguistics‖ (1916), which is the most important source of Saussure's ideas, marked the beginning of modern linguistics.

Chapter 12

Birth of Modern Linguistics(2) Saussure was the first to notice the complexities of language which direct our attention to essentials of language and make clear the object of study for linguistics as a science. He believed that language is a SYSTEM OF SIGNS, called conventions. He held this sign is the union of a form and an idea, which he called the signifier (能指) and the signified (所指).Chapter 12 7

Birth of Modern Linguistics (3) Saussure’s ideas on the arbitrary nature of sign, on the relational nature of linguistic units, on the distinction of LANGUE and PAROLE and of SYNCHRONIC and DIACHRONIC linguistics, etc. pushed linguistics into a brand new stage.Chapter 12 8

Birth of Modern Linguistics

concept thought(思维)or reference(关联意义)

word………………………………..thing symbol(符号) referent(所指) or form(形式)Chapter 12 9

Birth of Modern Linguisticse. g. – Can I use your bike? – I have to go to town. (ready-made sign预成) (signifier1能指) I have to go a long way. (signified1所指) (signifier2) I can’t go on foot. (signified2) (signifier3) … … I have to go by bike. (signifiedn) (signifiern+1) I can’t lend my bike to you. (generated sign生成) (intentional meaning)

Chapter 12

The Prague School The

Prague School (Circle of Linguistics of Prague) can be traced back to its first meeting under the

leadership of V. Mathesius (1882 1946) in 1926. Activists in the Prague School included R. Jakobson (1896 - 1982) and N. Trubetzkoy (1890-1938).Chapter 12 11

The Prague School This

school practised a special style of synchronic linguistics, and its most important contribution to linguistics is that it sees language in terms of FUNCTION. It has been an extremely important source of influence in linguistics, as has been stated that "No other European group has wielded quite as much influence as this one", and it "has influenced every important development in the United States" (Bolinger, 1968).Chapter 12 12

The Prague School

Of the many ideas developed in Prague School, three points are of special importance. First, it was stressed that the synchronic study of language is fully justified as it can draw on complete and controllable material for investigation. Second, there was an emphasis on the systemic character of language. Third, language was looked on as functional in another sense, that is, as a tool performing a number of essential functions or tasks for the community using it.Chapter 12 13

The Prague School

1. Phonology and phonological oppositions The Prague School is best known and remembered for its contribution to phonology and the distinction between phonetics and phonology. The most influential scholar in this connection is Trubetzkoy, whose most complete and authoritative statements of principle are formulated in his Principles of Phonology published in 1939. Following Saussure's distinction between langue and parole, he argued that phonetics belonged to parole whereas phonology belonged to langue.Chapter 12 14

The Prague School

1. Phonology and phonological oppositions (音位对立)

On this basis he developed the notion of "phoneme" as an abstract unit of the sound system as distinct from the sounds actually produced. A phoneme may be defined as the sum of the differential functions. Sounds may be phonemes in so far as they can serve to distinguish meaning.Chapter 12 15

The Prague School

1. Phonology and phonological oppositions

In classifying distinctive features, he proposed three criteria: (1) their relation to the whole contrastive system; (2) relations between the opposing elements; and (3) their power of discrimination.Chapter 12 16