Introduction to Linguistics

Table of Content edit

Introduction
  1. Nature of Language
    • Origin of language
    • Animal language
    • Language is arbitrary
    • Language change
  2. Structural Grammar
    • Competence and performance
    • Deep and surface structure
    • Transformational-generative grammar
    • Syntax
    • Advantages and disadvantages of SG
  3. Functional Grammar
    • Grammar and meaning
    • Form and function
    • Theme and Rheme
    • Accuracy or acceptability
  4. Speech and Writing
    • Speech and writing represent different codes
    • Features of speech
    • Features of writing
    • A hybrid form: Netspeak
    • Confusion of speech and writing in textbooks
  5. Pragmatics
    • Semantic and pragmatic meaning
    • Meaning and context
    • The cooperative principle
    • Politeness
    • Speech acts
    • Breaking of maxims in textbooks
  6. Discourse Analysis
    • What is discourse?
    • Coherence
    • Cohesion
    • Discourse analysis and language teaching
  7. Language Teaching and Learning
    • Traditional approach
    • Behaviorism
    • Communicative approach
    • Task-based approach
  8. World Englishes
    • Varieties of English
    • Equal Status of all varieties
  9. Computational Linguistics
    • Computer and speech
    • Computer and writing
    • Computer assisted language learning
    • Web-based language learning
    • Corpus linguistics