Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It examines language from various perspectives including formal, biological, psychological, historical, and interactional views. Saussure argued that in linguistics, the object of study is not predetermined but rather is created by the viewpoint or perspective adopted by the linguist. Language has three main aspects - as a formal system, a biological trait of humans, and as a psychological faculty of the mind. It is characterized by creativity, recursion, and complexity, distinguishing it from animal communication systems.

2. What is Linguistics?

3. It is the science that studies human Language.

4. ?
It is the science that studies human Language.

5. ?
It is the science that studies human Language.
?

6. Specific
Language
Social
Biological
Psychological
Formal
Historical
Interactional
Cultural
Regional
Expressive
Evolutive
Functional Empirical

7. “Other sciences are provided with objects of study given in
advance, which are then examined from different points of view.
Nothing like that is the case in linguistics. Suppose someone
pronounces the French word nu (‘naked’). At first sight, one
might think this would be an example of an independently given
linguistic object. But more careful consideration reveals a series
of three or four quite different things, depending on the
viewpoint adopted. There is a sound, there is the expression of
an idea, there is a derivative of Latin nūdum, and so on. The
object is not given in advance of the viewpoint: far from it.
Rather, one might say that it is the viewpoint adopted which
creates the object.”
Saussure – Course in General Linguistics (p.23)

8. “Other sciences are provided with objects of study given in
advance, which are then examined from different points of view.
Nothing like that is the case in linguistics. Suppose someone
pronounces the French word nu (‘naked’). At first sight, one
might think this would be an example of an independently given
linguistic object. But more careful consideration reveals a series
of three or four quite different things, depending on the
viewpoint adopted. There is a sound, there is the expression of
an idea, there is a derivative of Latin nūdum, and so on. The
object is not given in advance of the viewpoint: far from it.
Rather, one might say that it is the viewpoint adopted which
creates the object.”
Saussure – Course in General Linguistics (p.23)

9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBqgr5xZLz0
Video: Six Blind Men

10. PabloPicasso,PortraitofDoraMaar(1937).CourtesyMuséenationalPicasso,Paris.

11. The Observer Paradox
The observer presence alters the naturality of
the observed situation.
Aristotle: Our comprehension and
understanding of the world is built upon our
own perception.
Sophists: The man is the measure of all
things.
How to deal with it?

12. ?

13. RELATIVIZE
CONSIDER THE LIMITATIONS
KEEP IN MIND THAT SCIENCE IS DONE UPON A
METHOD
KEEP IN MIND THAT METHODS DOES NOT REVEAL
THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH.
KEEP IN MIND THAT THE POINT OF VIEW IS
DETERMINED BY THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.

14. What about Psycholinguistics?

15. “Psycholinguistics is an interdisciplinary field of study in which the
goals are to understand [and explain] how people acquire language,
how people use language to speak and understand one another, and
how language is represented and processed in the brain.
Psycholinguistics is primarily a sub-discipline of psychology and
linguistics, but it is also related to developmental psychology, cognitive
psychology, neurolinguistics, and speech science.”
(FERNANDEZ & CAIRNS, 2011)

16. Language
Social
Biological
Psychological
Formal
Historical
Interactional
Cultural
Regional
Expressive
Evolutive
Specific
Functional Empiric

17. • Formal: It is an structured system;
• Biological: It is specifically human; language physiology
(visual, hearing, and vocal apparatuses, brain); evolution;
• Psychological: It is an abstract reality, intimately linked to
thought. It is a faculty of the mind.
(Human) Language: three aspects

18. • Formal: It is an structured system;
• Biological: It is specifically human; language physiology (visual,
hearing, and vocal apparatuses, brain); evolution;
• Psychological: It is an abstract reality, intimately linked to
thought. It is a faculty of the mind.
(i) What are the characteristics of (human)
language?
(ii) In what extent this language is different
from animal communication systems?
(iii) How is it acquired?
(iv) How does it operate?
(Human) Language: three aspects

19. • Formal: It is an structured system;
• Biological: It is specifically human; language physiology (visual,
hearing, and vocal apparatuses, brain); evolution;
• Psychological: It is an abstract reality, intimately linked to
thought. It is a faculty of the mind.
(i) What are the characteristics of (human)
language?
(ii) In what extent this language is
different from animal communication
systems?
(iii) How is it acquired?
(iv) How does it operate?
(Human) Language: three aspects

20. The thing about communication
Language is a way of communication

21. Language is a way of communication
?
The thing about communication

22. ADRESSER ADRESSEE
CONTEXT
MESSAGE
CONTACT
CODE
Roman Jakobson

24. Audio 1: The Pretender (Foo Fighters)
Audio 2: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: I. Allegro con brio (Beethoven)

25. https://www.freecreatives.com/fine-art/modern-art-photography.html

26. Frauenkopf(1911),AlexejvonJawlensky

28. Saussure
Langue vs. Parole
Language ≠ Speech

29. Saussure
Langue vs. Parole
Language ≠ Speech

30. Saussure

31. Saussure
PHYSIOLOGICAL
PROCESS
PHYSICAL PROCESS
PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESS

32. Saussure
PHYSIOLOGICAL
PROCESS
PHYSICAL PROCESS
PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESS

33. Video: Denise Herzing- Could we
speak the language of dolphins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ5dRyyHwfM

34. Video: Einstein the famous talking
African Grey Parrot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rfGEtALHYs

35. Video: Ape House and author Sara
Gruen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ-40_4chlI

36. (i) In what extent this language is diferente from animal
communication systems?
• Formal: Creativity; Generative (system designed to be fruitful)
• Biological: Genetics (FOXP2); language physiology (visual,
hearing, and vocal apparatuses, brain); exaptation;
• Psychological: Recursion; complexity; memory.
(Human) Language: three aspects

37. (i)What are the characteristics of (human) language?
(ii) In what extent this language is different from animal communication
systems?
(iii) How is it acquired?
(iv) How does it operate?

(Human) Language: three aspects