The document discusses major concepts in linguistics including descriptive versus prescriptive grammars, synchronic versus diachronic linguistics, langue and parole, competence and performance, syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, and functionalism versus formalism. Descriptive grammars observe how language is actually used while prescriptive grammars prescribe rules for language use. Synchronic linguistics studies language at a single point in time whereas diachronic linguistics examines language changes over long periods of history.

1. Linguistics
Linguistics/bslicudine/2016

2. Chapter 2
1.3 Some Major Concepts in Linguistics

3. Key points
1.3.1 Descriptive and prescriptive
grammars
1.3.2 Synchronic and diachronic
linguistics
1.3.3 Langue and parole
1.3.4 Competence and performance
1.3.5 Syntagmatic and paradigmatic
relations
1.3.6 Functionalism and formalism

4. POINTS TO
CONSIDER
1. Descriptive and prescriptive
grammars
2. Synchronic and diachronic linguistics
3. Langue and parole
4. Competence and performance
5. Syntagmatic and paradigmatic
relations
6. Functionalism and formalism

5. Descriptive and
prescriptive grammars
–Most modern linguistics is
descriptive. It attempts to describe
what people actually say. Traditional
grammars told people how to use a
language.
–As traditional grammars tried to lay
down rules, they are often called
prescriptive.

6. –Descriptive grammars attempt to tell what
is in the language, while prescriptive
grammars tell people what should be in
the language.
–Language changes and develops. The
changes should be observed and described.
This does not deny that languages have

7. Synchronic and diachronic
linguistics
–Language can be studied at a
given point in time or over
time. When we study language
at one particular time, it is
called synchronic linguistics.

8. –When we study language developments through
time, it is called diachronic or historical
linguistics.
–Synchronic linguistics focuses on the state of
language at any point in history while diachronic
linguistics focuses on the differences in two or
more than two states of language over decades
or centuries.

9. In the following diagram, axis AB is the synchronic, static axis.
It can intersect at any point with XY. The diachronic axis XY has
been considered dynamic
– d
– I
– a
– c
– h
– r
– o
– n
– I
– c
–
– synchronic

10. In the following diagram, axis AB is the synchronic,
static axis. It can intersect at any point with XY. The
diachronic axis XY has been considered dynamic

11. OTHER CONCEPTS
– 1. Langue and parole--- F. de. Saussure
– 2. Competence and performance--- American linguist
Noam Chomsky
– 3. Syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations---Saussure
– 4. Functionalism and formalism

12. An important distinction
between langue and parole
(1) Langue refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by
all the members of a speech community. Parole refers
to particular realization of langue.
(2) Langue is the social, conventional side of language,
while parole is individualized speech.

13. (3) Langue is the code, and parole
is the massage.
(4) Parole is the concrete
manifestation of language either
through speech or writing. Langue
is the abstract knowledge.

14. Competence and
performance
–According to Chomsky, competence refers to the
knowledge that native speakers have of their
language as a system of abstract formal relations.
–while performance refers to their actual
linguistic behavior, that is, the actual use of this
knowledge.
–Chomsky’s competence is a psychological
construct and de Saussure’s langue is a set of
social conventions.

15. Syntagmatic and
paradigmatic relations
–The former refers to the horizontal
relationship between linguistic elements,
which form linear sequences.
–The later means the vertical relationship
between forms, which might occupy the same
particular place in the structure.

16. A vivid picture of the two
concepts
– syntagmatic
–
– P
– A b I t
– R f I t
– A h I t
– D k I t
– I p I t
– G s I t
– M w I t
– A
– T
– I
– c

17. A vivid picture of the two
concepts
– syntagmatic
–
– p
– a Nature
– r Beauty
– a Love purifies the mind
– d Honesty
– I Morality
– g Education
– m
– a
– t
– I
– c

18. Explainatin of the two
pictures
– Syntagmatic relations are actually positional
relations.
– That is, the sequential arrangement of
smaller linguistic forms into larger linguistic
forms, e.g. the arrangement of words and
phrases into sentences.
– Whereas, paradigmatic relations are relations
of substitution.
– That is, linguistic forms can be substituted for
each other in the same position in a word or
sentence.

19. Functionalism and
formalism
– Functionalism or functional linguistics refers to the
study of the forms of language in reference to their
social function in communication.
– It considers the individual as a social being and
investigates the way in which shehe acquires
language and uses it in order to communicate with
others in her or his social environment.
– Functionalism tends to explain the forms of language
by attributing a determining role of its function.
– This function is presumed to be communication. It
holds that the use of language influences its form.

20. Functionalism and
formalism
– Formalism or formal linguistics is the study of
the abstract forms of language and their
internal relations.
– It fixed on the forms of languages as evidence
of the universals without considering how
these forms function in communication and
the ways of social life in different
communities.
– The most outstanding representative of
formalism is Noam Chomsky’s
transformational-generative grammar.

21. Assignments
– 1. What is the difference between a prescriptive and a
descriptive approach to language?
– 2. Please compare and write out the difference between
synchronic and diachronic linguistics .