Linguistics and its classification

Linguistics

1. Introduction to Linguistics Course code – 1606-220 B.A in English Level 3

2. Linguistics is the scientific study of human language and its use. Scope : Syntax, Semantics, phonology, Morphology, Phonetics. Someone who engages in this study is called a linguist . LINGUISTICS

3. Language in general and language in particular can be studied from different points of view. The field of linguistics as a whole can be divided into several subfields according to the point of view that is adopted. BRANCHES OF LINGUISTICS

4. FIRST DISTINCTION GENERAL LINGUISTICS DESCRIPTIVE LINGUISTICS Studying language in general. Supplies the concepts and categories in terms of which particular languages are to be analyzed. Studying particular languages. Provides the data which confirm or refute the propositions and theories put forward in general linguistics.

5. SECOND DISTINCTION Diachronic (Historical) Linguistics Synchronic Linguistics Traces the historical development of the language and records the changes that have taken place in it between successive points in time: ‘diachronic’ is equivalent to historical. Non- historical: presents an account of the language as it is at some particular point in time. Saussure presented these concepts

6. THIRD DISTINCTION Theoretical Linguistics Applied Linguistics Formulation of a satisfactory theory of the structure of language in general. Application of the concepts and findings of linguistics to a variety of practical tasks , including language teaching.

7. FOURTH DISTINCTION Micro linguistics Macro linguistics Concerned solely with the structures of the language system in itself and for itself. Concerned with the way languages are acquired, stored in the brain and used for various functions; interdependence of language and culture; physiological and psychological mechanisms involved in language behavior.

8. FOURTH DISCTINCTION (Contd.) Micro Linguistics Macro linguistics Phonetics Phonology Morphology Syntax Semantics Pragmatics Psycholinguistics Sociolinguistics Neurolinguistics Discourse Analysis Computational Linguistics Applied Linguistics

9. Phonetics is the scientific study of speech sounds in general. It studies how speech sounds are articulated, transmitted, and received. Phonology is the study of how speech sounds function in a language, it studies the ways speech sounds are organized. It can be seen as the functional phonetics of a particular language. Morphology is the study of the forms and formation of words. It is a branch of linguistics which breaks words into morphemes. It can be considered as the grammar of words as syntax is the grammar of sentences. MICROLINGUISTICS

10. Syntax is the study of sentence structure. It deals with the combination of words into phrases, clauses and sentences. It is the grammar of sentence construction. Semantics is the study of meaning in all its formal aspects. Words have several types of meaning Pragmatics is the study of language use in context. MICROLINGUISTICS

11. Sociolinguistics is the study of the relations between language and society: how social factors influence the structure and use of language. Psycholinguistics is the study of language and mind: the mental structures and processes which are involved in the acquisition, comprehension and production of language. Neurolinguistics is the study of language processing and language representation in the brain. It typically studies the disturbances of language comprehension and production caused by the damage of certain areas of the brain. MACROLINGUISTICS

12. Discourse analysis, or text linguistics is the study of the relationship between language and the contexts in which language is used. It deals with how sentences in spoken and written language form larger meaningful units. Computational linguistics is an approach to linguistics which employs mathematical techniques, often with the help of a computer. Applied linguistics is primarily concerned with the application of linguistic theories, methods and findings to the elucidation of language problems which have arisen in other areas of experience MACROLINGUISTICS

13. Forensic linguistics, legal linguistics, or language and the law, is the application of linguistic knowledge, methods and insights to the forensic context of law, language, crime investigation, trial, and judicial procedure. It is a branch of applied linguistics. MACROLINGUISTICS