Please join us on Wednesday, October 18th, 2023 for the Welcoming session organized by the department of English. Click the link below to join the meeting! All the details concerning the Online Licence FAD will be explained in this session.
Google Meet
Meeting link : https://meet.google.com/gcf-fjci-bbw
Please, open the document in order to check the planning of lectures during the first semester (2023-2024)
This linguistics course is designed for students who
have no prior knowledge of linguistics, the objectives are based on providing a
foundational understanding of linguistics and introducing key concepts in a clear,
logical and accessible way.
EVALUATION: CC (Continuous Evaluation) 40% and Final Exam 60%
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Understand and be familiar with the basic concepts and terminology of language and linguistics.
- Explore the scientific parameter of Linguistics.
- Provide an overview of the different sub-fields of linguistics, such as phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
- Explore the structure of language at different levels, including sounds (phonetics and phonology), word formation (morphology), and sentence structure (syntax).
- Explain the concept of language from different linguists' view points.
This glossary provides a selection of specialized terms and concepts commonly used in linguistics. This list of terms will be updated according to the lessons achieved.
Welcome to the first lesson of our course, "An Introduction to Linguistics "! In this lesson, we will delve into the fascinating field of linguistics and explore what it entails.
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It involves examining language from various perspectives, including its sounds (phonetics and phonology), word formation (morphology), sentence structure (syntax), meaning (semantics), and language use in social context (sociolinguistics).
By studying linguistics, we gain insights into how language is used, acquired, and processed by individuals and communities. It allows us to understand the intricacies of human communication and the diversity of languages around the world.
Well, language is an essential aspect of human life. It is the primary means through which we express our thoughts, emotions, and ideas. Understanding how language works helps us communicate effectively, appreciate cultural differences, and analyze language-related issues such as language acquisition, language change, and language disorders.
Linguistics is considered a science because it follows systematic and empirical methods to study language. It employs the scientific method to observe, describe, analyze, and explain linguistic phenomena.
Empirical Observation: Linguistics is based on the empirical observation of language data. Linguists collect and analyze real-world language examples to draw conclusions about the structure, use, and evolution of languages.
Systematic Analysis: Linguists use systematic and
structured approaches to analyze language. This includes the study of
phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics, and other
subfields, each with its own set of rules and principles.
Objectivity: Linguistics aims for objectivity in its analyses. While linguists may have personal perspectives, the field as a whole seeks to minimize bias and subjectivity in the study of language.
Now, let's delve deeper into the various branches of linguistics, which encompass the study of language from different perspectives. Each branch focuses on a specific aspect of language, allowing linguists to gain a comprehensive understanding of how language works. Linguistics consists of two major fields, namely;
(1) Microlinguistics, namely the field of linguistics that studies the structure of language itself. Microlinguistics involves the detailed analysis of specific linguistic elements at the smallest levels of language structure such as phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics..
(2) Macrolinguistics, namely the field of linguistics that studies language in relation to factors outside of language, including interdisciplinary and applied fields. It involves the study of language on larger, more holistic levels, considering overall language structures, language families, and sociocultural contexts such as sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, applied linguistics...
These are two closely related branches of linguistics that deal with the sounds of language. Phonetics examines the physical properties of speech sounds, such as their production, transmission, and perception. It explores the articulatory, acoustic, and auditory aspects of human speech. Phonologists, on the other hand, study the patterns and organization of sounds in particular languages. They analyze phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound that can distinguish meaning in a language.
Morphology is the branch of linguistics that investigates the structure of words and how they are formed. It explores the internal structure of words, including morphemes, which are the smallest meaningful units of language. Morphologists analyze the rules and patterns by which morphemes combine to form words. For example, in English, the word "unhappiness" consists of three morphemes: "un-", "happy", and "-ness". Understanding morphology is crucial for comprehending the formation and meaning of words in different languages.
Syntax is concerned with the structure and arrangement of words to form grammatically correct sentences. It investigates the rules that govern the combination of words to create meaningful phrases and sentences. Syntax examines sentence structure, word order, and the relationships between words in a sentence. By studying syntax, linguists can uncover the underlying principles that govern the formation of sentences in different languages.
Semantics is the branch of linguistics that explores the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences. It investigates how words and sentences convey meaning and how meaning can vary in different contexts. Semantics examines the relationships between words, such as synonyms, antonyms, and hyponyms. It also investigates the principles of truth conditions and how they affect the interpretation of language. Understanding semantics is crucial for understanding how meaning is conveyed in language.
Sociolinguistics is the branch of linguistics that studies the relationship between language and society. It explores how language varies and changes across different social groups, regions, and cultures. Sociolinguists investigate language variation in terms of dialects, accents, and social factors such as age, gender, and social class. They also examine language attitudes, language planning, and language policy. Understanding sociolinguistics is crucial for comprehending the social aspects of language use and how language reflects and shapes society.
EVALUATION: CC (Continuous Evaluation) 40% and Final Exam 60%
Introduction to Phonetics is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in the study of human speech sounds, equipping them with valuable skills for effective communication. Our aim is to improve learners' phonetic knowledge practically and theoretically. This course will offer essential insights into the world of phonetics.
Course Objectives
By the end of this section, students will be able to:
- Recall and recognize the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols for common English sounds, Identify and remember the basic terminology used in phonetics, such as phoneme, vowel, consonant, articulation, and voicing.Phonetics: /fə ˈnet.ɪks/; (from the Greek: φωνή, phōnē, "sound”, is a branch of linguistic science which studies mainly the characteristics of human speech sounds. It can refer to the study of production and perception of the set of speech sounds within a specific language. It is defined by (Crystal 2003:349) as:
[t]he science which studies the characteristics of human sound making, especially those sounds used in speech, and provides methods for their description, classification and transcription.”
Letters represent the units of the alphabets which people use when writing. The sound-based or alphabetic writing systems attempt to represent, in some languages the pronunciation of each word.
It is recognizable that among the most important skills of a phonetician is transcription. As previously demonstrated, spelling cannot often tell us unmistakably the pronunciation of a word. Transcription, therefore, afford a wealth of an organised system of symbols that represent speech sounds only that allow speakers to write down the pronunciation clearly and consistently.
In this sense, phoneticians have developed two types of phonetic writing system:
A systematic method of representing phonemes in a rather general way, it uses a restricted set of symbols. This is also called phonemic transcription, broad notation, and broad script.
A narrow transcription gives a much more accurate indication of actual speech sounds, but requires more symbols. It is a method of representing the sounds of spoken language in fine detail; it uses the same set of symbols with the addition of diacritics and other symbols.
