Chapter One rcise 2.doc

Chapter One Exercise 2I. Fill in the blanks.1. Language has many functions. We can use language to talk about itself. This function is _.2. Modern linguistic is _ in the sense that the linguist tries to discover what language is rather than lay down some rules for people to observe.3.The description of a language as it changes through time is a _ study.4. Saussure put forward two important concepts. _ refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by all members of a speech community.5. Linguistic potential is similar to Saussures langue and Chomskys _.6. Chomsky defines “competence” as the ideal users _of the rules of his language.7. The discipline that studies the rules governing the formation of words into permissible sentences in languages is called _. 8. _refers to a language users underlying knowledge about the system of rules.9. In Saussures view, language is a system of signs, each of which consists of two parts: _ and _ 10. The description of a language by taking a fixed instant as its point of observation is a _ study. II. Choose the best answer.1. A linguist regards the changes in language and languages use as _.A. unnatural B. something to be fearedC. natural D. abnormal2. _ is a grammatical description of a language specially designed as an aid to teaching that language to native or foreign learners.A. Descriptive grammarB. Prescriptive grammarC. Pedagogical grammarD. Universal grammar3. In Chinese when someone breaks a bowl or a plate the host or the people present are likely to say sui sui ping an (every year be safe and happy) as a means of controlling the forces which the believers feel might affect their lives. Which functions does it perform?A. Interpersonal. B. Emotive.C. Performative. D. Recreational.4. The function of the sentence Water boils at 100 degrees Centigrade is _.A. interrogative B. directiveC. informative D. performative5. Study the following dialogue. What function does it play according to the functions of language?- A nice day, isnt it?- Right! I really enjoy the sunlight.A. Emotive. B. Phatic.C. Performative. D. Interpersonal6. Which branch of linguistics studies the similarities and differences among languages?A. Diachronic linguistics.B. Synchronic linguistics.C. Prescriptive linguistics.D. Comparative linguistics.7. _ refers to the actual realization of the ideal language users knowledge of the rules of his language in utterances.A. Performance B. CompetenceC. Langue D. Parole8. _ deals with language application to other fields, particularly education.A. Linguistic geographyB. SociolinguisticsC. Applied linguisticsD. Comparative linguistics9. If a linguistic study describes and analyzes the language people actually use, it is said to be _. A. prescriptive B. analytic C. descriptive D. linguistic 10. Saussure took a (n)_ view of language, while Chomsky looks at language from a _ point of view. A. sociologicalpsychologicalB. psychologicalsociological C. applied pragmatic D. semantic and linguistic III. Decide whether the following statements are true T or false F._ 1. Prescriptive linguistics is more popular than descriptive linguistics, because it can tell us how to speak correct language._ 2. Competence and performance refer respectively to a language users underlying knowledge about the system of rules and the actual use of language in concrete situations._ 3. By diachronic study we mean to study the changes and development of language. _ 4. Langue is relatively stable and systematic while parole is subject to personal and situational constraints._5. Language change is universal, ongoing and arbitrary._ 6. In language classrooms nowadays the grammar taught to students is basically descriptive, and more attention is paid to the developing learners communicative skills._-7. Phonetics is different from phonology in that the latter studies the combinations of the sounds to convey meaning in communication. _ 8.Sussure s exposition of synchronic analysis led to the school of historical linguistics._9. There is universal agreement about the origin of language. _10. Applied linguistics is the application of linguistic principles and theories to language teaching and learning._ 11.Phonology is the study of speech sounds that human voice is capable of creating whereas phonetics is the study of a subset of those sounds that constitute language and meaning. _12. Morphology studies how words can be formed to produce meaningful sentences. _ 13. The study of the ways in which morphemes can be combined to form words is called morphology._14. Syntax is different from morphology in that the former not only studies the morphemes, but also the combination of morphemes into words and words into sentences. _15. Both semantics and pragmatics study meanings. .Define the following terms 1. metlanguage 2. macrolinguistics 3. competence 4. performance 5. langue 6. parole 7. Synchronic 8. diachronicV. Answer the following questions as comprehensively as possible. Give examplesfor illustration if necessary: (1) What are the major distinctions between langue and parole? (2) Compare and Comment: linguistic competence and linguistic performance(3) Saussures distinction between langue and parole seems similar to Chomskys distinction between competence and performance. What do you think are their major differences?Answers for Chapter One Exercise 2I. Fill in the blanks.1. metalingual function 2. descriptive3. diachronic linguistic 4. langue5. competence 6. knowledge7. syntax 8. Linguistic competence 9. concept ，sound / signifier, signified 10.synchronic II. Choose the best answer.1-5 CCCCB 6-9 DACCA III. Decide whether the following statements are true T or false F.1-5 F T T T F 6-10 T T F F T 11- 15 F F T F T.Define the following terms Metlanguage: It is certain kinds of linguistic signs or terms for the analysis and description of particular studies, for that, our language can be used to talk about itself. Macrolinguistics: the interacting study between language and language- related disciplines such as psychology, sociology, ethnography, science of law and artificial intelligence etc. Branches of macrolinguistics include psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, anthropological linguistics, etc. Competence: It is a language users underlying knowledge about the system of rules. This means a persons ability to create and understand sentences, including sentences they have never heard before. Performance: It refers to the actual use of language in concrete situations, which is not complete and perfect with the focuses on the individual. Langue: Langue refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community; Langue is the set of conventions and rules which language users all have to follow; Langue is relatively stable, it does not change frequently. Parole: Parole refers to the realization of langue in actual use; parole is the concrete use of the conventions and the application of the rules; parole varies from person to person, and from situation to situation. Synchronic: A synchronic description takes a fixed instant (usually, but not necessarily, the present) as its point of observation. Most grammars are of this kind. Diachronic: Diachronic linguistics is the study of a language through the course of its history, it shows off an approach to linguistics which studies how a language changes over a period of time. . Answer the following questions as comprehensively as possible. Give examplesfor illustration if necessary: (1)The distinction between langue, and parole was made by the famous linguist Ferdinand de Saussure early this century. Langue refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community, and parole refers to the realization of langue in actual use. Langue is the set of conventions and rules which language users all have to follow while parole is the concrete use of the conventions and the application of the rules. Langue is abstract; it is not the language people actually use, but parole is concrete; it refers to the naturally occurring language events. Langue is relatively stable; it does not change frequently; while parole varies from person to person, and from situation to situation. (2) American linguist N. Chomsky in the late 1950s proposed the distinction between competence and performance. Chomsky defines competence as the ideal users knowledge of the rules of his language. This internalized set of rules enables the language user to produce and understand an infinitely large number of sentences and recognize sentences that are ungrammatical and ambiguous. According to Chomsky,performance is the actual realization of this knowledge in linguistic communication. Although the speakers knowledge of his mother tongue is perfect, his performances may have mistakes because of social and psychological factors such as stress, embarrassment, etc. Chomsky believes that what linguists should study is the competence, which is systematic, not the performance, which is too accidental. The