Definition of linguistics:

   the scientific study of language

 

principles of linguistic studies：

adequacy
consistency
economy
objectivity

 

Scope of linguistics:

a).Theoretical linguistics:

   the major branches:

     1.phonetics: the scientific study of speech sounds

     2.phonology: the study of how speech sounds function in a language

     3.morphology: the study of the formation of words

     4.syntax :deals with the combination of words into phrases,clauses and sentences. It is the grammer of sentence construction.

     5.semantics: concerned with the study of meaning in all its formal aspects

     6.pragmatics: the study of language in use

B). Use of linguistics:

      1.Applied linguistics

      2.Sociolinguistics

      3.Psycholinguistics

Some important distinctions in linguistics

1.descriptive&prescriptive

2.synchronic&diachronic

(3.speech &writing)

4.langue & parole (F.de Saussure)（take a sociological view of language)

   langue:the abstract linguistic system shared by all members of the speech community.(抽象，不变,语言学家的研究对象）

   parole:the realization of langue in actual use.(具体，变化）

5.competence & performance(Chomsky) (take a psychological view of language)

   competence:the ideal user's knowledge of the the rules of his language(抽象,语言学家的研究对象）

   performance:the actual realization of this knowledge in linguistic communication（具体）

（6.traditional grammar & Modern linguistics)

Saussure's distinction between langue and parole 与Chomsky's distinction between competence and performance 的相似点和区别