Introduction to Linguistics 1

Pat Shaw

How can the study of Linguistics help me learn more about my own language? Linguistics offers a framework of concepts and analytical tools to help understand the way different languages are organized. Within every component of a language – ranging from what sounds are used to how words, phrases, and sentences are built up into conversations or stories or speeches – there are patterns. What Linguistics aims to do is discover just what those patterns are. What makes every language so unique and so special is how those patterns are structured and how they work together to become a vehicle for the particular world view of the cultural identity of the people who speak that language.

“Language” is a universal and uniquely human capability, and all human languages share certain properties. Even though languages may ‘sound’ really different, some aspects are essentially similar! For language learning and teaching, it’s helpful to discover common properties. At the same time, it’s also valuable to learn about the ways in which languages may differ, as this can contribute to understanding what aspects of language learning are more challenging, and why.

Week 1 of this course provides a foundation in core concepts of language structure, focussing on the properties of sounds (phonetics) and phonological systems, as well as on processes for building words (morphology) and sentences (syntax).