Exploring Linguistics: The Science of Language Study

1. Linguistics—the Study of Language An Overview

2. Definitions • Language—system of words or signs that people use to communicate. It is a central feature of being human, and allows speakers of that language to exchange information, express ideas, emotions, desires, etc. • There are approximately 6,500 living languages today • English is classified as a Germanic language • Lexicon—the vocabulary of a language • Linguistics—the scientific study of language

3. Five Areas of Study in Liguistics (They all build on each other)

4. Ways to Study Language • Phonology (phonetics)—the study of sounds in language • Morphology—the study of the formation of words in language • Syntax—the study of the formation of sentences • Semantics—the study of meaning • Pragmatics—the study of the use of language

5. Other Areas of Study in Linguistics • Historical Linguistics—the history and development of language • Dialectology—study of dialects; Dialect—a form of language that is spoken in a particular area and that uses some of its own words, grammar, and pronunciations • Psycholinguistics—study of relationships between linguistic behavior and the psychological processes involved (for example—language acquisition in children) • Sociolinguistics—study of language in relation to social factors, including differences of regional, class, and occupational dialects

6. Other Areas (con’t) • Ethnolinguistics—the study of language as a part of culture, especially the study of culture on language (sometimes referred to as cultural linguistics) • Computational Linguistics—techniques of computer science are applied to the analysis and synthesis of language and speech • Neurolinguistics—study of the relationship between language and the structure and function of the brain