英语专业语言学论文
X x x x x x x x x
毕业论文
On the Arbitrariness and Iconicity of Linguistic Signs
系别
专业年级
学生姓名
学号
指导教师
职称教授
毕业论文原创性声明
本人郑重声明：所呈交毕业论文，是本人在指导教师的指导下，独立进行研究工作所取得的成果。除文中已经注明引用的内容外，本论文不包含任何其他人或集体已经发表或撰写过的作品成果。对本文的研究做出重要贡献的个人和集体，均已在文中以明确方式标明。本人完全意识到本声明的法律结果由本人承担。
签字：________________
2010年5月13日
摘要
自从索绪尔提出了语言符号的任意性原则之后，语言符号是任意的还是非任意的问题在语言学界中成为一个被持续讨论并有争议的话题。与索绪尔的任意说相反，近年来，
一些语言学家认为语言的每一个层面(语音，词形，句法)都存在着大量的象似性现象，甚至以此来否定语言符号的任意性。
为了找出争论的根源，本文从索绪尔的任意性原则与皮尔士的象似性理论进行分析，我们发现他们所讨论的任意性与象似性属于不同的层面，两者并不矛盾。接着，笔者考察了语言结构、语言发展和语言应用三个方面，从而进一步阐释两者的互补关系，并且得出语言符号的任意性与象似性并非矛盾，而是相互补充，共存于语言体之中的结论。
关键词:语言符号任意性象似性互补关系
Abstract
Whether linguistic signs are arbitrary or not has been an ever-discussed and controversial issue in linguistic circle. During the recent years, a few linguists have argued that iconicity
operates at every level of language (phonology, morphology, syntax) and even have asserted that iconicity is the most fundamental feature of linguistic signs.
In order to find out the origin of the dispute, the author has examined Saussure?s theory of the arbitrariness of language and Peirce?s theory of iconicity respectively. It is found that arbitrariness and iconicity discussed by Saussure and Peirce lie in different levels of language and they are not contradictory to each other. To further expound the complementarity of arbitrariness and iconicity, the author examines language structure, the evolution of language and language use in communication. And from the above analysis we conclude that both arbitrariness and iconicity are fundamental features of linguistic signs. The two features are coexistent and complementary in language system and verbal communication.
Key words: linguistic signs, arbitrariness, iconicity, complementarity
Content
I. Introduction:
The Debate on Arbitrariness and Iconicity in Linguistic Signs
1.1The origin of the dispute
1.1.1The Naturalists vs. the Conventionists in ancient Greece 1.1.2Leibniz vs. Locke in 17th century
1.1.3Humboldts vs. Whitney in 19th century
1.2 The debate abroad since Saussure
1.2.1The views held by advocates of the principle of arbitrariness 1.2.2 Views opposed to the principle of arbitrariness
II. The Theory of Arbitrariness
2.1 Saussure?s absolute arbitrariness
2.2 Saussure?s relative arbitrariness
2.3 Factors restricting arbitrariness
2.3.1 Arbitrariness and Conventionality
2.3.2 Arbitrariness and Systematicity
III. The Theory of Iconicity
3.1 The Peirce?s model of taxonomy of signs
3.1.1 Symbol
3.1.2 Indexes
3.1.3 Icon
3.2 Categories of iconicity
3.2.1 Imagic Iconicity
3.2.1.1 Onomatopoeic signs
3.2.1.2 Sound symbolism
3.2.2 Diagrammatic iconicity
3.2.2MetaPhoriealiconicity
IV. Complementarity of Arbitrariness to Iconicity
4.1 Iconicity and Motivation
4.2 Complementarity between Arbitrariness and Iconicity
4.2.1 Comparing theories of Saussure and Peirce
4.2.2 From the perspective of the evolution of language
4.2.2.1 At lexical level
4.2.2.2 Syntactic change and iconicity
4.2.3 From the perspective of verbal communication
4.2.3.1 Language production in communication
4.2.3.2 Mutual understanding in communication
4.2.3.3 Brief conclusion
V. Summary: Language is both arbitrary and non- arbitrary
On the Arbitrariness and Iconicity of Linguistic Signs
论语言符号的任意性和象似性
Ⅰ. Introduction:
The Debate on Arbitrariness and Iconicity in Linguistic Signs From ancient Greece to Present time, the debate on whether linguistic signs are arbitrary or not has been a recurring theme in linguistic inquiry into the nature of the linguistic sign. 1.1The origin of the dispute
1.1.1The Naturalists vs. the Conventionists in ancient Greece
The discussion on arbitrariness and iconicity in language is deeply rooted in the history of language studies. Going far back to ancient Greece, there was a debate between the Naturalists and the Conventionists.
Plato was the representative of the Naturalists. In the dialogue Cratylus (2003), Plato maintained that names revealed the essence of things, and there was natural connection between names and things. While，Aristotle，Plato?s student, who held the views of the Conventionists, noted th at “there can be no natural connection between the sound of any language and the things signified” (cited in Chandler, 2002:26).
1.1.2Leibniz vs. Locke in 17th century
It was in the 17th and 18th centuries that the topic became crucial and resulted in a discussion of the Aristotelian paradigm which had conditioned European Philosophy of language from the late antiquity(Gensini, 1994:3).
In the New Essays on human, Leibniz believes that “languages are the best mirror of the human mind, and that a precise analysis of the signification of words would tell us more than any thing else about the operations of the understanding” (Leibniz, 1981:333).
From Locke?s statement, we can see the difference between languages in the grounds on which Locke argued for the arbitrariness of linguistic signs .This coincides with Saussure?s argument two centuries later.
1.1.3Humboldts vs. Whitney in 19th century
In 19th century there were also opposing views on the nature of language.Wilhelm von Humboldts (1988:61)，the famous German linguist, proposed that language structure is a reflection of the structure of the world, a view similar to syntactic iconicity discussed by us nowadays.
While Dwight Whitney, another influential linguist in the same century, mentioned the
arbitrariness of language several times in his Language and the study of Language. He emphasized the arbitrary relationship between a sound pattern and a concept.
1.2 The debate abroad since Saussure
Through the review of the debate before Saussure, we may find that principle of arbitrariness was not Saussure?s original conception. However, the emphasi s, which Saussure laid on it in his structural theory of language, drew the attention of linguists. And from then on, his principle of the arbitrariness has been heatedly discussed.
1.2.1The views held by advocates of the principle of arbitrariness
Since the time of Saussure, whose thought came to exert a pervasive and enduring influence well into the modern period, linguists have generally stuck to the principle of arbitrariness.
Meillet, one of Saussure?s followers, emphasized the importance of the principle in the study of comparative linguistics. In accord with Saussure and Meillet, Sapir emphasized the arbitrary nature of linguistic signs He demonstrated the arbitrariness of linguistic signs in the introduction to his book language.
1.2.2 Views opposed to the principle of arbitrariness
For generations of scholars, the principle of arbitrariness has been a dogma of linguistics. Yet such a view of language has come under increasing fire. The challenging views arose now and then. Many scholars expressed their disagreement from different angles.
Based on Peirc e?s classification of signs in the study of iconicity, Jakobson (1971:352) claimed that “Both in syntax and in morphology any relation of parts and wholes agree with Peirce?s definition of diagrams and their iconic nature.”And in his viewpoint，this diagrammatic iconicity invalidates Saussure?s principle of arbitrariness.
II. The Theory of Arbitrariness
2.1 Saussure?s absolute arbitrariness
According to Saussure，linguistic sign shave two Primordial characteristics，the first principle is that linguistic sign is arbitrary. It is this principle that evokes the debate after him.
Saussure argues the bond between signifier and signified is arbitrary. He intends to prove his claim by the difference among languages. For example, “Tree”, “树”,“き”and“ arbor” can
all stand for roughly the same concept because there is nothing about any of these sounds that is like trees.
Theoretically speaking，any signifier could represent any signified. No specific signifier is naturally more suited to a signified than any other signifier. It is totally arbitrary for us to choose certain sound pattern to express certain concept. So it is possible for us to call “black” “white”, or “sky”“ground”, before the language system is set.
2.2 Saussure?s relative arbitrariness
Saussure could have foreseen the dispute on his arbitrariness after him. He raises the notion of “relative ar bitrariness.” He declares that “the entire linguistic system founded up on the irrational principle that the sign is arbitrary.” (Saussure, 2001:131) However immediately followed this provocative declaration he acknowledges that “ap plied without restriction, this principle would lead to utter chaos.”(ibid: 131)
Saussure introduces a distinction between degrees of arbitrariness: “The fundamental principle of the arbitrary nature of the linguistic sign does not prevent us from distinguishing in any language between what is intrinsically arbitrary--that is, unmotivated--and what is only relatively arbitrary. Not all signs are absolutely arbitrary. In some cases, there are factors which allow us to recognize different degrees of arbitrariness, although never to discard the notion entirely. The sign maybe motivated to a certain extent.”(Saussure, 2001:130).
Saussure adopts the term “absolute arbitrariness”to refer to the relationship between signifier and signified, while “relative arbitrariness”to denote the systematicity between language signs in the system of language.
2.3 Factors restricting arbitrariness
When Saussure emphasizes the importance of the principle of Arbitrariness, he sees factors that may restrict the production and development of linguistic signs. These factors involve the external social and cultural factors and internal factors in the system of language.
2.3.1 Arbitrariness and Conventionality
Conventionality is a factor restricting arbitrariness. When we interpret arbitrariness, we shall realize that“it must not be taken to imply that a signal depends on the free choice of the speaker.”(Saussure，2001:68). That is to say, the principle of arbitrariness does not mean that
the form of a word is random. Before a language system has been established, it is arbitrary for us to choose a certain sound pattern to express a certain concept. However, once the linguistic sign has become established in a linguistic community, an individual has no power to change it.
In Saussure?s opinion, “the structure of a language is a social product for our language faculty. At the same time, it is also a body of necessary conventions adopted by society to enable members of society to use their language faculty.” (ibid: 68). It is clear that a part from the arbitrary relation, Saussure also stresses the relationship between signifier and signified is conventional-dependent on social and cultural convention.
2.3.4.2 Arbitrariness and Systematicity
According to Saussure (2001:121), in a linguistic state, everything depends on relations. “A language is a system in which all the element fit together, and in which the value of any one element depends on the simultaneous coexistence of all the others.”(ibid: 113). That is to say. Every sign isn't an autonomous unit, but a part in the system of language, and it is dependent on the other members in the system. “On the one hand, the concept appears to be just the counterpart of a sound pattern, as one constituent part of a linguistic sign. On the other hand, this linguistic sign itself as a link uniting the two constituent elements likewise has counterparts.” (ibid: 113). For example, to u nderstand what is red, it is necessary to know the distinction between red and other colors, say, blue, white, black etc.
Saussure himself sees this restriction. He (2001:131) claims,” So far we have looked upon units as values, as elements of a system, and considered principally the oppositions between them. But now we are taking stock of their interdependences, both associative and syntagmatic, which combine to set a l imit to arbitrariness.”
How does systematicity restrict arbitrariness? It is exhibited in Saussure's relative arbitrariness or relative motive, which we will discuss in the following section. In practice, the process of learning language can prove this restriction from relational system. When beginners learn a language, at the beginning they may be totally bewildered by the arbitrary relation between signifier and signified. However, with the accumulation of their knowledge of the target language, they may gradually find out the regularity and rules of that language. We all experience such a process, which explains the effects that systematicity exerts on the
arbitrariness.
III. The Theory of Iconicity
To explore the relationship between arbitrariness and iconicity, it is necessary for us to find out what the theory of iconicity deals with.
Generally speaking, iconicity, according to the explanation of Croft, is a type of external motivation for linguistic structure. The intuition behind iconicity is: the structure of language reflects in some degree the structure of experience, that is to say, the structure of the world, including (in most functionalists? view) the perspective imposed on the world by the speaker (2000:164).
3.1 The Peirce?s model of taxonomy of signs
3.1.1 Symbol
A symbol, according to Peirce, “is a sign which refers to the object that it de notes by virtue of a law” (Peirce, 1931-58.2:294), that is, such signs come to existence through certain conventions. We interpret symbols according to “a rule”, or a habitual connection.
At the same time, Peirce illustrates: “All words, sentences, books, and other conventional signs are Symbols.”(ibid: 292).Therefore, generally speaking, all languages in the world are symbol systems.
3.1.2 Indexes
In the case of the index, there is a relationship of cause and effect, or a temporal, local or physical link between the sign and its object. Indexes refer to their objects via an actual casual link between the sign and its object (ibid: 248).Therefore, the sign and the object are directly connected in some way (Physically or causally) to the object. And the link can be observed or inferred.
For example, when Robinson Crusoe sees Friday?s footprint in the sand he realizes there is another human. Here, the footprint is an index which signals to Crusoe there exists another human. Likewise, smoke is an index of fire, a weather cock is an index of wind direction, a mark on a fever thermometer is an index of body temperature, and so forth.
3.1.3 Icon
According to Peirce (ibid.247), “an icon is a sign which refers to the object that it
denotes merely by virtue of characters of its own, and which it possesses, just the same, Whether any such object exist or not…”That is, the essential aspect of an icon is one of similarity broadly defined. In other words, an icon stands for an object by resembling it, not necessarily visually, but by any means. Included in this category of sign are obvious examples like pictures, maps, and diagrams and some not so obvious ones like algebraic expressions. Some onomatopoeic words, such as pu-we, tick-tock, bang, etc. belong to this category of icons for they are coined to resemble the concepts they signify.
Peirce divided iconic signs into three subcategories: images, diagrams and metaphors. Images have a physical resemblance to their referents. Both Pictures and onomatopoeic words resemble their referents so they are obvious images. “those which rep resent the relations, mainly dyadic, or so regarded, of the parts of one thing by analogous relations in their own parts, are diagrams” (ibid.:277), that is, diagrams show the relationship among the parts of the object, as maps; Metaphors need not literally resemble the Physical form of their referent, but they relate to it in a more abstract way.
3.2 Categories of iconicity
From Peirce?s subdivision of iconic signs, we get three subclasses of iconicity, i.e. imagic iconicity, diagrammatic iconicity and metaphorical iconicity.
3.2.1 Imagic Iconicity
According to the first class of iconic signs, we get imagic iconicity. In this category, “the sign evinces an immediately perceptible similarity to its object of referenc e.”(N?th, 2001:21) 3.2.1.1 Onomatopoeic signs
The best-known examples of the magic type are onomatopoeic words like animal sounds such as “meow” (cat)or “moo” (cow), or visual icons such as paintings or photographs. In the framework of iconicity, these signs are motivated by the object, in the real world that they represent, and they are therefore non-arbitrary.
As for the possibility that onomatopoeic words and exclamation might be against the principle of arbitrariness, Saussure (2001:69) defends his claim by pointing out that “onomatopoeic words and exclamatory words are rather marginal phenomena,” in his opinion, these words are no threat to the principle of arbitrariness because “such words are never
organic elements of a linguistic system. Moreover, they are far fewer than is generally believed” (ibid: 69)
Moreover, we may use other signifiers to signify the same concept with non-onomatopoeic words. For example, in Chinese, we may refer to “布谷鸟” with “杜鹃”, the former one is the onomatopoeic way to refer to the bird, while the latter is not, but they refer to the same concept. In English, the word “Ping-Pong” has the same meaning with “table tennis”.
However, we can not deny this kind of imagic iconicity for their scarcity, for their dependence on medium because onomatopoeic expressions are a kind of primitive name for an object in the form of an imitation of the sound produced it. In these expressions, the imitation of the environmental sounds is actually existent. Saussure (2001:69) himself acknowledges that “their symbolic origin is to some extent disputable”. Therefore, as for the onomatopoeic words, on the one hand, we acknowledge the existence of such iconic signs; on the other hand, we shall see the motivation of these words is relative. Such examples of motivated similarity between signifier and signified are highly restricted, thus onomatopoeic words cannot serve as the adequate evidence against the principle of arbitrariness.
3.2.1.2 Sound symbolism
Another kind of imagic iconicity is sound symbolism. Many examples of sound symbolism fit the category of imagic iconicity since often there a physical relation between the articulation of a sound and its “meaning”. In the simplest definition, sound symbolism is “an inmost, natural similarity association between sound and meaning, (Jakobson, 1979:178,quoted from Sadowski,2001:70).To Put its Pacifically, certain sounds(vowels, consonants, and suprasegments) are intuitively Perceived to represent properties of objects, such as size, shape, brightness, movement, weight and so on.
The study of sound symbolism can be traced to that of Homboldt. He (1988:73) claims that the German words beginning with w, hardened from the already inherently dull and hollow u, such as waft, wind, wisp, wobble and wish express all the wavering, uneasy motion, presenting an obscure flurry to the senses. With the above example he is certain that a connection between the sound of a word and its meaning exists.
Regarding these examples of sound symbolism, it?s easy for us to find out counter
examples in the same language. For example, the presence of the same initial phoneme string gl in “glacier”, “glove”, “gloss” does not appear to have such impact on perceived meaning. People?s subjective impression on the sound pattern may account for the existence of the phenomenon of sound symbolism. People exaggerate the correspondence between sound and meaning. They are just unreasonable as the character in Aldous Huxley?s Crowe Yellow, in which a character gazing at some pigs wallowing in the mud remarks “Rightly are they called pigs”(Palmer, 1971:18). As the character in the above sequence, people are accustomed to the sound pattern psychologically, thus they rely on the existed signs and take it for granted that there is necessary relation between the sound and the meaning.
Moreover, the question arises whether there is some universal or physiological basis for these habits, for the preferences which people demonstrate in their formation of words for particular sounds. The appropriateness of sounds and meanings in any single language such as English may be a peculiarity of that language, or may simply show that single language communities tend to develop habits of conventional origin in the sounds they use for particular clusters of ideas. In this sense, sound symbolism is cultural rather than natural phenomenon. Therefore, this kind of imagic iconicity is not reliable evidence against the principle of arbitrariness.
3.2.2 Diagrammatic iconicit y
In diagrammatic iconicity, the direct, concrete relation between signifier and signified is missing. Instead, it is the relation between the verbal elements that iconic ally reflects the relation between activities on the conceptual level. Haiman, one of the pioneers on the iconicity in defines it as a systematic arrangement of signs, none of which necessarily resembles its referent, but whose relationships to each other mirror the relationships of their referents.”(1980:515). this definition makes immediately apparent that diagrammatic iconicity, in contrast to imagic iconicity, always involves more than one single element, that is, it involves complex structures, be it compounds or derivations or a string of words.
3.2.2MetaPhoriealiconicity
A more comp1ieated form of iconicity is metaphor. According to Peirce, it is mediated iconicity. The ideas conveyed by the sign and the idea of its object are mediated by a third idea Noth, 1999).A metaphor is created or understood because the language user associates
elements of meaning that a particular concept has with elements of meaning of another concept, and on the basis of that association or comparison the language user uses the same sign for both.
So far, we have examined Peirce?s classification of signs and the three basic types of iconicity based on Peirce?s subdivision of icons. In the following chapter, we?ll compare his theory with that of Saussure, to find out whether they are contradictory or complementary to each other.
IV. Complementarity of Arbitrariness to Iconicity
Iconicity has often been defined in contrast to arbitrariness. However, after analyzing the semiotic theories of the two founders, we find actually these two terms are not contradictory to each other, on the contrary, they are complementary to each other.
4.1 Iconicity and Motivation
It is vital for us to recognize the distinction between iconicity and motivation. In fact, the failure to realize this distinction has led to the dispute among linguists on the problem whether linguistic signs are arbitrary or iconic.
Motivation can have different degrees of obviousness. A difference is established between external motivations (iconicity), lying in the very nature of the acoustic image that somehow suggests the meaning of the word, a case illustrated by onomatopoeic words and internal motivation where the meaning of the word can be analyzed starting from its structure in which case we can talk about morphological, semantic or phonetic motivation. This is the starting point for us to explicate the complementarity of the two basic features of language. 4.2 Complementarity between Arbitrariness and Iconicity
4.2.1 Comparing theories of Saussure and Peirce
So far, we have examined respectively on the theories of Saussure and Peirce.
As we see, Saussure actually means by the arbitrariness of the sign is the arbitrariness of the relation holding between its constituent parts, the signifier and the signified. This link is arbitrary in the sense that there is no reason whatsoever for which a particular string of sounds sh ould be associated with a certain meaning. At the same time he admits “language is not completely arbitrary, for the system has certain rationality.”(Saussure, 2001:173). In other
words, he admits the existence of internal motivation in the language system. And Saussure treats such internal motivation (the derivational and compositional aspects of language) as compensating rational forces whose aim is to create a coherent language system precisely so as to reduce the difficulties caused by initial, irrational arbitrariness of language.
Whereas Peirce contends that signs differ in how arbitrary they are. This point is exhibited in his classification of signs: Symbolic signs such as language are highly conventional and arbitrary; Iconic signs represent their objects mainly by similarity involving some degree conventionality. Thus, both Saussure and Peirce contend there arbitrariness and motivation in language signs.
Furthermore, Peirce defines a symbol as “a sign…lies in nothing but the very fact of there being a habit, disposition, or other effective general rule that it will be so interpreted. Take, for example, the word “man”, these three letters are not in the least like a man; nor is the sound with which they are associated.” (Peirce, 1931-1958.4:447).He thus characterizes linguistic signs in terms of conventionality in a similar was to Saussure.
4.2.2 From the perspective of the evolution of language
Explanations of language in terms of its synchronic structure are therefore likely to account for only a small part of why language is structured the way it is, for language do not occur in static states. All languages exhibit some degree of grammatical variation, and they change over time.
Moreover, despite the insistence of mainstream linguistics to treat language as a closed semiotic system, without reference to extra linguistic reality, “the seemingly contradictory claims about the arbitrary nature of the linguistic signs on the one hand and about linguistic iconicity on the other hand can in fact be reconciled with in a functional model of the evolution of language.”(Sadowski, 2001:69). Therefore, what we shall do in this section is to explain the characteristics of language with reference to its diachronic evolution.
4.2.2.1 At lexical level
In every language, new language form or new meaning is derived from the existing elements. In this sense, we claim that new form is motivated. The creations of new words from existing items to form compounds, derivatives, blends and so on are examples of this motivation. For example, we may find Korea gate, Billy gate, Debate gate, Peanut gate,
Lance gate, Iran gate, Contra gate, Passport gate, File gate, Bimbogate, Paul agate, Cocaine gate, Diana gate, haircut gate in various media reports. All these scandal words are derived from the suffix gate following the Watergate scandal in the19705.
Sometimes, the form of the word remains unchanged, and new meaning is derived on the basis of the old meaning according to some semantic features of the word or features of the signified. These are shown by the metaphors and metonymies omnipresent in everyday language.
Metaphors and metonymies are both important mechanisms involved in the evolution process of language. Here, metaphors are no longer mere ornaments of speech (as they were considered to be by traditional rhetoricians). By metaphor, a word-sign used for concrete object can be reinterpreted on a more abstract level. By metonymy, the hidden or unknown thing can be re-resented by the way of something that is directly related to it, thereby allowing us to grasp the whole thing in its entirety.
Examples illustrated above exhibit the motivation in the evolution process of language. Some linguists regard this motivation as the evidence against arbitrariness. Is this motivation really contradictory to the arbitrary nature of language?
Let?s take a look at the example given by Heine(1997).He(1997:21) once illustrated the motivated numeral system of Mamvu—a central African Nilo-Jaharan language as examples for motivation. For instance, the word “5”is derived from “hand”“10”from two hands and“20”from either something like “hands and feet”or “whole person”. In this case, these numerals correspond to the conceptual structure of body. However, he doesn?t go further to explain the origin of “hand” and “feet” in Mamvu. Of course it is not an easy deed to trace the origin of them because at initial stage, the linguistic sign is arbitrary. As a matter of fact, Heine (ibid: 3) himself contends that this motivation does not contradict Saussure?s arbitrariness axiom.
For the same reason, we cannot find out the source of the original forms of metaphors and metonymies. For example, in the metaphorical use of foot--- foot of a mountain, meaning of “the lowest part of mountain” is derived from the body-part “foot”. We can find out this derivation, but can hardly trace the origin of foot (body-part).
4.2.2.2 Syntactic change and iconicity
In the diachronic paradigm, we may find that words, after their appearance, become conventionalized. Frequently used phrases become congealed as single words with a corresponding loss of their original meaning, for example, “black”in the compound “blackboard” no longer means “black”.
The above case shows that “A linguistic form is motivated in certain specified contexts, by routinization its distribution is generalized so that it occurs independently of the environment which originally motivated its appearance (Haiman, 1993:1634). The grammatical categories belong here. For example, in the process of grammaticalization, lexical words of a language (such as English keep in “he keeps bees”) become grammatical forms (such as the auxiliary in “he keeps looking at me”). Given the grammatical forms are motivated in certain way in the process of evolution, they become conventionalized, that is to say, much of grammar is fossilized, preserved through the inertia of social convention. Therefore, “grammar, as we use it, can be described as the conventionalized (and to some extent fossilized) product of earlier patterns of less constrained language use.”(Heine, 1997:3),
4.2.3 From the perspective of verbal communication
Roughly, language is the general-purpose communication device. That is to say, the main function of language is to convey meaning and to communicate successfully. Hence, “explaining language structure with reference to the goals of communication is 1ikely to yield more insights than explaining within reference to language-internal mechanism.”(Heine, 1997:3).In the communication process, language is within the mind of speakers rather than as some abstract system of langue. In this section, we will start to explore complementarity from this perspective.
If people are to cooperate they must understand one another by sharing values. Sometimes we deliberately agree to agree, as in learning the mathematical formula or the symbols H2O for water. In such a case the arbitrariness and conventionality of the symbols and their relation to reality stand out boldly (Bolinger&Sears, 1983:9). This shows everyone in the speech community agrees on some consistent convention. While at the same time, there is another force restricting it, that is, iconicity. How do these two competing forces exert influence on each other?
4.2.3.1 Language production in communication
In Fisher Nanny?s (2001:xx) words, “there is conventionality whether we should use certain words to express conventionality our ideas in communication, while on the other hand, iconicity plays a role whenever a speaker's expressivity is at issue; when, for whatever reason (poetic, practical, humorous, out if sheer necessity), he or she is trying to express himself or herself anew, in a more or less worn-down form of language.”
How do speakers re-motivate or play with the primary code, how do they concretize what has been conventional or how they use form to add to meaning? The existing vocabulary and grammar are input for their creativity. Thus, by lexical innovation, by lexically and grammatically regular periphrasis, and by the figurative use of lexical locutions, speakers produce continuous flow of creative expressions. This is not only exhibited in the language of literature, where writers are trying to express ideas in the most concrete form in order to convert an ordinary phrase into something more interesting. In daily communication there is also creative language use.
For example, I have too many files open in my mind.
When we utter this remark, we are referring to our mind as if it were a computer. When computer jargon becomes popular, we begin to use it in talking about something else. Here, we are not only using expressions from computer vocabulary, but we are also conceptualizing our mind as if it were a computer. So, we also say,
The above example shows the effect of metaphorical iconicity which makes the speakers? utterances afresh in certain context. In a word, iconicity is a creative force in the language communication. Where novelty is sought or imposed by circumstance, iconicity is the mean that the speaker resorts to make himself afresh. Symbolism comes later because it requires familiarity. Each speaker may make his own grammar afresh on the basis of data surrounding him, and on the basis of his general cognitive abilities or strategies.
However, when people adapt preexisting linguistic materials to assume new shapes and incorporate original meaning, they only choose one aspect of a symbol at a time. And among the preexisting materials it is entirely at the disposal of the speaker to choose what conventional signs as the source of their creative language use.
4.2.3.2 Mutual understanding in communication
“The successful communication of an idea from one speaker to a hearer thus involves three levels of iconic sign production. The first and the second levels are in the speakers? and hearer?s minds, where “familiar i mages” are evoked. The third is due to the parallelism between these two images, which makes the hearers? image an icon of the speakers?image.”(Noth, 1999) So far, we have discussed iconicity as the source of creativity in language.
The third one has to d o with the symmetry between the speaker?s utterances and hearers? interpretations. If verbal communication is to be successful, the utter must be iconic of the former to a certain degree. That is, iconicity is the source of the mutual understanding between a speaker and a hearer.
For example, if a speaker utters such an utterance “There is a mixture of the tiger and the ape in the character of that guy.”, he has an image of ferocity of the tiger and shrewdness of the ape. He tries to convey such a message to the hearer. If the hearer?s images toward tiger and ape are identical with the speaker?s, then they may reach mutual understanding.
Thus, the iconicity lies in the parallelism between the speaker?s and the hearer?s interpretation of the signs. However, it is not necessarily a perfect symmetry, due to their idiosyncratic experiences, cultural knowledge and their feelings toward is referred to by the sign. In this sense iconicity is restricted by conventionality.
4.2.3.3 Brief conclusion
In the process of verbal communication, the rules of the grammar are symbolic, arbitrary and conventional, whereas there are two ways in which iconicity is omnipresent. The first concerns the necessity of iconic signs in creative discourse. The second is to do with iconicity as a prerequisite of mutual understanding in communication in general.
V. Summary: Language is both arbitrary and non- arbitrary
Although the fundamental ideas between structuralists and cognitive linguists are totally different, in terms of this problem, it is possible for us to reconcile them. What we can do is to take the problem not as a matter of the theory or the model adopted, but of whether a certain fact has or has not been existent. Now let's revisit the fact existing in the language system and during language communication as a summary.
In the synchronic perspective, apart from a few onomatopoeic expressions, primary
英语论文语言学方向选题课件.
语言学方向论文选题 1.浅谈英汉句子结构差异 2.诗意的美和喜剧性幽默 3.英汉禁忌语、委婉语的对比研究 4.英汉数字习语的对比研究 5.词义演变的原因与方式 6.名词化的语篇功能 7.诺曼时期法语对英语词汇的影响 8.浅谈英语虚拟语气及其语用功能 9.隐喻与一词多义的关系 10.英汉被动句对比研究 11.英汉宾语类型差异的认知原因 12.英汉动词非谓语用法比较研究 13.英汉否定问句的答句对比研究 14.英汉合成词构词对比研究 15.英汉名词短语修饰模式比较 16.英汉拟声词异同探讨 17.英汉人称代词运用对比研究 18.英语复合词的语义分析及其类型 19.英语委婉语的使用原则与策略 20.语境对词义的制约作用 21.汉英色彩词汇的对比研究及其象征意义 22.中英恭维语对比研究 23.委婉语的礼貌原则研究及策略 24.汉英“山丘”对比研究 25.英汉颜色词跨域对比分析—以RED和红为例 26.英语道歉方式的策略及研究 27.英语拒绝言语行为研究 28.英语委婉语的寒暄功能 29.英语请求言语的策略研究
30.英语课堂教师提问的策略研究 31.会话得体：会话者的立场语境运用研究 32.英语课堂学生提问的策略研究 33.英语课堂的焦虑现象及策略研究 34.广告口号语的语言特点 35.从礼貌原则看短信语言 36.从合作原则看课堂师生互动 37.浅析中英言语行为中的礼貌原则 38.中英政治新闻报道中的模糊语言研究 39.言语错误分析理论在教学中的应用 40.英汉颜色词的引申义的文化差别 41.外语学习中应该重视中介语的作用 42.浅谈英汉句子结构差异 43.副词EVER的句法环境和语义特征 44.论文化差异与英语教学中的文化导入 45.学习者的动机因素对外语学习的影响 46.浅谈词汇搭配错误分析及其应对策略 47.浅析英语语言中的性别歧视现象 48.礼貌原则在商务英语写作中的应用 49.中英文性别歧视习语的对比研究 50.称谓语使用中的性别差异 51.从认知角度看隐喻在经济语篇中的应用 52.浅析广告语言的特点 53.浅谈英语新词的产生、构成及翻译 54.浅谈网络英语中的缩略语。 55.论中英文化对隐喻的影响 56.礼貌原则在商务谈判中的作用 57.浅析英汉语言中的性别歧视现象及其根源 58.英诗中的常用修辞研究 59.英语词汇中的外来语单词
英语语言学毕业论文(精选多篇)
英语语言学毕业论文(精选多篇) 第一篇：英语专业毕业论文：社会语言学the definition of sociolinguistics and its characteristic 外语系06接本6班尹珊珊24号 [abstract]sociolinguistics is a term including the aspects of linguistics applied toward the connections between language and society, and the way we use it in different social situations. it ranges from the study of the wide variety of dialects across a given region down to the analysis between the way men and women speak to one another. sociolinguistics often shows us the humorous realities of human speech and how a dialect of a given language can often describe the age, sex, and social class of the speaker; it codes the social function of a language. [key words] sociolinguisticssociolinguistics variationsocial function [content]sociolinguistics is the study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used. it also studies how lects differ between groups separated by certain social variables, e.g., ethnicity, religion, status, gender, level of education, etc., and how creation and adherence to these rules is used to categorize individual socio-economic classes. as the usage of a language varies from place to place, and language usage varies among social classes. it is socialists that sociolinguistics studies.
英语语言学论文
华 中 师 范 大 学 本 科 生 课 程 论 文 论文题目 The Study of Speech Sound in Language 完成时间 2012.12 课程名称 现代语言学概论 专 业 辅修第二学位英语专业 年 级 2010英语第二学位辅修本科生 成 绩 评卷人 姓 名 学 号
The Study of Speech Sounds in Language I. Introduction Knowledge of a language includes that of the different components of the language: the morphemes,words,phrases,and sentences. It also includes knowing what sounds are in the language and how these sounds are put together to form meaningful units. Different terms can be found in describing the sound system of language. Traditional terminology puts phonetics and phonology at a paralleled level. In this terminology, phonetics is the study of separate speech sounds, while phonology is concerned with the system of combination of sounds. According to the terminology in some books, however, the study of speech sounds in a general way is termed as phonology. It is concerned with all the aspects of the speech sounds and sound systems of a language. Its subdivisions are phonemics. Phonetics deals with speech sounds in isolation, and phonemics studies the systems of speech sounds. To avoid confusion, the traditional terminology is adopted in this book. II. Analysis on ---- 2.1. Analysis of speech sounds The study of phonic medium of language in isolation is the level of phonetics, attempting to describes all the sounds that occur in human language. It’s mainly concerned with the production, transmission, and perception of the speech sounds. Analysis of speech sounds can be approached from the following 4 levels Level 1: anatomy and physiology----refers to speech organs and their functions Level 2: articulatory phonetics----studies how to produce speech sounds. Level 3: auditory phonetics---studies how the sounds are perceived by the hearer. Level4: acoustic phonetics----studies the way speech sounds are transmitted in the air(using spectrographs, analyze sound waves). 2. 2. Process of speech production and perception 2.2.1. Articulatory phonetics studies the sounds from the speaker’s point of view,how a speaker manipulates his speech organs to produce speech sounds. This branch is the longest established and the most highly developed. 2.2.2. Auditory phonetics studies the way listeners perceive the speech
英语语言学论文题目
英语语言学论文题目 13论国际商务谈判中的语言交际技巧 33成人世界的童话——从文体学角度解析现今童话再度流行的现象49论文化差异与英汉商标互译 55浅谈英汉句子结构差异 59诗意的美和喜剧性幽默 62试论广告英语的语言特点 65统觉团对英语初学者词汇学习的影响 67外语学习中应该重视中介语的作用 69新闻报道中的转述动词研究 73英汉禁忌语、委婉语的对比研究 74英汉数字习语的对比研究 76英译汉中词序的变动 78英语广告的语言特征 80英语双关语汉译的可译性限度 101词义演变的原因与方式 137从汉语中英语借词的翻译看文化交流 138从价值观转换看斯佳丽的角色特征 142从礼貌准则看中英文化的异同 146从习语看英汉民族的文化差异 149从英语人名中看性别歧视
157动词过程类型的选择和话语隐性态度的表达161对母语在英语写作中词汇负迁移现象的思考162对严复译作中“信”的质疑 167法律英语用词特征分析 168法律语言翻译与法律文体 177副词EVER的句法环境和语义特征 180功能语法视角下的英语报纸新闻标题的功能183广告口号语的语言特点 189国际商务文化之对比研究 204汉语中双关语的翻译 213基于概念隐喻的诗歌解读 228论广告英语中的幽默 265论广告英语的语言特点 268论汉英谚语的语言特征 280论清教理念与美国西进运动 282论莎士比亚十四行诗中的时间 300论英语广告中几种常用修辞格及其汉译310论尤金?奥尼尔的表现主义手法 324名词化的语篇功能 330诺曼时期法语对英语词汇的影响 339浅谈英语虚拟语气的语用功能
340浅谈英语虚拟语气及其语用功能 345浅析二十世纪计算机英语词汇的构成特点346浅析汉英动物谚语中的文化 348浅析英汉语言中的性别歧视现象及其根源349浅析英语禁忌语及其发展 352浅析英语无标志被动句 356浅议译者能力 359认知语言学角度下“within” 的空间隐喻意义365商标英语汉译的原则和方法 384体育新闻英语文体研究 375社会语言学视野中的网络语言 418新闻英语中的语法特点研究 423颜色词在英汉互译中的不对应性 425移就的审美价值和生成基础 426以认知为基础的颜色隐喻研究 428隐喻认知功能研究的新视角 429隐喻与一词多义的关系 438英汉被动句对比研究 439英汉宾语类型差异的认知原因 440英汉动词非谓语用法之比较研究 442英汉否定问句的答句对比研究
英语论文题目大全_最新英语专业毕业论文题目
英语论文题目大全_最新英语专业毕业论文题目 下面是学术堂整理的英语论文题目大全，供选题使用，如有更多需求可以联系本站客服。 英语论文题目大全导航： 英语毕业论文题目英语专业论文题目英语教学法论文题目英语语言论文题目商务英语论文题目旅游英语论文题目英语论文题目（英美文学）英语论文题目（文化研究）英语翻译论文题目英语语言学论文题目 英语教学论文题目 英文论文题目选择可以在三个大的方向中进行，即英语文学，语言学和翻译学。各个大方向中又可以选择小的方向。 英语文学：选择英语文学的毕业论文题目选择可以从三个方向进行：国别文学研究、文学批评理论研究和比较文学研究。语言学：选择语言学的毕业论文题目选择可以在两个大的方向进行：普通语言学和应用语言学。普通语言学的研究就是对于英语语言的任何一个方面的研究，如对一种词性、或一种时态、或拼写、语调等等方面的研究（如“一般现在时及其交际功能”）。应用语言学包括教学法的研究和其它
一些新兴的应用语言学分支的研究。师范专业或本身从事教师职业的学生选择教学法方向的较多。在这个方向选题，也要避免过大范围的选题，而应对一个具体问题进行研究，最重要的是要结合教学实践或实验。这个方向的好的选题有：“个性与英语教学”,“方言对英语学习的影响”等。 翻译学：翻译学的选题一般可以在两个方向上进行：翻译理论以及翻译活动。对翻译理论的研究就是探讨某一种翻译理论等等。相比之下，对翻译活动的研究更多一些，这些选题可以是对一种语言现象的翻译、或一种修辞格的翻译的研究（如“汉语成语的英译”）。应该注意的是，在对翻译活动作研究时，往往需要某种翻译理论支撑，总结规律，并对这一活动作出评价，要避免仅仅时例子的罗列。【扩展阅读】：完成英语毕业论文的撰写可以分两个步骤，即选择课题和研究课题。 首先是选择课题选题是英语论文撰写成败的关键。要选择有科学价值和现实意义的、切实可行的课题。可以说选好课题是毕业论文成功的一半。 第一、要坚持选择有科学价值和现实意义的课题。 科学研究的目的是为了更好地认识世界、改造世界，以推动社会的不断进步和发展。因此，毕业论文的选题，必须紧密结合社会主义物质文明和精神文明建设的需要，以促进科学事业发展和解决现实存在问题作为出发点和落脚点。选题要符合科学研究的正确方向，要具有新颖性，有创新、有理论价值和现实的指导意义或推动
语言学导论课程论文
外国语学院 语言学导论 课程论文 课题名称：英文题目 Cultural Differences in English and Chinese Idioms 中文题目 英汉习语中的语言文化差异 学生姓名：褚宏川 学号：10131140134 专业：英语 班级：2010级1班 授课教师：韩泽亭 2012年12月
Cultural Differences in English and Chinese Idioms Abstract: Language is the main carrier of culture. Idioms are the essence of a language, and also the quintessence of a nat ion’s culture and wisdom. English and Chinese idioms carry the different national cultural characteristics and cultural information. Among these idioms, a large number of them are connected with geography，customs, historical allusion, and religion.In order to understand these idioms clearly, this paper will analyze cultural differences from four aspects of geography, customs, historical allusion, and religion. 摘要：语言是文化的主要载体。习语是语言的本质,也是一个国家文化和智慧的精髓。 英汉习语携带不同的民族文化特色和文化信息。在这些习语中有很大一部分都与地 理、风俗、历史典故、和宗教有关。为了更加清晰的理解这些习语,本文将从地理、 风俗、历史典故、和宗教四个方面分析文化差异。 Key words：English and Chinese idioms，cultural comparison,cultural differences; 关键词：英汉习语;文化比较；文化差异
语言文学毕业论文英语语言文学专业毕业论文题目大全
英语语言文学专业毕业论文题目大全 1 The Instructive Meaning of Inter-language Pragmatics for foreign Language Teaching 2 Pedagogical Translation and Translation Teaching 3 Fuzzy Words and Their Uses in Human Communication 4 Ambiguity and Puns in English 5 Some basic consideration of style 6 English by Newspaper 7 English Personal Pronouns: a Preliminary Textual Analysis 8 Thematic Network and Text Types 9 An Inquiry into Speech Act Theory 10 On Lexical Cohesion in Expository Writing 11 The Inferences of Conversational Implications 12 Context and Meaning 13 The Construction and Interpretation of Cohesion in Texts 14 The Instructive Meaning of Inter-language Pragmatics for foreign Language Teaching
15 Pedagogical Translation and Translation Teaching 16 The Importance of Cultural Authenticity in Teaching Materials 17 Micro-teaching and Student Teacher Training 18 How to Evaluate the Teacher Performance - A Case Study 19 English Test Design 20 The Interference of Native Language in English Writing or Translation 21 Translation Methods and English Teaching 22 Importance of Meaning Group in Translation 23 Language and Culture 24 Sexism in English Language 25 Cultural Differences of English and Chinese 27 Loanwords in English 28 Brand Names and Their Characteristics 30 Vagueness of the English Language 31 Characteristics of Humor 32 An Analysis of Language Features
英语专业翻译类论文参考文献
参考文献 一、翻译理论与实践相关书目 谢天振主编. 《当代国外翻译理论导读》. 天津：南开大学出版社，2008. Jeremy Munday. 《翻译学导论——理论与实践》Introducing Translation Studies---Theories and Applications. 李德凤等译. 北京：商务印书馆，2007. 包惠南、包昂. 《中国文化与汉英翻译》. 北京：外文出版社, 2004. 包惠南. 《文化语境与语言翻译》. 北京：中国对外翻译出版公司. 2001. 毕继万. 《世界文化史故事大系——英国卷》. 上海：上海外语教育出版社, 2003. 蔡基刚. 《英汉汉英段落翻译与实践》. 上海：复旦大学出版社, 2001. 蔡基刚. 《英汉写作对比研究》. 上海：复旦大学出版社, 2001. 蔡基刚. 《英语写作与抽象名词表达》. 上海：复旦大学出版社, 2003. 曹雪芹、高鄂. 《红楼梦》. 陈定安. 《英汉比较与翻译》. 北京：中国对外翻译出版公司, 1991. 陈福康. 《中国译学理论史稿》（修订本）. 上海：上海外语教育出版社. 2000. 陈生保. 《英汉翻译津指》. 北京：中国对外翻译出版公司. 1998. 陈廷祐. 《英文汉译技巧》. 北京：外语教学与研究出版社. 2001. 陈望道. 《修辞学发凡》. 上海：上海教育出版社, 1979. 陈文伯. 《英汉翻译技法与练习》. 北京：世界知识出版社. 1998. 陈中绳、吴娟. 《英汉新词新义佳译》. 上海：上海翻译出版公司. 1990. 陈忠诚. 《词语翻译丛谈》. 北京：中国对外翻译出版公司, 1983. 程希岚. 《修辞学新编》. 吉林：吉林人民出版社, 1984. 程镇球. 《翻译论文集》. 北京：外语教学与研究出版社. 2002. 程镇球. 《翻译问题探索》. 北京：商务印书馆, 1980. 崔刚. 《广告英语》. 北京：北京理工大学出版社, 1993. 单其昌. 《汉英翻译技巧》. 北京：外语教学与研究出版社. 1990. 单其昌. 《汉英翻译讲评》. 北京：对外贸易教育出版社. 1989.
英语语言学论文
英语语言学概论论文 论文题目:An Analysis of Euphemism in English From the Politeness Principle of Pragmatics
Abstract Euphemism, cosmetic words, is not only a lingual phenomenon, but also a cultural and social phenomenon. It is like a mirror, reflecting the values, aesthetic conceptions and moral concepts in some extent. Euphemism plays an important part in social communication. It is like lube that avoids hurting the other party’s feeling. It oils the human relationship in communication and helps to save face of communicators. If people make full use of euphemism, it can accelerate and facilitate human communication. This paper elaborates on the features and social functions of euphemism. And it focuses on the relationships between its polite functions and Politeness Principle. This thesis is composed of six parts with Chapter Four and Five as its core: The first chapter focuses on the origin and definitions of euphemism. The second chapter discusses the features of euphemism in many ways. The third chapter talks about the social functions of euphemism from the angle of pragmatics. The fourth chapter forms the basis of the whole research by connecting euphemism with politeness and face-saving theory. The fifth chapter centers on euphemism and Politeness Principle. The last chapter concludes the whole thesis. Appropriate use of English euphemism can contribute a lot to successful message exchange. Key Words: euphemism; social functions; Politeness Principle; face
英语专业毕业论文范文
关于论文结构和格式规范的有关问题，请认真阅读“外国语学院英语本科毕业论文撰写要求”，同时可查阅“MLA格式学位论文写作规范（供查询用）”。（建议：以本范文作为模板，把自己论文的相应部分复制后，以“选择性粘贴”—“无格式文本”的方式，粘贴到范文的相应位置，以保持与范文格式完全一致。）论文单面打印1份，左侧装订（两个钉子）。（这些说明打印时删除） 文学方向的请务必参考此范文（语言学教学、文化类也可参考）。 山东财经大学 本科毕业论文(设计) 范文2 题目：论《诺桑觉寺》的反哥特观念 学院外国语学院 专业英语 班级英语0801（注意原山经、原山财班级名称不同） 学号67 姓名李晓慧 指导教师王俊华 山东财经大学教务处制 二Ｏ一二年五月
山东财经大学学士学位论文原创性声明 本人郑重声明：所呈交的学位论文，是本人在导师的指导下进行研究工作所取得的成果。除文中已经注明引用的内容外，本论文不含任何其他个人或集体已经发表或撰写过的研究成果。对本文的研究做出重要贡献的个人和集体，均已在论文中作了明确的说明并表示了谢意。本声明的法律结果由本人承担。 日期填写定稿日期5月1日。教师学生都要手写签名 学位论文作者签名： 年月日 山东财经大学关于论文使用授权的说明本人完全了解山东财经大学有关保留、使用学士学位论文的规定，即：学校有权保留、送交论文的复印件，允许论文被查阅，学校可以公布论文的全部或部分内容，可以采用影印或其他复制手段保存论文。日期填写定稿日期5月1日。教师学生都要手写签名 指导教师签名：论文作者签名： 年月日年月日
On Anti-Gothicism in Northanger Abbey by Li Xiaohui Under the Supervision of Wang Junhua Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts School of Foreign Studies Shandong University of Finance and Economics May 2012
英语专业社会语言学论文 socialinguistics
社会语言学论文 A Brief Analysis of Gender Differences in Language 姓名：何丽丽 学号：201110010107 院系：外国语学院 班级：英语1101 指导教师：邓林 二〇一四年五月二十三日
A Brief Analysis of Gender Differences in Language Abstract Sociolinguistics is the descriptive study that concentrates on the study of how language is used, and the effects of language use on society. It also studies how language varieties differ between groups separated by certain social variables, for instance, ethnicity, religion, status, gender, level of education, etc. With regard to this paper, the emphasis will be put onto the differences in the actual speech of different gender. We can classify the gender differences in language into two categories. The first category is mainly about sexism in language, as for this category, we mainly focus on how speakers demonstrate their different cultural attitudes toward different genders. The second category is about the differences in the actual speech of men and women. In the first part, I will make a brief introduction about sociolinguistics and gender differences in language. In the second part, it will concern the categories of gender differences in language and previous study of gender differences in language. The third part concentrates on the approach of the analysis. The fourth is about the data collection and research methodology. The fifth part analyzes the differences of the speech between men and women from three perspectives— the purpose of the speech, the topic of the conversation and the mode of the speech. The final part comes to the conclusion about the gender differences in language. Key words: Gender differences, sociolinguistics, analysis
语言学英文版论文
2011-2012第二学年第二学期 《英语语言学》学期论文 Second Language V ocabulary Acquisition Strategies 二语词汇习得策略 [摘要]词汇是构成语言的基本单位，词汇习得在语言学习中占有重要地位。 英国著名语言学家D.A. Wilkins (1972) 说过：“没有语法，人们不能表达很多东西；而没有词汇，人们则无法表达任何东西。”这就说明了词汇在学习中的重要性。本文旨在分析二语词汇习得策略并应用于不同水平的学习者。学习者根据自己的水平选择正确的习得方法和策略学习词汇，从而提高学习效率和习得效果。 关键字：二语词汇习得词汇习得策略元认知策略认知策略 Abstract Vocabulary is the basic unit of a language. Language acquisition plays an important role in language learning. Famous linguistics D. A. Wilkins said, “Without grammar, very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed (Lewis, 1993:16).” It speaks volumes for the importance of vocabulary in language learning. This paper aims to analysis the second language acquisition strategies and applies to different levels of learners. According to the different levels, the learners should choose the proper methods and strategies to promote learning efficiency and acquisition effect. Key words:Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition；Vocabulary Acquisition Strategies；Metacognitive strategy；Cognitive strategy Introduction With economic globalization and multi-polarization of the world, especially the population of the internet, English becomes more and more important, because it is considered as the tool for absorbing and communicating information. As we all known, vocabulary acquisition is one of the most noticed-question of the second language
大学英语毕业论文提纲.doc
大学英语毕业论文提纲 下文是英语毕业论文提纲 英语毕业论文提纲(1) 一.关于本专业毕业论文的选题 英语专业本科生毕业论文选题可以在三个大的方向中进行，即英语文学，语言学和翻译学。各个大方向中又可以选择小的方向，具体解释如下： 1.英语文学：选择英语文学的毕业论文选题可以从三个方向进行：国别文学研究、文学批评理论研究和比较文学研究。 在进行国别文学研究选题时，一般选取英国文学或美国文学中的某一经典作家(如海明威)，某一经典作品(如《双城记》)，某一写作手法(如象征手法的运用)或某一文学思潮(如浪漫主义运动)作深入研究。但在选择作家或作品时最好选择在文学史上作为经典的作家或作品。有个别流行作家或作品极富盛名，容易引起学生的兴趣，如《飘》或《荆棘鸟》，学生有强烈愿望选择它们作为研究对象。在不可避免上述情况时，应该尽可能地挖掘作品内在的深刻含义，不能流于肤浅的分析。 文学批评理论的选题一般不太适合英语专业本科生，因为该理论知识的学习在英语专业研究生阶段，本科生一般不具备文学批评理论的知识结构。这个方向的选题可以有关某一文学批评理论,一文学批评术语的阐释或某两种或以上的文学批评理论的比较。 比较文学研究就是将两个以上的作家或作品进行比较。这两个作品
或作家可以是同一国别的(如"雪莱与拜伦的诗歌比较")，也可以是不同国别的(如《牡丹亭》与《罗密欧与朱丽叶》) 2.语言学：选择语言学的毕业论文选题可以在两个大的方向进行：普通语言学和应用语言学。 普通语言学的研究就是对于英语语言的任何一个方面的研究，如对一种词性、或一种时态、或拼写、语调等等方面的研究(如"一般现在时及其交际功能")。 应用语言学包括教学法的研究和其它一些新兴的应用语言学分支 的研究。师范专业或本身从事教师职业的学生选择教学法方向的较多。在这个方向选题，也要避免过大范围的选题，而应对一个具体问题进行研究，最重要的是要结合教学实践或实验。这个方向的好的选题有："个性与英语教学"，"方言对英语学习的影响"等。 3.翻译学：翻译学的选题一般可以在两个方向上进行：翻译理论以及翻译活动。对翻译理论的研究就是探讨某一种翻译理论等等。相比之下，对翻译活动的研究更多一些，这些选题可以是对一种语言现象的翻译、或一种修辞格的翻译的研究(如"汉语成语的英译")。应该注意的是，在对翻译活动作研究时，往往需要某种翻译理论支撑，总结规律，并对这一活动作出评价，要避免仅仅时例子的罗列。 以上是英语毕业论文提纲
语言学论文琳
外国语学院 英语语言学学期论文 2011 至 2012学年度第2学期 题目:任务型教学法在初中教学中 的运用研究 姓名: 陈琳琳 年级：2009语言文学本1班 学号：0401090129 2012年6月4号
Research on Appliance of T ask-Based Approach in Junior High School Language T eaching Abstract:Task-based approach is focused on increasing the language application and communicative competence of the students on the basis of language meaning. Its success relies mainly on its feasibility, its necessity, its designed tasks as well as its teaching principles to be followed in the junior high school English teaching. Key words: task-based approach, Junior high school English teaching, language knowledge, language competence With the reform of new curriculum, it is very necessary and important to apply Task-based Language Teaching into the class. This thesis mainly focus on the analysis of the definition, feasibility and necessary, principles and the case design of task-based language teaching to help the teacher to apply the teaching method. 1 The Comprehension of T ask-Based Language T eaching 1.1 The Definition of a T ask A task is an activity which requires learners to arrive at an outcome from given information through some process of thought, and which allows teachers to control and regulate that process.( Prabhu 1987:24) Some scholars believe that a task has four main components: a purpose, a context, a process and a product(Brownell1994:40). In writer's opinion, tasks are some activities which the things people do in everyday life, at work, at play, and in between. 1.2 How to Design the T ask By now we have discussed the definitions of a task, then we will focus on designing the task.Breen(1987:25)suggests that teachers need to address four sets of questions when designing tasks: (1)What is the objectives of the task? (2)What is the content of the task? (3)How is the task to be carried out?