PS102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Preposition And Postposition, Pragmatics
Language and Thought
Properties of Language
● Symbolic
○ Symbol system (written and sound)
● Creative
○ Effortlessly create new sentences
○ Have finite vocabulary can be combined in infinite ways
● Structured
○ Although creative - there are some restrictions
○ These are regularities of language (not necessarily grammar rules)
○ Eg., can end a sentence with a preposition and be understood, can’t say “dinner
the”
● Meaningful/Semantic
○ Each word represents an idea (object, action, abstraction, quality)
○ Grammar/structure also contribute to the ideas eg., dog bites cat or cat bites dog
● Communicative
○ Some language is private - for ourselves
○ Most language is directed at and around others, social activity
○ Need to know the sounds, words, sentences of language and principles of
conversation
Conversation: Pragmatics
● Knowing how to speak to whom
● Child, loved one, stranger, employer, enemy, expert, etc.
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Document Summary
Have finite vocabulary can be combined in infinite ways. Although creative - there are some restrictions. These are regularities of language (not necessarily grammar rules) Eg. , can end a sentence with a preposition and be understood, can"t say dinner the . Each word represents an idea (object, action, abstraction, quality) Grammar/structure also contribute to the ideas eg. , dog bites cat or cat bites dog. Some language is private - for ourselves. Most language is directed at and around others, social activity. Need to know the sounds, words, sentences of language and principles of conversation.
