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一、Explain-the-fllowing-terms

1． Functional Sentence Perspective （FSP ）

【答案】 It is a theory of linguistic analysis which refers to art analysis of utterances （or texts） in terms of the information they contain. The principle is that the role of each utterance part is evaluated for its semantic contribution to the whole.

2． Diglossia

【答案】 When two languages or language varieties exist together in a community and each one is used for different purposes, this is called diglossia. Usually, the more standard variety can be called the high variety or H-variety , which is used in government , the media , education , and for religious services. The other one is usually a non-prestige variety, the low variety or L-variety used in the family, with friends, when shopping, etc.

3． Conceptualism

It is the view which holds that there is no direct link between a linguistic form and what it 【答案】

refers to; rather, in the interpretation of meaning they are linked through the mediation of concepts in the mind.

4． Pidgins and Creoles

【答案】 A pidgin refers to a variety of a language that is not native language of anyone, but is learned on contact situations such as trading. When a pidgin develops beyond its role as a trade language and becomes the first language of a social community , it becomes a creole. The process by which a pidgin becomes a creole is called creolization.

二、Essay-question

5． Describe the process of language perception, comprehension and production.

【答案】 From the perspective of psycholinguistic analysis, language use in terms of perception, comprehension and production follows a certain pattern which involves the coordination of various language centers.

When we speak , words are drawn from Wernicke's area and transferred to Broca's area , which determines the details of their forms and pronunciation. The appropriate instructions are then sent to the motor area which controls the vocal tract to physically articulate the words.

When we hear something and try to comprehend it , the stimulus from the auditory cortex is transmitted to Wernicke's area, where it is then interpreted.

When we perceive a visual image, a message is sent to the angular gyrus, where it is converted into a visual pattern.

6． Examine the following two statements about language , and discuss the similarities and differences between them. Do you agree with the two statements? Explain your answer.

（1）Sapir （1921:Language ） : “Language is a purely human and non -instinctive method of communicating ideas，emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols.” （ p.8 ）.

（2）Bloch and Trager （1942: Outline of Linguistic Analysis ） : “A language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group co-operates.”（p.5）.

【答案】 Similarities :

（1）Both definitions stick to the fact that language is primarily a matter of speech because the primary medium of language is sound. Sapir illustrates this idea by implying that the produced symbols are auditory and Bloch and Trager by explicitly using the word “vocal”.

（2）Both definitions allude to the fact that the association between the words and the things that they denoted is rarely inherent, Sapir by using the word “symbols” and Bloch and Trager by placing emphasis on “arbitrary” and “symbols”.

Differences :

（1）Sapir‟s definition emphasizes that language relates to communication between human beings. It is very different from the communication systems of other creatures , such as bird songs and bee dances. Bloch and Trager do not clearly indicate this property , only saying that it is possessed by a social group.

（2）Sapir also considers that language is “non-instinctive” and “voluntarily produced”. Thus for him language does not include such instinctive forms of communication as smiling and cries of pain, etc. However , Bloch and Trager‟s definition do not include this feature.

（3）The element “system” in Bloch and Trager‟s definition reflects the fact that language provides us with the framework for generating appropriate utterances rather than providing us with an infinite store of ready-made utterances. Still elements of lacunae are combined according to rules.

（4）The function of language is indicated differently in two definitions. Sapir sees language as for communicating ideas, emotions and desires, while Bloch and Trager considers it for a social group5s co-operation. Sapir‟s definition proposes “communication” as the principal function of language and specifies what is communicated; Bloch and Trager only vaguely point out that language can be used for co-operation.

Each of the two definitions has its own special emphasis, and it is not totally free from limitations. We think the two definitions grasp some defining properties of language that distinguish it from any animal system of communication, for example，“vocal”，“arbitrary”，“symbol”，“purely human”，“a system”. But either has some limitation. As for Sapir‟s definition, whether one considers language to be instinctive or not is an issue. Language is instinctive in so far as we are all bom with a predisposition to speak , we all acquire a language without tuition and when we speak we do not consciously convert our thoughts into speech. Language is , however , non-instinctive in that we can choose what to say or whether to say anything at all. Both the definition‟s description of language‟s function is not precise. Sapir‟s definition confines language only to communicating ideas, emotions and desires, and Bloch and Trager‟s definition does not point it out at all.

7． Consider the following sentence, and then, answer questions （1） to （3） . The boy saw the man with the telescope.

（1）Is this sentence ambiguous? If so, describe the ambiguity briefly in your own words.

（2）Draw the constituent structure trees for each possible interpretation.

（3）What can be known about tree diagrams from （1） and （2） ?

Yes , this is an ambiguous sentence. This is a structurally ambiguous sentence, which 【答案】（1）

can be rewritten in two ways as follows:

a.The boy saw the man. The man had a telescope.

b.Using the telescope, the boy saw the man.

Since the sentence is an ambiguous one, which has two ways of interpretation, there are two （2）

ways of drawing constituent structure trees for it.

（3） Tree diagrams are more advantageous and informative than linear structure analysis. In addition to revealing a linear order, a constituent structure tree has a hierarchical structure that groups words into structural constituents and shows the syntactic category of each structural constituent, and consequently , can truthfully illustrate the constituent relationship among linguistic elements.