Definition of linguistics:
the scientific study of language
principles of linguistic studies：
adequacy
consistency
economy
objectivity
Scope of linguistics:
a).Theoretical linguistics:
the major branches:
1.phonetics: the scientific study of speech sounds
2.phonology: the study of how speech sounds function in a language
3.morphology: the study of the formation of words
4.syntax :deals with the combination of words into phrases,clauses and sentences. It is the grammer of sentence construction.
5.semantics: concerned with the study of meaning in all its formal aspects
6.pragmatics: the study of language in use
B). Use of linguistics:
1.Applied linguistics
2.Sociolinguistics
3.Psycholinguistics
Some important distinctions in linguistics
1.descriptive&prescriptive
2.synchronic&diachronic
(3.speech &writing)
4.langue & parole (F.de Saussure)（take a sociological view of language)
langue:the abstract linguistic system shared by all members of the speech community.(抽象，不變,語言學家的研究對象）
parole:the realization of langue in actual use.(具體，變化）
5.competence & performance(Chomsky) (take a psychological view of language)
competence:the ideal user's knowledge of the the rules of his language(抽象,語言學家的研究對象）
performance:the actual realization of this knowledge in linguistic communication（具體）
（6.traditional grammar & Modern linguistics)
Saussure's distinction between langue and parole 與Chomsky's distinction between competence and performance 的相似點和區(qū)別
