What linguists do: look at it like an object made up of parts. Look at the sound system...

2 Language Levels

Microsystems, sounds make up words, sound system

1. Johnny is a boy who loves pizza

Error Analysis
Johnny is a pboy who loves pizza
Problem: A sound combination that doesn't work in Enligsh 'pb'. Can't work together, even though work
by themselves. But may work in other languages.

PHONOLOGY - the study of sound in a language
Phono - sound

2. Johnny is an boy who loves pizza
Problem: Each word in isolation is correct, but combination. Words are sensitive to the sounds that
follow them.

Say "a apple" vs "an apple". Former is slightly harder to say. Rule in communication systems: principle of
least effort, if we can get across the same meaning with less physical effort, we will do it.

MORPHOLOGY - the study of words, word structures, how words are formed, sometimes used to
identify what a language is like
Analytic or isolating - Mandarin. Most perfect language for internet?
Synthetic or agglutinating - takes bits and pieces and mean something, in Italian, Roberto,
Roberta -o masculine, -a feminine. In English, one unit, one word, different.

3. A boy Johnny is loves who pizza
Problem: order of the words

If a language depends on the order of its words - SYNTAX - study of how words and phrases are put
together in the form larger structures like sentences and paragraphs

4. Johnny is a boy who drinks pizza
Problem: you do not drink food, you eat food. You drink beverages. SEMANTICS - Used words in an
erroneous way compared to what the usual meaning is

5. Johnny is a girl who loves pizza
Problem: What do you mean? PRAGMATICS - use of language connecting it to the real level at the
most concrete real level, how it is used in a certain way

PHONOLOGY
Phonetics: science of sounds? how do you pronounce something, looks at sounds and gives you exact
instructions on what your mouth should do
Habits from native language and impose them on new language, creates colloquially, an accent
Italian, my beautiful fyring pan: Quella bella padella vs English: kill bill pill

Fish, enough, philosophy

[f] is the sound made by the lower lip touching the upper teeth = labiodentals greek and latin
Spraying sound = fricative

[f] =voiceless labiodental fricative
[v] = voiced labiodental fricative (because vibrating)

Vowels - sonens? Vocal chords have to vibrate throughout, air emulating from the lungs can go on

Cm t th cncrt n jn = come to the concert in june
Consonants carry more meaning

Tongue in front Tongue in centre Tongue in back
Beet bust High
Bit but boot
Bait bot boot
Bet Mid
Bat boat
Low
SEE TEXTBOOK bought

Open vs closed vowel

Vowels give away where you are from more than any other sound

In romantic? languages, accented vowels are much longer than in English
The language you speak first, usually stays with you for life, BUT Language attrition many Asian kids
come to Canada, etc. Language is emotional.

Bilingualism is a manifestation... recalling childhood????

Consonants -
Point of Articulation:
-bilabial, produced with both lips touching, e.g. [m] most common, common first sound of child, [b] [p]
-labiodental, lower lip touching upper teeth [f] [v]
-dental, tongue touching upper teeth or with upper and lower teeth close together [t] [d] [n] [s] [z] [l]
-interdental, putting tongue between teeth e.g. thing, that
-alveolar, tongue touching gum ridge e.g. train, drain
-(alveo)palatal, tongue touching soft palate e.g. chin, jar, shin
-velar, back of tongue touching soft palate [k] [g]
-uvular, near uvula [x] in German ich
-glottal, at or near throat [h]

How sounds convey personal, psychological, meaning... you convey irony, satire, love, ...

Manner of Articulation:
-plosive (stop), complete stoppage of airstream, [p] [t] [k]
-fricative, contriction of airstream [f] [v] [s]un, shop, thing (s-sibilant)
-affricate, combination of plosive and fricative. Starts as a stop, ends as a sibilant. e.g. caTS, [ts], piZZa,
faDS [dz]
-flap or vibrant, flapping action of tongue [r]
-lateral, narrowing of the tongue as the airstream escapes from the sides of the tongue [l]
-nasal, directing the airstream partially through the nasal passage [m], [n]

MORPHOLOGY


SYNTAX
...

SEMANTICS
...

PRAGMATICS