LESSON 1

OVERVIEW OF LINGUISTICS
AS A DISCIPLINE

Topic 1
Language: Definition, Nature, and Characteristics

ACTIVITY 1
Discuss comprehensively
1. Wherever humans exist, language exists.
Language is an extraordinary gift of God. It is part of what makes man fully
human. Language is basically a system of communication where sound or signs
convey objects, actions and ideas. The history of language dates back to many
thousands of years. Language is primarily spoken not written. But the development of
the writing medium and later the printing system went a long way is the dissipation of
knowledge and without which humans would have remained in the dark about the
ways of life and the thought processes of their ancestors. Language is the key to
human lives. They can eliminate misunderstanding by using it as an instrument to
transfer communication among people. Malinowski suggests, language is "the
necessary means of communion; it is the one indispensable instrument for creating
the ties of the moment without which unified social action is impossible. Language can
thus be said to be at the core of humanity.

2. There are no primitive languages.

Anthropologists have determined that simple human languages with limited
vocabulary and grammar do not exist. Groups with simpler technology or social
organizations do not have simpler languages. Specific words arise from a cultural need
to refer to things or describe situations, but a lack of certain words does not prove a
more primitive linguistic evolution. 'Primitive' is a word that is often used ill-advisedly
in discussions of language. Many people think that 'primitive' is indeed a term to be
applied to languages, though only to some languages, and not usually to the language
they themselves speak. They might agree in calling 'primitive' those uses of language
that concern greetings, grumbles and commands, but they would probably insist that
these were especially common in the so-called 'primitive languages'. These are
misconceptions that we must quickly clear from our minds.
So far as we can tell, all human languages are equally complete and perfect as
instruments of communication: that is, every language appears to be as well equipped
as any other to say the things its speakers want to say. It may or may not be
appropriate to talk about primitive peoples or cultures, but that is another matter.
Certainly, not all groups of people are equally competent in nuclear physics or
psychology or the cultivation of rice or the engraving of Benares brass. But this is not
the fault of their language.
 ACTIVITY 2
A. Draw and describe 5 signs that directly show what they mean.

B. Describe five other communication systems that, like language, consist pf

arbitrary symbols.
 ACTIVITY 3

Thoughts

Powerful
Comprehension
Observation

Spoken

LANGUAGE
Written

Productive Receptive Communicate

Information

Language is one of our most nuanced and powerful tools. It takes all of the
stuff that’s swirling around in each of our lonely, isolated brains – all those thoughts –
and transfers them into someone else’s brain. Language can be acquired
spontaneously through observation, without planned training, and the first to show a
rudimentary comprehension of grammar, syntax, and semantics. Language that sets
us apart from other animals. Technically we define language as a set of spoken,
written, or signed words and the way we combine them to communicate meaning. All
of these forms of language allow us to comprehend things we’ve never actually
witnessed, and exchange information with each other quickly and effectively to, you
know, get a job, or be a friend, or use a metaphor. This also marks the beginning of
receptive language, or the ability to understand what’s being said both to, and about
us. Soon that receptive language blooms to accommodate productive language, when
instead of just understanding other people, babies start developing the ability to
produce words.
 ACTIVITY 4
Identify the meaning of the following given words given in different language.

1. Kyinii- a large parasol (in a Ghanaian language, Twi)

2. Doakam- living creature (in a Native American language, Papago)
3. Odun- wood (in Turkish)
4. Asa- morning (in Japanese)
5. Toowq - is seeing (in Luiseño, a California Indian language)
6. Bolna- to speak (in Hindi-Urdu); aching (in Russian)
7. Wartawan- reporter (in Indonesian)
8. Inaminatu- teacher (in Warao, a Venezuelan Indian language)
9. Yawwa- right on! (in Hausa, a Nigerian language)
10.Rukka- charge (in Iceland) Rukka is derived from Tamil word சுருக்க—Churukka
—meaning an abstract. (in vernacular language) Is the traditional Indian
negotiable instruments being used since ancient times for transfer or payment
of money.
 Topic 2
Linguistics and Scope of Language Studies

ACTIVITY 1
Identify the scope of linguistics wherein the following terms are used.
1. Phoneme- Phonology
2. Transformational rules- Syntax
3. Speech acts- Pragmatics
4. Suprasegmentals- Phonetics
5. IPA- Phonetics
6. Allophones- Phonology
7. Affixes- Morphology
8. Hyponymy- Semantics
9. Inflectional morphemes- Morphology
10.Syntactic categories - Syntax
11.Phrase structure- Syntax
12.Immediate constituents- Syntax
13.Allomorphs- Morphology
14.Synonymy- Semantics
15. Conversational maxims- Pragmatics

ACTIVITY 2
Find and compile examples of research that has been under taken in each area of
linguistics. (separate word)

ASSESSMENT
Direction: read each statement carefully. Encircle the letter of the correct
answer.
1. C
2. A
3. B
4. D
5. C
6. C
7. A
8. B
9. A
10. B
 LESSON 2
Phonetics and Phonology

Topic 1
Sound Segments

ACTIVITY 1
Describe the following vowels sound in terms of the following.

Vowel Tongue position Jaw Lip position Tension Length

sounds height
1. i The tongue is as far The jaw is Lips are very Is a tense Is long
forward as possible fairly spread, like sound. sound.
in the mouth. The closed, in a smile.
middle part of the but the The corner
tongue is curved, teeth do of the lips
almost touching the not touch. are pulled
roof of the mouth, wide.
while the tip is
behind the bottom
front teeth.
2. e Since this is a front The jaw is Lips are not Is a lax Is a
vowel the tongue is open a rounded vowel. short
pulled forwards. little. and are near sound.
The mid part of the the rest
tongue is raised position.
towards the roof of
the mouth. The tip
of the tongue rests
against the bottom
front teeth. In the
video an interested
observation is
pointed out. The
tongue is somewhat
widened, a feature
not very often taken
into account.
3. æ The back part of the The Lips are This is a Is a
tongue is raised a productio more spread tense short
little; the front of n of this than in the vowel. vowel.
the tongue stretches sound rest position
forward and presses requires a but less
behind the bottom large than in
front teeth. The opening vowel
production of this jaw. This
 sound requires vowel will
stretching of the not sound
tongue. natural
unless the
jaw drops
as needed.
4. ε
5. U
6. l

7. Λ The tongue is The jaw is Lips are in This is a Is a

relaxed and slightly in neutral neutral lax vowel, short
pressed down in the position, position. as sound.
back. It is also flat near to attested
in shape as opposed rest by the
to other vowel position. It tongue
sounds where the is not as and lip
tongue is curled. As open as in positions.
for height, it is vowel [ɑ:].
raised a little more
than in vowel [ɑ:],
where the tongue is
as low as possible.

ACTIVITY 2
Describe the following consonant sounds in terms of the following

Consonant Place of Manner of Voicing

Sounds articulation articulation
1. p Bilabial Stops Voiceless
2. k Velar Plosive Voiceless
3. c Palatal Affricates Voiceless
4. m Bilabial Nasals Voiced
5. y Palatal Glides Voiced
6. dЗ Palato-alveolar Affricate Voiced
7. ţſ Palato-alveolar Affricate Voiceless
8. θ Interdental Fricatives Voiceless
9. З Palato-alveolar Fricatives Voiced
10.ð Interdental Fricatives Voiced
 Topic 2
International Phonetic Alphabet

ACTIVITY 1
Give the phonetic transcription of the underlined word on the poem.

1. Know- nəʊ
2. Tough- tʌf
3. Bough- baʊ
4. Cough- kɒf
5. Dough- dəʊ
6. Hiccough- ˈhɪkʌp
7. Thorough- ˈθʌrə
8. Slough- slaʊ
9. Though- ðəʊ
10. Heard- hɜːd
11. Word- wɜːd
12. Beard- bɪəd
13. Bird- bɜːd
14. Dead- dɛd
15. Bed- bɛd
16. Bead- biːd
17. Deed- diːd
18. Meat- miːt
19. Great- greɪt
20. Threat- θrɛt
21. Suite- swiːt
22. Straight- streɪt
23. Debt- dɛt
24. Moth- mɒθ
25. Moth- mɒθ
26. Mother- mʌðə
27. Both- bəʊθ
28. Brother- brʌðə
29. Broth- brɒθ
30. Brother- brʌðə

ACTIVITY 2
1. Fine
2. Took
3. Correct
4. Finger
5. Fox
6. Breathe
7. Ant
8. Choose
9. Chimney
 10. Brother
Topic 3
Phonological Rules

ACTIVITY 1
1. Standpoint = Stampoint – Assimilation
2. Input = Imput – Assimilation
3. Task = taks – Metathesis
4. Student = istudent – insertion
5. Comfortable = comfterble - Deletion
6. Wasp = waps - Metathesis
7. Star = istar – Insertion
8. His shoes = hishoes - Insertion
9. Let me get = lemeget - Deletion
10. Jeet = did you eat - Dissimilation
11. Task = tas - Deletion
12. Park- pak - Deletion
13. Telephone = telephone - Deletion
14. Sweepstakes = sweepistik - Deletion
15. Sausage = sauseyds - Deletion

ACTIVITY 2

1. Did you eat? No, did you?

2. Can we get it?
3. I should have told you
4. Would you like some more
5. Let her get a better water heater
6. How would you like a little more?
7. They don't even like it
8. Don't even think about it!
9. Hold on a second!
10. How to recognize speech.
Topic 4
Suprasegmentals

ACTIVITY 1

1. 'Children
2. A'gree
3. 'Shampoo
4. Informa'tion
5. 'Record (noun)
6. Pro'duce (verb)
7. Commit'tee
8. Fif'teen
9. 'Bookstore
10. 'Pass out

ACTIVITY 2
1.I’ve done my homework.
2.Mother bought a sewing machine
3.She came to see me.
4.All the windows are open.
5.Fruits out of season are very expensive.
6.Thousands of candles were lit.
7.Lina has given up desserts.
8.She lost her watch.
9.The script was finally revised.
10.He’s allergic to crabs.

ASSESSMENT