The Geneva School

Prepared by
Olha Patko
Diana Kachor
Name of the group ------ The Geneva School
Country of origin --------- Switzerland
Leader --------------------- Ferdinand de Saussure
Followers ------------------ Charles Bally and A. Sechehaye
School of thought -------- Modern Structuralism Linguistics
Main idea ----------------- Synchrony and Diachronic
Langue and Parole
Saussure’s Theory of Linguistic Sign
Saussure Theory of Associative Value
Syntagmatic and Paradigmatic
Saussure’s Contribution
Influence ------------------ Number of circle having Structuralism Linguistics
 Outline

Ferdinand de Saussure
Synchrony and Diachronic
Langue and Parole
Saussure’s Theory of Linguistic Sign
Syntagmatic and Paradigmatic
Saussure Theory of Associative Value
& Influence of Saussure
Ferdinand de Saussure
Father of Modern Linguistics

Born 26 November 1857

Geneva, Switzerland

Died 22 February 1913 (aged 55)

Vaud, Switzerland

Era 19th-century philosophy

Region Western Philosophy

School Structuralism, semiotics

Main interests Linguistics

Notable ideas Langue and parole, synchronic

analysis, arbitrariness of the
linguistic sign
 Synchronic and Diachronic

Synchrony is the study of a

language in a given time

Diachronic is the study of a

language in through time/
development of any language
 Langue and Parole

Langue - the language system

and
Parole - the act of speaking.
Parole refers to the individual language
acts.

Langue is the common possession of a

speech community.
Saussure’s Theory of Linguistic Sign
 Signifier - The signifier is the pointing
finger, the word, the sound-image.

Signified - The signified is the concept, the

meaning, the thing indicated by the
signifier
Syntagmatic and Paradigmatic
Syntagmatic is
the chain
relationship by
structure

Paradaigmatic is
the choiec
relationship in
word
 Saussure Theory of Associative Value
Influence of Saussure
As mentioned by waterman, “Saussure’s influence upon
subsequent linguistic theory has understandably been of
major importance. Indeed in Western world at any rate, all
hues of structuralism have come under his influence.

The Copenhagen School

The Prague School
The London School
The American School
Saussure’s fountain principle is his
notion of double
entity. Everything in language can be
defined in
double terms:

•The duality of sound and meaning;

•The duality of the langue and parole;
•The duality of Syntagmatic and
Paradigmatic;
•The duality of Synchronic and
Diachronic.