Unit 2: place of contrastive analysis in linguistics

Unit 2 Place of Contrastive Analysis in linguistics Unit 2 Major issues of Contrastive linguistics 1 Place of Contrastive Analysis in linguistics Approaches of Modern linguistics 1 Essential introductory linguistics studies all languages in the world to clarify their characteristics, functions, origins of a particular language in general, setting up a general system, categories as tools to investigate a particular language 2 Descriptive linguistics is the study of the grammar, classification an.

UNIT 2: MAJOR ISSUES OF CONTRASTIVE LINGUISTICS Place of Contrastive Analysis in linguistics Approaches of Modern linguistics Essential/ introductory linguistics studies all languages in the world to clarify their characteristics, functions, origins of a particular language in general, setting up a general system, categories as tools to investigate a particular language Descriptive linguistics is the study of the grammar, classification and arrangement of a language at a given time, without reference to its history or comparison to the other languages Comparative linguistics is a study in which different languages to be compared among others Subfields of comparative linguistics Linguistic typology compares languages to classify them by their features Its ultimate aim is to understand the universals that govern language, and the range of types found in the world's languages in respect of any particular feature (word order or vowel system, for example) Typological similarity does not imply a historical relationship However, typological arguments can be used in comparative linguistics: one reconstruction may be preferred to another as typologically more plausible (see Linguistic typology) Subfields of comparative linguistics Historical linguistics is about how and why language changes over time Comparative linguistics, in the relevant sense, is the study of linguistic relatedness, that is to say, of genetic or ancestral connections and related matters of subgrouping extending to the reconstruction of unattested ancestral languages or proto-languages Contrastive linguistics (CL) compares languages usually with the aim of assisting language learning by identifying similarities and differences between the learner's native (source language – Vietnamese) and target languages (English) Contrastive linguistics deals solely with present-day languages Contrastive linguistics: terms  contrastive linguistics (or its methods) is also called contrastive studies  contrastive analysis  interlingual linguistics Traditional concepts:   Contrastive Studies (CS) = any systematic comparison of two languages  Contrastive Linguistics (CL) = the whole field of crosslanguage comparisons with a focus on theory and methodology of comparison  Contrastive Analysis (CA)  = sensu largo: CS or CL  = sensu stricto: the third step in classical contrastive studies: description, juxtaposition, comparison Contrastive linguistics: terms  Contrastive Studies (CS) in the past and at present  History of CS  since Aelfric’s Grammatica (1000AD) till now (Fries’ 1945, Fisiak 1992): CS mostly for pedagogical purposes  20th c.: grow of interest theory and methodology: more systematic and comprehensive empirical studies, language corpora  nowadays CS is conducted  to support some theoretical claims not connected with CL proper, emphasis on practice and application of CS  to develop CL, emphasis on theory and methodology in CS,  in language pedagogy, translation studies, theoretical linguistics, language technology Approaches to CL  comparative historical linguistics  looking for common genetic background of different languages  diachronic studies  comparative typological linguistics  group languages according to their characteristics  synchronic studies  contrastive (non-classification) linguistics  note and describe similarities and differences between languages  not group them in any way Self-study: Nguyễn Văn Chiến (1992) - page 29 - 39 Aims of CAs   CAs is the systematic comparison of two or more languages, with the aim of describing their similarities and differences CAs has often been done for practical/ pedagogical purposes The aim has been to provide better descriptions and better teaching materials for language learners Aims of CAs   The main purpose is for foreign language teaching (FLT) Teachers must solve three questions Why CAs is instructive in foreign language teaching? Teachers must analyze the factors in FLT, study the psychology of learners, and know more about the learning process How to apply contrastive analysis to FLT? Teachers must study and analyze the important stages of learning such as course design, textbook, classroom teaching and FL testing They should the detailed comparison of language differences What’s the relationship between contrastive analysis and applied linguistics? Teachers must know what function CAs has in the long course of linguistics They shall evaluate its importance and significance Aims of CAs  Carl, J (1980) -  Nguyễn Văn Chiến (1992) - page 41 – 65 page 11 - 60 Methods of analysis in CA 3, The addition of new data with their translation to the corpus and then modifying the rules to include the new data 4, A formulation of the found results of the contrasted data is determined either in the form of equation or operation The formation was either in the form of a set of instructions that can be applied to both language grammars (Harris, 1954 in James, 1980) transfer rules or equations which differ from transfer rules in that they not show which language is being converted to the other and hence lack the directionality of the transfer rules Methods of analysis in CA  Chien, N.V (1992) – p 67 – p 110 Kinds of CAs   Theoretical CAs Applied CAs Kinds of CAs Theoretical CAs  “Pure” linguistics  its linguistic validity Applied CAs   (J.Carl 1980, 5) A hybrid discipline, constituted not only of linguistics but also of psychology and sociology Not only its linguistic validity but also its psychological Kinds of CAs Theoretical CAs  “Real progress in linguistics consists in the discovery that certain features of given languages can be reduced to universal properties of language, and explained in terms of these deeper aspects of linguistic form” (Chomsky 1965, 35) Applied CAs  “It is one of the few investigations into language structure that has improved pedagogy as its aim is therefore truly a field of applied language research” (Wilkins 1972, 224) Kinds of CAs Theoretical CAs   Develop models of language analysis, describe languages and explore similarities and differences between languages Focus more on abstract concepts such as, “grammatical categories, rules, functions, and constrains: Applied CAs   Examine language for bilingual education, translation or any practical specific purposes Focus on psycholinguistic elements that are more perceptual even if the contrasted variables are syntactically incomparable at all CAs must propose hypotheses and solution for problems (Fisiak, 1990) Kinds of CAs Theoretical CAs  “Do not investigate how a given category present in language A is represented in language B Instead they look for the realisation of a universal category X in both A and B” (Fisiak et al 1978, 10) Applied CAs  “are preoccupied with the problem of how a universal category X, realised in language A as y, is rendered in language B Kinds of CAs This means that applied CAs unidiretional (cf p 171) whereas theoretical CAs are static, since they not need to reflect any directionality Theoretical of CAslearning Applied CAs X A X B A (y) B (?) Kinds of CAs Theoretical CAs  Contains information about both directionalities of learning, and so offers a measure of economy Applied CAs  Contains only information only on English L1 learner’s problems with other language, Vietnamese…, but no information on the obverse directionality Kinds of CAs Theoretical CAs  Makes constant or recurrent reference to the universal tertium comparationis: a direct applied CA is liable to lose sight of the contact between X and (?) – the L2 realization – since it is mediated by y Applied CAs  Executed independently is liable to lose its objectivity, i.e its predictions will tend to base on teachers’ experience of learners’ difficulties than derived from linguistic analysis – interpretations of theoretical CAs rather than independent execution Kinds of CAs Theoretical CAs  aims at explore the contrastive analysis patterns and theoretical frame, and to analyze and describe the similarities and differences between two or more languages In this way, the concept of equivalence and correspondence will be settled Applied CAs  is to apply the theory of contrastive analysis to teaching, translation or dictionary-design The main purpose is for foreign language teaching Kinds of CAs Theoretical CAs  The study of it can be divided into the study of phonetics, lexicon, syntax, and semantics Applied CAs  aims at studying specific language phenomenon, such as the different usages of English and Vietnamese articles Kinds of CAs The general procedures in carrying a more practically oriented contrastive analysis includes steps: 1, the identification of the problem area, 2, description by using the framework, juxtaposition by putting the separate descriptions of the two languages side by side 3, deciding what is to be compared with what based on intuitive judgments of competent bilingual speakers, 4, comparison which comes last  Kinds of CAs The general procedures in carrying out a more theoretically oriented contrastive analysis include six steps The author must determine the scope of his study as specific as possible In other words, that is to say, he must narrow it down He should review the previous literature by stating the separate study already alone in the area and separate studies of the two languages in the area This is similar to what is called the literature review He should choose a theoretic model or framework, which depends on the purpose and level of the study Otherwise, it will not be feasible enough to make it as valid as required  Kinds of CAs He must collect sufficient data for analysis That is to say, sufficient data must be based on the large number of subjects and samples He should the contrastive analysis of the data both qualitatively and quantitatively Only in this way, can the true value be shown and tested He must sum up the results Complete content and organizational editing before formatting ...1 Place of Contrastive Analysis in linguistics Approaches of Modern linguistics Essential/ introductory linguistics studies all languages in the world to clarify their... Contrastive linguistics deals solely with present-day languages 3 Contrastive linguistics: terms  contrastive linguistics (or its methods) is also called contrastive studies  contrastive analysis. .. understanding L1  Methods of analysis in CA Comparing the two language subsystems involves several steps: 1, Gathering of data of the system to be compared in the two languages (using translations of