Structural Grammar and Linguistics Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What is the focus of the essay?

The concept of grammar, its different meanings, and the importance of teaching grammar.

What is grammar?

Grammar is a set of rules that govern the structure of a language.

Is grammar unique to humans?

Yes, grammar as we know it seems to be a unique human capacity.

Do non-human species use grammar?

<p>No, the natural communicative use of grammar in non-human species has never been attested.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Do native speakers of a language have an internalized grammar?

<p>Yes, native speakers of a language all have an internalized grammar (their competence), whether they can articulate the rules of the language or not.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the different uses of the term 'grammar'?

<p>Grammar can refer to books that contain descriptions of the structure of a language, the knowledge that a native speaker has of his or her language, a set of rules developed to control certain aspects of the usage of native speakers, and a set of rules typically taught in school about 'appropriate usage' and about writing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Has teaching grammar to non-human species been successful?

<p>No, much success has not been reported in teaching grammar to non-human species.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the narrower sense of grammar?

<p>Syntax and morphology only.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are normative/prescriptive grammar?

<p>Rules and principles by which a language works, its system or structure, for the purpose of establishing norms or standards to prescribe the exact rules of the tongue.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is prescriptive grammar?

<p>Attempts to establish and maintain a standard of correctness in the language, to dictate and forbid certain ways of speaking based on factors external to language, such as social class or level of education.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the focus of traditional prescriptive grammarians?

<p>Concepts and terminology of traditional grammar, based on the linguistic categories found in Latin and Ancient Greek, and often had a diachronic perspective, favoring rules based on earlier forms of the language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is descriptive grammar?

<p>Attempts to describe the usage of native speakers, recognizing a wide variety of grammatical forms, assuming that the only authority for what exists in a language is what its native speakers accept and understand as part of their language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a grammatical sentence from a descriptive view?

<p>&quot;I ain't doing nothing&quot; produced by the grammar of a native speaker for speakers of several different dialects of English and appropriate in different registers for those dialects.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between traditional school grammar and modern linguistics?

<p>Modern linguistics emphasizes objectivity in describing the language and its word classes, together with a rejection of prescriptivism, while traditional school grammar focuses on prescriptive rules and standards.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Structural Grammar?

<p>Structural Grammar is a linguistic approach that describes language on its own terms, paying attention to how words change in sound and spelling and how they are used in sentences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the systematic description of language in Structural Grammar?

<p>The systematic description of language in Structural Grammar includes an analysis of the sound system (phonology), then the systematic combination of sounds into meaningful units and words (morphology), and, finally, the systematic combination of words into meaningful phrase structures and sentence patterns (syntax).</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Generative-Transformational grammar?

<p>Generative-Transformational grammar is a linguistic theory that aims to describe the internal grammar, our innate, subconscious ability to generate language. The goal is to build a model of our internal rules, a model that would produce all of the grammatical — and no ungrammatical — sentences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who is the founder of Generative-Transformational grammar?

<p>Noam Chomsky is the founder of Generative-Transformational grammar.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Universal Grammar?

<p>Universal Grammar is our human language capacity (the Language Acquisition Device (LAD)) and is shared by all human languages, according to Chomsky and his followers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Systemic Functional Grammar?

<p>Systemic Functional Grammar is a linguistic theory that attaches great importance to the sociological aspects of language. It views language as a resource for making meanings and hence grammar is a resource for creating meaning by means of wording.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the three strata that make up the linguistic system in Systemic Functional Grammar?

<p>The three strata that make up the linguistic system in Systemic Functional Grammar are meaning (semantics), sound (phonology), and wording or lexicogrammar (syntax, morphology, and lexis).</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Universal Grammar theory?

<p>Universal Grammar theory is a theory that explains the biological basis to L1 acquisition.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What explains why classes in the formal grammar of a foreign language often fail to train people to speak those languages?

<p>Subconscious knowledge, like how to speak or the ability to visually identify discrete objects, is acquired. Classes in the formal grammar of a foreign language often fail to train people to speak those languages because conscious knowledge is learned, while subconscious knowledge is acquired.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What arguments point to an innate component to language acquisition?

<p>The arguments that point to an innate component to language acquisition are diverse and range from the fact that the language capacity is species specific, the ability to acquire language is independent of intelligence, the pattern of acquisition is relatively uniform across different children, different languages, and different cultures.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between conscious knowledge and subconscious knowledge according to cognitive scientists?

<p>Cognitive scientists make a distinction in how we get conscious and subconscious knowledge. Conscious knowledge is learned. Subconscious knowledge, like how to speak or the ability to visually identify discrete objects, is acquired.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an interlanguage grammar?

<p>An interlanguage grammar is a linguistic system that falls between L1 and L2 grammar that L2 learners use before they can arrive at a linguistic system that will allow the learner to understand and speak the second language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What claims Universal Grammar theory about learning the grammar of a second language?

<p>Universal Grammar theory claims that learning the grammar of a second language is not so much learning completely new structures, rules, etc as discovering how to set the parameters for the new language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the subconscious language faculty?

<p>The subconscious language faculty is the part of the brain that allows native speakers to produce sentences without consciously thinking about where to put the subject, the verb, etc.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the pattern of acquisition of language?

<p>The pattern of acquisition of language is relatively uniform across different children, different languages, and different cultures.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the importance of immersion in learning a language?

<p>Being immersed in an environment where they can subconsciously acquire a language is much more effective than classes in the formal grammar of a foreign language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between normative/prescriptive grammar and descriptive grammar?

<p>Normative/prescriptive grammar involves establishing norms and standards for language correctness, while descriptive grammar attempts to describe the actual usage of native speakers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of prescriptive grammar?

<p>Prescriptive grammar focuses on establishing and maintaining a standard of correctness in language usage, based on external factors such as social class or level of education.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the emphasis of modern linguistics in describing language?

<p>Modern linguistics emphasizes objectivity in describing language and its word classes, rejecting prescriptivism.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the assumption of descriptive grammar regarding language authority?

<p>Descriptive grammar assumes that the only authority for what exists in a language is what its native speakers accept and understand as part of their language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a grammatical sentence from a descriptive view?

<p>In a descriptive view, a sentence is considered grammatical if it is produced by the grammar of a native speaker, regardless of dialect or register. For example, 'I ain't doing nothing' is grammatical in several different English dialects and registers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between traditional school grammar and modern linguistics?

<p>The main difference between traditional school grammar and modern linguistics is the emphasis on prescriptivism in the former and objectivity in the latter.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the different grammars mentioned in the text?

<p>The text mentions narrower senses of grammar that encompass only syntax and morphology, as well as normative/prescriptive grammar and descriptive grammar.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the critical Structuralism movement and who were some of the key linguists involved?

<p>The critical Structuralism movement in the beginning of the 20th century recognized the importance of describing language on its own terms. Structural Grammar Linguists such as Saussure in Europe and Bloomfield in the United States were key figures in this movement.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the goal of the transformational generative grammar approach?

<p>The goal of transformational generative grammar is to describe the internal grammar, our innate, subconscious ability to generate language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Universal Grammar and how is it related to the Language Acquisition Device?

<p>According to Chomsky and his followers, Universal Grammar constitutes our human language capacity (the Language Acquisition Device (LAD)) and is shared by all human languages.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Systemic Functional Grammar and why is it important?

<p>Systemic Functional Grammar attaches great importance to the sociological aspects of language, viewing language as a resource for making meanings and hence grammar as a resource for creating meaning by means of wording. It emphasizes the influence of social and cultural context on meaning.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the three strata that make up the linguistic system according to Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar?

<p>According to Halliday and his followers, the three strata that make up the linguistic system are meaning (semantics), sound (phonology), and wording or lexicogrammar (syntax, morphology, and lexis).</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between learning and acquisition of language?

<p>Acquisition refers to the subconscious process of picking up a language naturally, while learning involves conscious effort and instruction. Children and adults acquire their first language(s) naturally, while learning additional languages later in life usually requires a combination of acquisition and learning.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the systematic description of language in Structural Grammar differ from traditional eight word groups of Latin?

<p>Instead of assuming that English words could fit into the traditional eight word groups of Latin, the structuralists examined sentences objectively, paying particular attention to how words change in sound and spelling (their form) and how they are used in sentences (their function)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the unique human capacity at the heart of the human communication system?

<p>Grammar</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between a well-coded lexicon and grammar in non-human species?

<p>Non-human species can acquire a well-coded lexicon, but not the natural communicative use of grammar.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the competence of a native speaker of a language?

<p>Their internalized grammar, whether or not they can articulate the rules of the language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the different uses of the term 'grammar'?

<p>To refer to books, knowledge of a language, a set of rules developed to control usage, and a set of rules taught in school.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Is teaching grammar to non-human species successful?

<p>No, not much success has been reported.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of the following essay?

<p>The concept of grammar, its different meanings, and the importance of teaching grammar.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the traditional use of grammar in school?

<p>To teach appropriate usage and writing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Universal Grammar and how does it relate to language acquisition?

<p>Universal Grammar is a theory that suggests that there is a biological basis to first language acquisition. It argues that the ability to acquire language is innate and that children are born with the capacity to learn any language that they are exposed to.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the arguments that support the innate component of language acquisition?

<p>The arguments that support the innate component of language acquisition include the fact that the language capacity is species-specific, the ability to acquire language is independent of intelligence, the pattern of acquisition is relatively uniform across different children, different languages and different cultures, that language is acquired with relative ease and rapidity and without the benefit of instruction and finally that children show creativity which goes beyond the input that they are exposed to.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between conscious and subconscious knowledge?

<p>Conscious knowledge, such as the rules of algebra or syntactic theory, is learned, while subconscious knowledge, like how to speak, is acquired.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why do classes in the formal grammar of a foreign language often fail to train people to speak those languages?

<p>Classes in the formal grammar of a foreign language often fail to train people to speak those languages because conscious knowledge, which is what is taught in these classes, is not enough for language acquisition. Subconscious knowledge is required, which can only be acquired through immersion in an environment where the language is spoken.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the task that L2 learners face?

<p>L2 learners face the task of arriving at a linguistic system that will allow them to understand and speak the second language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are interlanguage grammars?

<p>Interlanguage grammars are the grammars that L2 learners use before they arrive at a linguistic system that will allow them to understand and speak the second language. These grammars fall between L1 and L2 grammar.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does UG claim about learning the grammar of a second language?

<p>UG claims that learning the grammar of a second language is not so much learning completely new structures, rules, etc as discovering how to set the parameters for the new language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the view of most linguists on the linguistic mechanisms available to L2 learners?

<p>Most linguists believe that the linguistic mechanisms available to L1 acquirers are no longer available to L2 learners.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the subconscious language faculty in language production?

<p>When a native speaker produces a sentence, they do not consciously think about where to put the subject, the verb, etc., but their subconscious language faculty does that for them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

What is Grammar?

  • Grammar is not unique to humans, and some non-human species have been observed to use grammar-like structures.
  • Native speakers of a language have an internalized grammar that guides their language production.
  • The term 'grammar' has different uses, including the narrower sense of grammar, normative/prescriptive grammar, and descriptive grammar.

Types of Grammar

  • Normative/prescriptive grammar focuses on what is considered correct or acceptable in a language.
  • Prescriptive grammar emphasizes the rules and conventions of a language, with traditional prescriptive grammarians focusing on Latin and Greek.
  • Descriptive grammar, on the other hand, aims to describe the language as it is used by its speakers, without judgments of correctness or incorrectness.
  • An example of a grammatical sentence from a descriptive view is one that may not follow traditional rules, but is still considered acceptable by native speakers.

Approaches to Grammar

  • Structural Grammar provides a systematic description of language, moving away from traditional eight word groups of Latin.
  • Generative-Transformational grammar, founded by Noam Chomsky, proposes that there is an innate capacity for language acquisition.
  • Universal Grammar is the theory that all humans are born with an innate ability to acquire language.
  • Systemic Functional Grammar, developed by M.A.K. Halliday, views language as a system with three strata: phonology, lexico-grammar, and semantics.

Language Acquisition

  • Conscious knowledge refers to the rules and conventions of language that we are aware of, while subconscious knowledge refers to the innate abilities and patterns that guide our language production.
  • Interlanguage grammars refer to the unique grammatical systems developed by second language learners.
  • Universal Grammar theory claims that second language learners have access to the same innate language acquisition device as native speakers.
  • The subconscious language faculty plays a crucial role in language production, and immersion in the language is essential for language acquisition.

Theories and Debates

  • The critical Structuralism movement, involving linguists like Roman Jakobson and Roland Barthes, questioned the traditional notions of language and grammar.
  • The goal of the transformational generative grammar approach is to uncover the underlying universal principles of language.
  • The assumption of descriptive grammar is that language is a naturally occurring phenomenon, and authority lies with the speakers, not grammarians.
  • The main difference between traditional school grammar and modern linguistics is the focus on description rather than prescription.

Key Concepts

  • The unique human capacity at the heart of the human communication system is the ability to use grammar to convey meaning.
  • A well-coded lexicon and grammar are distinct in non-human species, unlike in humans.
  • The competence of a native speaker of a language refers to their internalized grammar that guides their language production.

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Description

Test your knowledge of Structural Grammar Linguistics and the critical Structuralism movement of the 20th century with this quiz. Explore how linguists such as Saussure and Bloomfield examined sentences objectively, describing language on its own terms. Keywords: Structural Grammar, Linguistics, Saussure, Bloomfield, Structuralism.

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