Most people, including many scientists, readily assume that human perception depicts reality truthfully, that human thought processes are essentially rational, and that episodic memory aptly stores and recalls factual information about personal experiences. However, these notions are only partially true. Of course, evolutionary pressures have culminated in an overall quite powerful cognitive system that allows humans to adequately cope with the circumstances present within their ecological niche(s), but nevertheless, perception of the outside world is subject to the brain’s “motivated” interpretation out of imperfect input, thinking is guided by heuristic shortcuts as well as a plethora of unconscious biases, and memory shows itself to be imperfect as well as malleable to a variety of influences. As a result, intuitive judgments on reality are, in principle, to a certain degree unreliable. Cognitive shortcomings constitute an intrinsic condition of human nature and profoundly impact how people interpret the world and interact with their material and social surroundings. This paper is motivated by the fact that many scholars within linguistics, as well as most students of the field, have little to no awareness of the pertinent literature, even though these biases may directly or indirectly influence their work. The following therefore aims to present a concise introduction to the topic, from the evolutionary background to practical implications within linguistic research.
Discussions on the status and nature of lexicography have been ongoing since at least the 1960s. Some of the most frequently discussed issues concern lexicographical theory, including its very existence, which some scholars find problematic. And if it is considered to exist, questions as to what can be treated as a lexicographic theory arise: Is it a theory of dictionary making practice? Is it a linguistic theory? Is it a separate lexicographical theory? The aim of the article is to present and comment on the divergent positions. Finally, the author draws attention to the factors that cause that the discussion on lexicographical theory is not always conducted at the appropriate scientific level.
Despite conceiving epistemological principles as the most important element in a science and strongly defending the indissolubility between the linguistic and philosophical dimensions of theorization, Eugenio Coseriu expressed a great number of his epistemological convictions only as mere comments scattered across different writings. For this reason, it is not always easy to realize which aspects of his linguistic thinking, which argumentation procedures and which key categorizations and concepts in his linguistic theorization originated from issues of a philosophical nature – especially as far as philosophy of linguistics is specifically concerned. In this respect, the present paper aims to identify the philosophical-scientific foundations underlying ―Logicismo y antilogicismo en la gramática‖ (―Logicism and Antilogicism in Grammar‖). In doing so, I intend to show that this work is not a mere linguistic study, but an essential approach to unravel the epistemological principles around which the whole philosophical-scientific edifice of Coserian linguistic theory is structured.
Following the development of a framework for critical stylistics (Jeffries 2010) and the explication of some of the theoretical assumptions behind this framework (Jeffries 2014a, 2014b, 2015a, 2015b), the present article attempts to put this framework into a larger theoretical context as a way to approach textual meaning. Using examples from the popular U.S. television show, The Big Bang Theory, I examine the evidence that there is a kind of textual meaning which can be distinguished from the core propositional meaning on the one hand and from contextual, interpersonal meaning on the other. The specific aim, to demonstrate a layer of meaning belonging to text specifically, is set within an argument which claims that progress in linguistics can better be served by adherence to a rigorous scientific discipline.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, Estonian inflection was described in the traditional framework of Latin grammar. Grammars still differed from one another. For example, Johann Gutslaff observed that the case forms which were traditionally included in the Latinized case paradigm and other Estonian word forms were actually formed the same way. Johann Hornung’s grammar started a new era by offering a more vernacular-based description of Estonian inflection than in previous grammars. An active search for alternative ways to describe Estonian inflection took place in the first half of the 19th century. Both verbal and nominal paradigms received novel interpretations, and mutation was for the first time treated systematically. The nature of case and the contents of the case paradigm were the most popular topics. The first complete overview of the Estonian inflectional system which followed the new ideas was compiled by Eduard Ahrens. In the second half of the 19th century, the thorough descriptive grammar by Ferdinand Johann Wiedemann and the first grammars in the Estonian language were published. The first disciplines of emerging Estonian linguistics, historical linguistics and dialectology evolved during the 1920s–1930s under the leadership of Andrus Saareste, Julius Mägiste and others. The 1940s–1950s were shadowed by war and the beginning of the Soviet occupation. Linguistic research was neither particularly productive nor novel, and the fields and methods remained largely the same as before. Arnold Kask began his thorough studies on the history of literary Estonian, which in time developed into a fruitful research discipline under his influence. The 1960s–1990s was a period characterized by intensive attention to inflection theory. First, Estonian word forms were described using the internationally well-known IA and IP models. Then, Ülle Viks, Toomas Help, Henn Saari and Martin Ehala all developed their own morphological models. Research was influenced by novel methods and insights, e.g. the theory of natural morphology and the center-periphery view of linguistic phenomena. Huno Rätsep suggested a new interpretation of Estonian moods, giving evidentiality a distinctive role. Toomas Help and Joel Nevis examined some case morphemes as clitics instead of the traditional interpretation as case affixes. A thorough descriptive grammar was compiled (1993-1995). Its inflection chapter, authored by Kristiina Ross, differed radically from the previous grammars and relied on the morphological classification of Ülle Viks and the model of regular and irregular morphology by Toomas Help. Some new disciplines emerged: first-language acquisition, the study of colloquial language and computational linguistics. The research of Mati Hint, in particular, revealed major systematic differences between formal and colloquial inflection. Traditional disciplines flourished as well. Among other works, many important general treatments were published: a history of the noun paradigm by Huno Rätsep, a history of literary Estonian by Arnold Kask, a systematic overview of contemporary inflection by Jaak Peebo and comprehensive overviews of several Estonian dialects. The most important theoretical works of the new millennium include the descriptions of Estonian verb and noun inflection using the WP model by James Blevins. Studies on colloquial Estonian have revealed some ongoing changes in morphological paradigms. Second-language acquisition and the study of language disorders have developed into full-fledged research areas. Of the existent disciplines, first-language acquisition, dialectology, the history of literary Estonian and research on colloquial Estonian have been productive. Diachronic inflection, on the other hand, has received less attention than before. Recently, research on morphosyntax has prevailed over the study of inflection.
Autorka niniejszego artykułu, rodowita Francuzka i wieloletnia wykładowczyni języka i literatury polskiej na Uniwersytecie Paris-Sorbonne, postuluje, aby nauczyciel języka polskiego jako obcego na bieżąco śledził rozwój teorii lingwistyki ogólnej i wykorzystywał ją w ramach dydaktyki, ograniczając się przy tym do wdrażania wyłącznie przydatnych rozwiązań oraz zwracając szczególną uwagę na to, by uczniowie świadomie zauważali, jak podobne problemy pojawiające się w ich językach ojczystych można wytłumaczyć teoretycznie. Ważna przesłanka prezentowanej metody brzmi następująco: nauczając jakiegokolwiek języka jako obcego, należy nieustannie uaktualniać rozstrzygnięcia konkretnych zagadnień tradycyjnych teorii lokalnych. Dzięki temu można uniknąć konfliktów wynikających z różnic między wiedzą o własnych językach narodowych a języku obcym. Dydaktyk winien zatem starać się przedstawiać przedmiotowy język w taki sposób, aby studenci, którzy nie znają jeszcze ani języka, ani też jego lokalnej – często nawet całkiem odrębnej – terminologii gramatycznej, byli w stanie wstępnie konstruować pewne wyobrażenia o nim w kontraście z innymi językami (którymi władają). Należy jednak pamiętać, że w językoznawstwie ogólnym najczęściej – niestety – nie mamy do dyspozycji wypróbowanych ogólnych pojęć i teorii (poza wyjątkami w dziedzinach takich, jak fonologia i morfologia). Elementem ostatecznym i decydującym udanego poznawania języka polskiego jako obcego pozostają zatem pasja i zaangażowanie samego uczącego się.
EN
The author proposes that teachers of Polish as a foreign language should keep track of the development of contemporary general linguistics. However, in the process they need to focus on the specific problems of Polish while initiating students only into the necessary general linguistic knowledge, using it first and foremost to draw the students’ attention to their own native language, in order to be able to compare it with the second language. An important premise of the proposed method is that when teaching any foreign language we should constantly revisit traditional grammatical theory and terminology. In this way, conflicts resulting from differences between knowledge of one’s national language and a foreign language may be avoided. A specialist in a foreign language should be able to describe it in such a way that people who do not yet know either this language or its respective grammatical terminology are able to build in their minds some representation of it comparable to other languages they already know. Unfortunately, in contemporary general linguistics we do not usually have at our disposal concepts and theories for adequate description of a great variety of languages (except in fields such as phonology and morphology). Therefore, the final and decisive element of successful learning of a foreign language remains the passion and commitment of the learners themselves..
FR
Ce qui est nouveau (dans les vingt dernières années) en ce qui concerne l’apprentissage du polonais comme langue seconde, c'est la place de la Pologne en Europe, en particulier dans l'Union Européenne, son dynamisme économique qui entraîne aussi une dynamique culturelle. De nombreux professionnels étrangers ont besoin d'acquérir rapidement une maîtrise efficace du polonais. Cela change complètement le profil des apprenants : des amoureux de Chopin ou des sympathisants de Solidarność on est passé à des acteurs économiques motivés. Les étrangers parlant polonais ne sont plus des cas uniques faisant sensation : les programmes de radio et TV polonais en invitent de plus en plus nombreux, originaires de tous les continents et maniant bien la langue.
The goal of the present contribution is to explore what kinds of objects languages are from a biolinguistic point of view. I define the biolinguistic point of view as a naturalistic study of languages and I show that from this point of view, languages are human language organs, that is, they are natural objects. However, languages change over time; therefore, they are also historically modified objects. Considering that natural organisms are historically modified natural objects, I look for inspiration in evolutionary theory to better specify what kinds of objects languages are and how they change and diversify. I conclude that every language is a ‘unique evolutionary history’ within a restricted space of design. This conclusion means that although the structure of languages reveals aspects of formal elegance and aspects of functional efficiency, there are no arguments to state that these aspects are manifested more or less intensely in some languages than in others. Then their formal and functional aspects are part of what is common to all languages, while variable parts of language are a reflection of the essentially historical nature of the lexical interface between the components of our language organs.
The author considers the impact of postmodernism on contemporary humanities, and in particular on theoretical linguistics. The main thesis of the paper can be formulated as follows: postmodernism contributes to the increase of such tendencies in linguistics as: blurring of the subject of research, disregard for the ‘directives of language’, i.e. disuse of the conventional scientific language, violations of the requirement of verifiability of statements, and breaking of the rules of communication. The author examines elements of postmodern science using the example of several branches of modern linguistics: cultural linguistics (linguoculturology), ethnolinguistics, anthropological linguistics, cognitive linguistics, and discourse linguistics.
The article is a synthetic discussion of the discourse analysis method from the onomastic perspective. In our opinion, proper names are not merely linguistic signs - they are also social constructs, often highly politicised, forming various textual and discursive relations. Names understood in that way are often crucial to (re)constructing social reality. Thanks to the methodological orientation used, names can be a good tool for identification, discovery and interpretation of important aspects of discourse. In our opinion, the use of particular names is not random, but it helps us discover objects vital for the analysis of axiology and ideology of discourse. The method we propose should provide tools used in analyses of all onymic spheres (name categories). The text also highlights the theoretical framework of the method and a proposal of a research procedure in onomastic disourse analysis (ODA) is shown. Moreover, examples of analysis domain are indicated: discourse types and name categories related to them.
PL
Celem artykułu jest syntetyczne omówienie metody analizy dyskursu w perspektywie onomastycznej. W naszym ujęciu nazwy własne to nie tylko znaki językowe – to również konstrukty społeczne, często silnie zideologizowane, wchodzące w rozliczne relacje tekstowe i dyskursywne. Nazwy tak pojmowane odgrywają często kluczową rolę w (re)konstruowaniu rzeczywistości społecznej. Dzięki takiej orientacji metodologicznej mogą one stanowić dobre narzędzie do identyfikacji, ujawnienia i interpretacji kluczowych aspektów dyskursu. Użycie nazw – takich a nie innych – nie jest w naszym rozumieniu przypadkowe, ale odsłania ważne dla aksjologii i ideologii danego dyskursu obiekty. Proponowana przez nas metodologia powinna zapewnić instrumentarium służące do analiz wszystkich sfer onimicznych (kategorii nazewniczych). W tekście naszkicowane jest teoretyczne tło metody, a także pokazana propozycja postępowania badawczego w ramach onomastycznej analizy dyskursu (OAD). Wskazane zostały również przykładowe domeny analiz: typy dyskursów i przyporządkowane im kategorie nazewnicze.
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