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5. Structuralism - 3 The Prague School.pptx

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AbdulMahmoud Ibrahim
AbdulMahmoud Ibrahim

The Prague School was a linguistic circle started in 1926 that approached the study of language from a structural and functional perspective. They emphasized the synchronic study of language as a system, and viewed language as both systemic, with elements relating to the whole, and functional, as a tool for communication. The Prague School made important contributions to phonology through Trubetzkoy's work distinguishing phonology and phonetics. They also developed theories of functional sentence perspective looking at the distribution of theme and rheme, and communicative dynamism regarding the information carried by elements. Their approach studied language as a combination of structure and function, across levels from phonology to discourse.

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Structuralism - 3 The Prague School Dr. AbdulMahmoud Idrees Ibrahim
Structuralism Dr. AbdulMahmoud Idrees Ibrahim
The Prague School Prague Linguistic Circle: ? Started by V. Mathesius in 1926, with Jacobson, Trubetzkoy and Firbas ? The Circle stood at the heart of important developments in structural linguistics and semiotics in the 1930's.
The Prague School Three important points: ? SYNCHRONIC study of language is stressed for it can draw on complete and controllable material for investigation. ? Language is SYSTEMIC in that no element of language can be satisfactorily analyzed or evaluated in isolation and assessment can only be made if its relationship is established with the coexisting elements in the same language system. ? Language is FUNCTIONAL in that it is a tool for performing a number of essential functions or tasks for the community using it.
Prague School: Phonology ? N. Trubetzkoy: Principle of Phonology (1939). ? Phonetics vs. phonology: ? parole vs. langue. ? Phoneme: an abstract unit of the sound system; to distinguish meaning ? Classifying distinctive features: phonological oppositions.
Trubetzkoy¡¯s contributions ? Showed distinctive functions of speech sounds and gave an accurate definition of the phoneme. ? Defined the sphere of phonological studies be making the distinction between phonetics and phonology.
Trubetzkoy¡¯s contributions ? Revealed interdependent relations between phonemes by studying the syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations between phonemes. ? Put forward a set of methodologies for phonological studies.
Functional Sentence Perspective ? FSP is a theory of linguistic analysis which refers to an analysis of utterances in terms of the information they contain. ? The principle is that the role of each utterance part is evaluated for its semantic contribution to the whole. ? A functional point of view
A sentence contains a point of departure and a goal of discourse ? A sentence contains a point of departure and a goal of discourse. ? The point of departure, called the theme, is the ground on which the speaker and the hearer meet. ? The goal of discourse, called the rheme, presents the very information that is to be imparted to the hearer. ? Movement from theme to rheme reveals the movement of the mind itself.
Theme Rheme ? The theme is the starting point of a clause; that is what the clause is about. ? The remainder of the clause is the rheme. ? Theme-Rheme structure in English is the configuration that the sender of a message maps onto the text in relation to what he or she believes the receiver needs to know .
Theme Rheme ? Therefore, the functional sentence perspective (FSP) aims to describe how information is distributed in sentences. ? It deals particularly with the effect of the distribution of known (given) info and new info in discourse. ? Sally stands on the table. Theme Rheme ? On the table stands Sally. Theme Rheme
Communicative dynamism (CD) ? J. Firbas, says Linguistic communication is dynamic, not static. ? CD measures the amount of info an element carries in a sentence. ? The degree of CD is the effect contributed by a linguistic element, for it pushes the communication forwards.
Communicative dynamism (CD) ? Example ? He was angry. ? CD: The lowest degree of CD is carried by he, and the highest degree of CD is carried by angry, with the degree carried by was ranking between them.
Communicative dynamism (CD) ? Normally the subject carries a lower degree of CD than the verb and/or the object and/or adverbial provided either the verb or the object and/or adverbial are contextually independent. ? This is because a known or unknown agent expressed by the subject appears to be communicatively less important than an unknown action expressed by the finite verb and/or an unknown goal (object or adverbial of place) at or towards which the action is directed.
Communicative dynamism (CD) ? For example, A man broke into the house and stole all the money. ? The ultimate purpose of the communication is to state the action and/or its goal, not the agent.
Communicative dynamism (CD) ? However, if the subject is followed by a verb expressing ¡°existence or appearance on the scene¡± and is contextually independent, then it will carry the highest degree of CD, because an unknown person or thing appearing on the scene is communicatively more important than the act of appearing and the scene itself, e.g. An old man appeared in the waiting room at five o¡¯clock.
Communicative dynamism (CD) ? CD is both related to the semantic contents and the linear arrangement of the elements. Compare: ¨C He went to Prague to see his friend. ¨C In order to see his friend, he went to Prague. ¨C He gave a boy an apple. ¨C He gave an apple to a boy.
Three levels of a sentence 1. Grammatical Sentence Pattern (GSP) 2. Semantic Sentence Pattern (SSP) 3. Communicative Sentence Pattern (CSP) ¨C John has written a novel. 1. Subject Verb Object (GSP) 2. Agent Action Goal (SSP) 3. Theme Transition Rheme (CSP)
CONCLUSION ? The general approach in the study of language for the Prague school can be described as the combination of structuralism and functionalism. ? In addition, synchronic and diachronic approaches are seen as interconnected and influencing each other.
CONCLUSION ? They regard language as a system of subsystems, each of which has its own problems. But they are never isolated for they are the part of a larger whole. ? As such a language is never in state of equilibrium but rather has many deviations. ? These deviations allow the language to develop and function as a linguistic system.
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5. Structuralism - 3 The Prague School.pptx

  • 1. Structuralism - 3 The Prague School Dr. AbdulMahmoud Idrees Ibrahim
  • 3. The Prague School Prague Linguistic Circle: ? Started by V. Mathesius in 1926, with Jacobson, Trubetzkoy and Firbas ? The Circle stood at the heart of important developments in structural linguistics and semiotics in the 1930's.
  • 4. The Prague School Three important points: ? SYNCHRONIC study of language is stressed for it can draw on complete and controllable material for investigation. ? Language is SYSTEMIC in that no element of language can be satisfactorily analyzed or evaluated in isolation and assessment can only be made if its relationship is established with the coexisting elements in the same language system. ? Language is FUNCTIONAL in that it is a tool for performing a number of essential functions or tasks for the community using it.
  • 5. Prague School: Phonology ? N. Trubetzkoy: Principle of Phonology (1939). ? Phonetics vs. phonology: ? parole vs. langue. ? Phoneme: an abstract unit of the sound system; to distinguish meaning ? Classifying distinctive features: phonological oppositions.
  • 6. Trubetzkoy¡¯s contributions ? Showed distinctive functions of speech sounds and gave an accurate definition of the phoneme. ? Defined the sphere of phonological studies be making the distinction between phonetics and phonology.
  • 7. Trubetzkoy¡¯s contributions ? Revealed interdependent relations between phonemes by studying the syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations between phonemes. ? Put forward a set of methodologies for phonological studies.
  • 8. Functional Sentence Perspective ? FSP is a theory of linguistic analysis which refers to an analysis of utterances in terms of the information they contain. ? The principle is that the role of each utterance part is evaluated for its semantic contribution to the whole. ? A functional point of view
  • 9. A sentence contains a point of departure and a goal of discourse ? A sentence contains a point of departure and a goal of discourse. ? The point of departure, called the theme, is the ground on which the speaker and the hearer meet. ? The goal of discourse, called the rheme, presents the very information that is to be imparted to the hearer. ? Movement from theme to rheme reveals the movement of the mind itself.
  • 10. Theme Rheme ? The theme is the starting point of a clause; that is what the clause is about. ? The remainder of the clause is the rheme. ? Theme-Rheme structure in English is the configuration that the sender of a message maps onto the text in relation to what he or she believes the receiver needs to know .
  • 11. Theme Rheme ? Therefore, the functional sentence perspective (FSP) aims to describe how information is distributed in sentences. ? It deals particularly with the effect of the distribution of known (given) info and new info in discourse. ? Sally stands on the table. Theme Rheme ? On the table stands Sally. Theme Rheme
  • 12. Communicative dynamism (CD) ? J. Firbas, says Linguistic communication is dynamic, not static. ? CD measures the amount of info an element carries in a sentence. ? The degree of CD is the effect contributed by a linguistic element, for it pushes the communication forwards.
  • 13. Communicative dynamism (CD) ? Example ? He was angry. ? CD: The lowest degree of CD is carried by he, and the highest degree of CD is carried by angry, with the degree carried by was ranking between them.
  • 14. Communicative dynamism (CD) ? Normally the subject carries a lower degree of CD than the verb and/or the object and/or adverbial provided either the verb or the object and/or adverbial are contextually independent. ? This is because a known or unknown agent expressed by the subject appears to be communicatively less important than an unknown action expressed by the finite verb and/or an unknown goal (object or adverbial of place) at or towards which the action is directed.
  • 15. Communicative dynamism (CD) ? For example, A man broke into the house and stole all the money. ? The ultimate purpose of the communication is to state the action and/or its goal, not the agent.
  • 16. Communicative dynamism (CD) ? However, if the subject is followed by a verb expressing ¡°existence or appearance on the scene¡± and is contextually independent, then it will carry the highest degree of CD, because an unknown person or thing appearing on the scene is communicatively more important than the act of appearing and the scene itself, e.g. An old man appeared in the waiting room at five o¡¯clock.
  • 17. Communicative dynamism (CD) ? CD is both related to the semantic contents and the linear arrangement of the elements. Compare: ¨C He went to Prague to see his friend. ¨C In order to see his friend, he went to Prague. ¨C He gave a boy an apple. ¨C He gave an apple to a boy.
  • 18. Three levels of a sentence 1. Grammatical Sentence Pattern (GSP) 2. Semantic Sentence Pattern (SSP) 3. Communicative Sentence Pattern (CSP) ¨C John has written a novel. 1. Subject Verb Object (GSP) 2. Agent Action Goal (SSP) 3. Theme Transition Rheme (CSP)
  • 19. CONCLUSION ? The general approach in the study of language for the Prague school can be described as the combination of structuralism and functionalism. ? In addition, synchronic and diachronic approaches are seen as interconnected and influencing each other.
  • 20. CONCLUSION ? They regard language as a system of subsystems, each of which has its own problems. But they are never isolated for they are the part of a larger whole. ? As such a language is never in state of equilibrium but rather has many deviations. ? These deviations allow the language to develop and function as a linguistic system.