Contrastive linguistics unit 1: introduction

Contrastive Linguistics
Unit 1: Introduction
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Tuyet Minh
Email:
Phone: 0915090670


Syllabus
- Number of credits: 3
- Class sessions: 9
Testing and assessment:
- Class attendance/ projection
10 %
- Mid-term test and 15-minute group presentation
20%
- Final test: a 15-page assignment
70%


Core books
 Carl, J (1980). Contrastive Analysis . Harlow, Essex:
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Longman.
Lado, R. (1957). Linguistics across Cultures. University of
Michigan Press, Ann Arbor.
Richard, J. (1984). Error Analysis. Longman: London and

New York.
Lê Quang Thiêm. (2004). Ngôn ngữ học đối chiếu. NXB
ĐHQG Hà Nội
Trần Hữu Mạnh. (2007). Ngôn ngữ học đối chiếu – Cú pháp
tiếng Anh – tiếng Việt. NXB Đại học Quốc qia Hà Nội.
Nguyễn Văn Chiến (1992). Ngôn ngữ học đối chiếu và đối
chiếu các ngôn ngữ Đông Nam Á. Nxb ĐH Sư phạm Ngoại
ngữ.


Contents
 Unit 1: Introduction
 Unit 2: Major issues of Contrastive

linguistics
 Unit 3: Microlinguistics &
Macrolinguistics
 Unit 4: Pedagogical Exploitation of
CAs


Contrastive linguistics (CL):
what is it?
 Contrastive linguistics is the systematic

comparison of two or more languages,
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with the aim of describing their similarities and
differences,
focusing, however, on differences,
it is predominantly practical.

 The term “contrastive linguistics”
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was used for the first time by Whorf in 1941.


CL and Linguistics
 general linguistics
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theory of linguistics
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similarities in languages
 what is common to all languages in the world

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comparative linguistics
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differences between languages
typology of languages

 aiming at classification of all languages in the world

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synchronic or
diachronic


CL and Comparative linguistics
 comparative linguistics
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contrastive linguistics
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differences (and similarities) between two
(usually) languages


Contrastive linguistics
 differences (usually) between two (usually)

languages
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basis for typological description
mainly practical applications
 translation

 foreign language teaching and learning
 bilingual lexicography (dictionaries)

 why differences?
 it is assumed that the two languages are similar except
for the points described as different


CL in linguistics
 the languages being compared can be related
 Polish and English
 or can be unrelated
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like Polish and Chinese

 can be from the same historical period
 Polish and English in the 20th c.
 or can be from different historical periods
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English and Polish from the 16th and the 20th c.


CL in linguistics
 usually, however,
 CL is synchronic comparative linguistics
 without the historical dimension
 CL can be
 theoretical

 applied


Theoretical CL
 gives an exhaustive account of the differences

and similarities between two or more languages,
 provides an adequate model for their
comparison.


Applied CL
 on the basis of the theoretical framework
 provided by theoretical CA/CS,
 gives the researcher the information necessary
 to conduct actual contrastive analyses.


The rationale for studying CL
 who:
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prospective teachers of a foreign language


CL and a FL teacher
 why:
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contrastive studies are (were) used as a means of
predicting and/or
explaining difficulties of second language learners
with a particular mother tongue (Vietnamese)
in learning a particular target language (English)
however, CL does not explain all problems of foreign
language students


CL and a FL teacher
 other hypotheses to explain the problems in

learning/teaching a foreign language
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error analysis
performance analysis
interlanguage studies
language awareness studies

 these belong to applied linguistics
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foreign language learnign/teaching methodology


What to compare
 early contrastive studies focused on

microlinguistic analysis
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phonology/phonetics
grammar (syntax, inflection)
lexis

 today there are also
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contrastive pragmatics

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cross-cultural/intercultural pragmatics
contrastive rhetoric
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What to compare
 microlinguistic analysis: examples
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What are the consonant phonemes in languages X and
Y?

How do they differ in inventory, realization, and
distribution?
What is the tense system of languages X and Y?
What are the verbs of saying in languages X and Y?
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What to compare
 pragmatic analysis: examples
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How is cohesion expressed in languages X and Y?
How are the speech acts of apologizing and requesting
expressed in languages X and Y?
How are conversations opened and closed in
languages X and Y?


This course
 mainly practical


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basic theoretical notions
a review of microlinguistic contrasts


How to compare?
 what is the basis for comparison?
 comparison of seemingly related phenomena:
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“to compare them would be tantamount to putting tenton lorries and banana skins in the same class on the
grounds that neither ought to be left on footpaths”.

(Carl James 1980,167)


How to compare?
 object A
 object B
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either have something in common
 and we can compare them
or do not have anything in common
 and we cannot compare them

 it is arguably difficult to find objects that do not

have anything in common
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but:
 God and ...


How to compare?
 that something in common
 is not A
 is not B
 is C
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C is called Tertium Comparationis (TC)


Types of TC’s
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formal correspondence, for CA of word order, function
words, inflections, affixation, suprasegmentals;
alliteration, rhymes
semantic equivalence, for CA of meaning of words,

phrases and sentences
pragmatic/functional equivalence, for CA of
meaning/function of texts, structure of discourse,
stylistic properties, quantitative aspects of text


Tertium Comparationis
 what is common in comparison between

languages
 is probably the meaning of a pair of sentences,
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in other words,
their translation equivalence


Translation equivalence
 there is one big problem
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CL

studies the systems of two languages
translation is not about systems
 it is about texts
this is a basic distinction in linguistics
 system and text
 langue and parole

 competence and performance
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