Introduction to Chinese Linguistics

This is a graduate course in the basic foundation and principles of linguistics. It combines the teaching of language with research application, explanation and discussion on how to understand linguistic phenomenon, and how to understand linguistic rules. Central content includes: What is language? linguistic concepts, and the nature of language; objectives in the study of linguistics, subdivisions of linguistics, the communicative function of language, and the relationship between language and thought; regional and societal variations in language; the relationship between language and speech, the relationship between language and writing; language structure to classification, speech, semantics, systemized syntax and other related issues.