Introduction to Linguistics

What the page covers

This unit collects material on the first questions of the subject: what language is, how human language differs from animal communication, and how linguists divide language into parts. The Human and animal language mind map covers the special properties of human language, and the flowchart What is language? looks at linguistic knowledge. Several other maps and notes return to the same comparison, so you can see it explained in different ways.

Where to start

1. Begin with a map such as Human and animal language or the flowchart Introduction to linguistics to get the big picture.
2. Move to the LING Key Terms flashcards, which pair terms such as tacit knowledge and descriptive grammars with short descriptions.
3. Work through the linguistic subsystems: syntax, phonology, morphology, pragmatics, semantics, lexicon and spelling.
4. Finish with a quiz to check what stuck.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then take a quiz on the same topic. The Linguistic Subsystems quiz asks, for example, which subsystem deals with invisible meaning. If you get an answer wrong, go back to the matching map or flashcard and look at that branch again. Repeat until the terms feel familiar.

The dictionary-style decks, such as Online Dictionary, give fuller definitions with sources. They suit anyone who wants precise wording for an essay or a seminar. There is also a deck on Hockett's design features of language, useful alongside the human and animal language maps.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the Foundations of Linguistics strand in Linguistics and philology. Its resources were made by GoConqr users, so styles and depth vary. Compare a few and keep the ones that explain things best for you.

Teachers can borrow a ready-made quiz or deck for a class. Students can pick a topic and try a quiz now.