The Wonders of Language and Linguistic Research: On Some Typological Properties of English and (Modern and Classical) Chinese

Language is a mirror of the mind, an invisible “software” system of the brain whose inner workings are reflected in our linguistic behaviour. A systematic study of human language thus provides valuable insights into the nature of human cognition. A linguist is a “hacker” of the brain who probes into the wonders of the human mind by analysing observable linguistic phenomena.

The world’s languages exhibit robust surface diversity and underlying universal properties that exemplify language as a biological system. In this talk, we shall consider some (mostly familiar) properties that distinguish Modern Chinese from English and Classical Chinese. These properties, though seemingly independent, cluster in a way that characterises these languages at different points of the analytic-synthetic typological scheme.

To attend in-person: https://sccc-lectureseries-25mar2023.peatix.com

Speaker: 

Professor James Huang

Ph.D. (MIT 1982), Professor of Linguistics, Harvard University (2001-). Prior to his current position, he also held teaching positions at the University of Hawaii, National Tsing Hua and Normal University (Taiwan), Cornell University, and University of California. His research focuses on linguistic theory, syntax, syntax-semantics interface, and Chinese linguistics. Honours received include fellowships from Guggenheim Foundation, and Center for Behavioral Sciences, and elections as Fellow of Linguistic Society of America, Academia Sinica, and the Academy of Europe.

Discussant:

Dr Shen Ruiqing

Assistant Professor, Department of Chinese Studies, National University of Singapore

Advisory: Attendee limit per session: 130