同学们，本栏目是对你们学过的知识和生活中常见问题的归纳。其中，有一些共性问题，也许你会需要哦！

让我来帮你解决常见问题！

Question1: What is Arbitrariness? Explain it in your own language.

Answer:

There’s no logical or natural, or inherent, relation / connection / link between the speech sounds and the meanings they represent.

The forms of linguistic signs bear no natural relationship to their meaning. “The bond between the signifier (sound image) and the signified (referent) is arbitrary”

Question2: what are the features of modern linguistics?

Answer:

First, priority is given to spoken language.

Second, focus is on synchronic study of language rather than diachronic study of language.

Third, modern linguistics is descriptive and explanatory rather than prescriptive in nature.

Fourth, modern linguistics is theoretically rather than pedagogically oriented. Theoretical grammar and pedagogic grammar are complementary.

Question3: Why is spoken language given priority to written language?

Answer:

(1) Historically, speech is prior to writing in any cultures where writing exists.

(2) In terms of purpose, spoken language is used for a much wider range of purposes in communication.

(3)Structurally, spoken language is structurally more complex than written language.

(4) In terms of order of acquisition, spoken language is acquired earlier than written language.