1st Edition

An Analysis of Ferdinand de Saussure's Course in General Linguistics

By Laura Key, Brittany Pheiffer Noble Copyright 2017
    110 Pages
    by Macat Library

    110 Pages
    by Macat Library

    Ferdinand de Saussure’s Course in General Linguistics is one of the most influential texts of the 20th-century – an astonishing feat for what is, at heart, a series of deeply technical lectures about the structure of human languages.

    What the Course’s vast influence shows, fundamentally, is the power of good interpretative skills. The interpretative tasks of laying down and clarifying definitions are often vital to providing the logical framework for all kinds of critical thinking – whether it be solving problems in business, or esoteric academic research. At the time sat which Saussure gave his lectures, linguistics was a scattered and inconsistent field, without a unified method or rigorous approach. He aimed to change that by setting down and clarifying definitions and distinctions that would provide a coherent methodological framework for the study of language.

    The terms laid down in the Course did exactly that – and they still make up the core of linguistic terminology a full century later. More than this, however, Saussure also highlighted the centrality of linguistic interpretation to understanding how we relate to the world, founding “semiotics”, or the study of signs – a field whose influence on academics across the humanities and social sciences is unparalleled.

    Ways in to the text 

    Who was Ferdinand de Saussure? 

    What does Course in General Linguistics Say? 

    Why does Course in General Linguistics Matter? 

    Section 1: Influences 

    Module 1: The Author and the Historical Context 

    Module 2: Academic Context 

    Module 3: The Problem  

    Module 4: The Author's Contribution 

    Section 2: Ideas 

    Module 5: Main Ideas  

    Module 6: Secondary Ideas  

    Module 7: Achievement  

    Module 8: Place in the Author's Work  

    Section 3: Impact 

    Module 9: The First Responses  

    Module 10: The Evolving Debate 

    Module 11: Impact and Influence Today 

    Module 12: Where Next?  

    Glossary of Terms 

    People Mentioned in the Text 

    Works Cited

    Biography

    Laura Key, Brittany Pheiffer Noble