伦敦语言学派分析

A Sketch of the London School

和其它现代语言学派相比,由J.R.弗斯创立的伦敦学派更侧重把语言作为一种工具,主要研究它在语境中的含义和功能。受马林诺夫斯基理论的影响,弗斯和他的追随者强调语言的功能,而且认为语言不能和意义分割开来,主张从社会学的角度看待语言。伦敦学派的语言学理论具有实际意义,与社会语言学、文体学、文学批评和语言教学密切相关。本文简要回顾了伦敦学派的发展以及主要代表人物的语言学理论。

Compared to other schools of modern language, the London School founded by J. R. Firth moreemphasizes instrumentality of language and meaning or function in context. Influenced by Malinowski＇s theory, Firth and his followers stress the function of language and argue that language cannot be disassociated from meaning and should be looked at from a sociological perspective. The linguistic theory in the London style is of practical significance and therefore is more relevant to sociolinguistics,stylistics,literary criticism and language teaching. This paper briefly reviews the development of the London School,as well as the representatives and their theories.