Formal Linguistics and Functional Linguistics

Abstract

There exists a popular view in modern linguistics that formal linguistics and functional linguistics are opponents to each other.In our country scholars also hold different views towards formal linguistics and functional linguistics.Most of them consider that formal linguistics studies the language formal while functional linguistics studies communicative meaning and pragmatic function of language.Some scholars even think that formal linguistics is just Chomsky’s transformational generative grammar while functional linguistics is just Halliday’s functional grammar.Are these views right on earth? This paper will discuss the differences and exchange trends between formal linguistics and functional linguistics form the perspective of theoretical basis,objects of study and research methods.