1. Objective in Linguistic Research:
* This refers to the goal or purpose of a linguistic study. It could be:
* Describing a language: A linguist might aim to describe the phonology, morphology, syntax, or semantics of a particular language.
* Explaining language variation: They could investigate how language varies across different regions, social groups, or situations.
* Understanding language acquisition: They might study how children learn language.
* Investigating the relationship between language and thought: They could explore how language affects cognition.
2. Objective in Language Learning:
* This refers to the specific learning goals a student aims to achieve in a language course. These could be:
* Improving speaking fluency: The goal might be to be able to hold a conversation in the target language.
* Expanding vocabulary: The student might want to learn a certain number of new words.
* Mastering grammar: The objective could be to understand and apply grammatical rules correctly.
* Improving reading comprehension: The learner might aim to be able to understand written texts in the target language.
3. Objective in Language Planning:
* In language planning, the objective refers to the desired outcome of a language policy. Examples include:
* Promoting language revitalization: To revive a dying language.
* Enhancing language standardization: To establish a common standard form of a language.
* Developing language education: To create better language learning materials and programs.
4. Objective as a Property of Linguistic Description:
* Sometimes, "objective" is used to describe a linguistic analysis that is free from personal bias and based on empirical evidence. This contrasts with subjective analyses, which may be influenced by the researcher's own opinions or beliefs.
To understand the meaning of "linguistic objective" in a specific context, it's crucial to consider the context and the specific situation. For example, if you see "linguistic objective" in a research paper, it refers to the research question and the intended outcomes of the study. If you find it in a language learning syllabus, it refers to the specific learning goals for the course.