Lisanudhad: Jurnal Bahasa, Pembelajaran, dan Sastra Arab
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2015): Jurnal Lisanudhad: Jurnal pendidikan bahasa, dan sastra Arab

Ferdinand de Saussure: Structuralism and His Role in Modern Linguistics

Khoirul Zaman Al Umma (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
20 Jul 2026

Abstract

Structuralism emerged in the twentieth century with the publication of Course in General Linguistics, a work based on the lectures of Ferdinand de Saussure at the University of Geneva. Although the book was compiled and published posthumously by his students rather than written directly by Saussure himself, it is widely regarded as a landmark that revolutionized modern linguistic thought. Structural linguistics analyzes language by focusing on its internal structure rather than on its historical development. Saussure viewed language as an organized system of interrelated elements and distinguished between langue, the abstract system of language shared by a speech community, and parole, the individual act of speech or communication. The linguistic principles proposed by Saussure introduced a new methodological framework for language analysis that differed fundamentally from the historical-comparative approach that had dominated linguistic studies before the emergence of structuralism. This paper discusses the essential principles of Saussure's structuralist theory and examines its significant contribution to the development of modern linguistics.

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Journal Info

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ldhd

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Subject

Description

The Lisanudhad is a scientific journal which focuses on the theme and topic of Arabic language teaching for non-native speakers: Methodology of Arabic teaching for non-native speakers; Teaching for Arabic Competences; Strategy for teaching and learning Arabic for non-native speakers; Models of ...