Language and Linguistics

Unit 1 Awareness of Language

Language and Linguistics

Unit 1 Awareness of LanguagePresented By: Jia Lin (Dana)

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Unit 1 ObjectivesUnit 1 Objectives

Learning about the development and the significance of human language.

Considering popular views of language. Understanding how language and dialect affect

everyday life. Getting a basic idea or “gist” of what linguistic

science is about.

P3

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Unit 1 OverviewUnit 1 Overview

A w areness o f L an g uage

T a sks1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5

1 L an gu a ge , H om oS a p ien s a nd C iv iliza tion

R e v ie wD iscu ss ion

T a sks1 , 2 , 3 , 4

2 T ra d it io na l a nd P op u la rV ie w s o f L an g ua ge

T a sks1 , 2 , 3

3 L an g ua ge : Y o urs a ndN o t Y o u rs

W a rm -upE xe rc ise

P3

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Warm-up ExerciseWarm-up Exercise

Tell me your name without moving

your mouth or your hands.

A1 T1

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1Language, Homo Sapiens

and Civilization

1Language, Homo Sapiens

and Civilization

A1 P3

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Key TermsKey Terms gist take for granted theory of evolution sign language linguistics innate nature vs. nurture dialect

...basic idea

...do not appreciate

...dominant theory of origin

...uses body gestures

...study of language

...natural, instinctive

...born with or acquire?

...a variety of language

A1 T1-3 P4-9

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Reflect on languageReflect on language We take language for

granted. What if… you couldn’t

communicate? Experiments with apes

and chimpanzees demonstrate that human language is uniquely powerful.

A1 T1 P4-5

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Why Human Language is UniqueWhy Human Language is Unique

Human Language Animal Language

No relationship between sound and meaning, many possible combinations.

Sound directly related to meaning.

Use of grammar to create complex structures.

Lacking grammatical structure.

Not limited to immediate context.

Limited to the “here and now”.

A1 T1 P5

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Questions for DiscussionQuestions for Discussion

Under what conditions would the ability to communicate be less important to you than your eyes, mouth and hands? In what situations might your ability to communicate be more important to you than your eyes, mouth and hands?

A1 T1 P4

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Is language innate?Is language innate? Are humans born with

natural, instinctive language ability?

Consider the interaction between a mother and her child.

How much knowledge of language emerges from within the brain?

A1 T2 P6-7

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How do babies learn?How do babies learn? Could this baby learn a

language without being talked to?

Do very young infants really understand speech?

If not, what function does listening play in language learning?

A1 T2 P6-7

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Universal Grammar?Universal Grammar? A theory stating that language ability is innate (also

known as transformational-generative grammar). A core grammar would include rules and possibilities

that govern all languages. To learn grammar, a baby only needs to learn which

option to activate (e.g. each sentence must have a subject or not).

Language learning becomes easier because there is a common framework!

Access to framework may end with “critical period”.

A1 T1 P7

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Is language learned?Is language learned? Nature versus nurture, or

elements of both? Children learn the

language spoken in their environment.

Language is learned more easily during a childhood “critical period”.

Without an innate sense of grammar, a child could not master language.

We are born with our minds and speech organs prepared to learn language.

Yet, to learn a language requires “input”.

A1 T3 P7-9

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Language is…Language is…

Symbolic Functional

Helen Keller needed to learn that words are symbols.

Naming objects allows us to describe and request them.

Braille uses raised dots to represent words.

Higher education would not be possible without words.

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

Every speech act has a purpose.

A1 T3 P8-9

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The value of nounsThe value of nouns

Try to tell your classmate what you ate this morning or yesterday without using any name words (nouns). You can use body language, gestures and facial expressions.

Example: I had a cup of XXXXXX and a XXXX of XXXXXXX for my XXXXXXXXX.

Naming objects makes communication so much easier!

A1 T3 P9

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Key TermsKey Terms historical linguistics dominant view Homo sapiens fossils artifacts migration language family civilization

...study language history

...generally accepted idea

...name for human species

...usually old pieces of bone

...old tools and objects

...movement to new areas

...group of languages

...ordered society

A1 T4-5 P9-22

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Why are there so many languages?Why are there so many languages?

The book of Genesis says that humans originally spoke one language.

Some men began to build a tower in the city of Babel.

God caused them to speak different languages so that they would scatter to all parts of the earth.

A1 T4 P9-11

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Ancestors from Africa?Ancestors from Africa? Scientists have analyzed

fossils and artifacts found in East Africa.

Homo sapiens may have developed language 100,000 years ago.

Different languages emerged as humans migrated around the world.

A1 T4 P11-19

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Language keeps changing!Language keeps changing!

Historical linguists try to reconstruct ancient languages by analyzing modern languages.

There may be 5,000 or more modern languages.

Languages can be grouped into language families.

Dialects develop when a community of speakers live in relative isolation.

If a community is isolated long enough, their dialect will evolve into a distinct language.

Have you noticed changes in your dialect?

A1 T4 P15-19

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Summary QuestionsSummary Questions

Where and when did human language originate? (Approximately.)

How do languages develop? What is a language family? Give an example of a

language and the family it belongs to. Why do you think languages keep changing?

A1 T4 P18-19

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Language and civilizationLanguage and civilization Human progress could

not have occurred without language.

Oral language may include songs, stories and history.

Written language can provide a permanent record.

A1 T5 P19-20

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Comparing languageComparing language

What similarities do you see between the English and Chinese poems in your textbook? What differences do you notice?

Do you think that either English or Chinese could be used to express most ideas reasonably well? Or do you feel that one language or the other is better in certain situations?

A1 T5 P20-22

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Key ConceptsKey ConceptsTask 1 Reflect on language... Human language is

unique and necessary to progress.

Task 2 Is language in the brain? ...Humans are born with a certain amount of innate language ability.

Task 3 Is language outside the brain? ...We need to be exposed to language in order to learn it.

Task 4 Why so many languages? ...New languages have evolved as people migrated and settled.

Task 5 Language and civilization... Language makes civilization and culture possible.

A1 T1-5 P3-22

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2Traditional and

Popular Views of Language

2Traditional and

Popular Views of Language

A2 P23

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Key TermsKey Terms literate/illiterate associations superstition taboo fallacy nickname social status mother tongue

...can/can’t read and write

...other meanings of a word

...usually irrational fears

...an offensive word

...believed but not true

...informal name

...position in society

...native or first language

A2 T1-3 P23-31

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Words have magicWords have magic In Chinese, words can

have good or bad associations depending on what other words they sound like (“ba” and “fa”).

Chinese characters may be used to bring luck or cure disease.

Is this superstition?

A2 T1 P23-24

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Words do have power!Words do have power! Words can be

copyrighted. Names and trademarks

influence a product’s or business’ fortunes.

Some names sound good and some do not.

Examples?

A2 T1 P23-24

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The power of languageThe power of language An emperor of the Shang Dynasty scared his

servants by keeping silent. Labels given to people during the 50s and 60s in

China (“pinnong” or “dizhu”) had serious consequences.

Racial slurs offend the dignity of groups of people.

Honorable titles raise a person’s status.

A2 T2 P25-26

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Taboo wordsTaboo words Every culture has its

taboos. “Swear words” can be

used to express anger or provoke a reaction.

An error in word choice can lead to embarrassment!

A2 T2 P25-26

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Personal namesPersonal names “Sticks and stones can break my bones but

names will never hurt me.” Fact or fallacy? Is your personal name important to you? Do you

have a nickname? In the past, profaning the name of a god could

lead to trouble. Today, the names and reputations of prominent

individuals are often protected by law.

A2 T3 P26-31

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Let’s have a debate.Let’s have a debate.

Does your name decide who you are?

How important are names?

A2 T3 P31

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Literacy and social statusLiteracy and social status For most people, learning a first language is

effortless and spontaneous. Learning to read and write requires more

conscious effort. People who are illiterate can easily be cheated

by dishonest salespersons. Examples? Those who are skilled with language tend to be

more successful. Examples?

A2 T4 P31-33

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Key ConceptsKey Concepts

Task 1 Word magic... The associations that people give words causes words to have power.

Task 2 The power of language... Word selection can lead to failure/dishonor or success/honor.

Task 3 Is the name the person? ...Your personal name, title and nickname affect how people see you.

Task 4 Written language as social status... Becoming literate is hard work but results in benefits.

A2 T1-4 P23-33

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3Whose language is it

anyway?

3Whose language is it

anyway?

A3 P33

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Key TermsKey Terms consensus utterance dialect high status empirical data-driven semiotic corpus linguistics

...agreement of a group

...something that was said

...a variety of language

...having social respect

...based on information

...based on data

...based on symbols

...study of collections of text

A3 T1-3 P33-38

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Language belongs to allLanguage belongs to all Language is shared and

thus the property of a community.

Yet, there are countless possible ways of expressing oneself.

Language is both collective and creative.

A3 T1 P33-35

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Common languageCommon language People who are together

a lot tend to speak in similar ways.

It is often easier to communicate with someone from the same background. Examples?

Why would some dialects such as putonghua have a higher social status?

A3 T2 P35-37

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The science of linguisticsThe science of linguistics With 5 or 6,000 languages and dialects in the world

today, it is unlikely that linguists will ever study them all. A “semiotic” approach to linguistics involves applying

knowledge of one (or more) languages to other languages.

A more “empirical” approach may be possible through the development of computerized language corpuses.

In science, there is never a “last word”. New ideas replace old ones as new data is analyzed.

A3 T3 P35-37

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Key ConceptsKey Concepts

Task 1 Is the language you speak yours? ...Language is the property of the community.

Task 2 Language: a dialect with gun and powder... The variety of language we speak is important.

Task 3 Towards a linguistic science... A scientific approach involves theories and data.

A3 T1-3 P33-38

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Unit 1 Review QuestionsUnit 1 Review Questions

How is human language unique? Do humans learn language through nature or

nurture? (Trick question!) Why are there so many languages? Why is it important to use language

appropriately? Are words powerful? How is language both shared and personal?

A1-3 P38-39

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Progress Record & Assignment 1Progress Record & Assignment 1

0102030405060708090

100

SSPR1

Ass't1

Unit 1Unit 2Unit 3

You should now be able to do ALL of the first Progress Record.

You should be able to answer about a third of the questions for Assignment 1.

Check the e-learning platform for details.

A1-3 P38-39

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Go home and think about it...Go home and think about it... Think about the way

infants learn their first language.

Can we learn a second language the same way? Which aspects?

We will discuss this question at the beginning of our next tutorial.

A1-3 P38-39

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Additional ReadingAdditional Reading How a child learns language...

http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/rbeard/acquisition.html Information on language families...

http://www.krysstal.com/language.html On words and their meanings... How to Communicate

Successfully 7-9 Universal grammar and other common points among

languages... The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language 84-5

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How did we do in Unit 1?How did we do in Unit 1? Do you understand the

main points? Can you do the tasks in the

book and answer the questions in the Progress Record?

Our next tutorial will cover Units 2 and 3.

Thank you for your participation.

A1-3 P38-39