APHG Unit 3: Language
- 1. Language
- 2. Pulp Fiction “You know what they call a…a…a quarter pounder with cheese in Paris? They call it a ‘royale’ with cheese.” “What do they call a Big Mac?” “Well, a Big Mac is a Big Mac, but they call it ‘Le Big Mac’” •Shows the juxtaposition of 2 opposing forces in our globalized world: globalization of culture & preservation of local & national culture •Can we have globalization of restaurants, food, music & culture while preserving local languages?
- 3. Language is… a set of sounds & symbols used for communication Language is also a fundamental element of local & national culture, & shapes our thoughts.
- 4. Language & Policies of Forced Assimilation • Assimilation: the process through which people lose their originally differentiating traits, such as dress, speech particularities, or mannerisms, when they come into contact with another society or culture. • Australia, Canada, U.S., Russia & New Zealand had policies of forced assimilation in the 20th century, not allowing indigenous peoples to speak their native languages
- 5. Benjamin Whorf’s Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis • The idea that the structure of a language may influence the way individuals think. If a language has no word for a certain concept, then its speakers would not be able to understand this concept • Whorf’s linguistic relativity hypothesis has been fairly discredited. – Do English speakers who have never heard the German word Schadenfreude find it difficult to understand the concept of relishing someone else’s misfortune? – • Has led us to reexamine our common language usage – Chairman chairperson
- 6. Mental Floss Article What words could we add to the English language? Read: “38 Wonderful Foreign Words We Could Use in English”
- 8. Isogloss Map boundary lines showing where certain languages or dialects are spoken Isoglosses
- 11. Dialects Variants of a standard language along regional or ethnic lines Includes: Vocabulary Syntax (the way words are put together to form phrases) Pronunciation Cadence (the rhythm of speech) Pace of speech
- 12. My Fair Lady "Why Can't the English Learn to Speak
- 15. Expansion and Relocation Diffusion The increased contact among people has led to: •Formation of new languages to bridge linguistic gaps in trade and commerce •Spurred language replacement •Encouraged language extinction Modern technology, however, has helped preserve & stabilize languages. It also supports institutions that teach languages.
- 16. Lingua Franca • A language used as a common means of communication, especially in trade or business transactions, in an area where several languages are spoken. • • Can be a single language or a mixture of 2 or more • Lingua franca during the expansion of Islam? – Arabic • Lingua franca during the colonial era? – English • Lingua franca in East Africa? – Swahili
- 17. Discussion question English is diffusing rapidly as a global lingua franca. Identify and discuss as many reasons as possible for the current rate of diffusion of English as a global lingua franca. •Mass media •Business and banking •Internet •Globalization •Travel and tourism
- 18. Pidgin • Occurs when people speaking 2 or more languages combine parts of the languages in a simplified structure & vocabulary. • Used in a limited way & doesn’t include grammar • Since they serve a simplistic purpose, they usually die out. If the pidgin is used long enough, it begins to evolve into a more rich language with a more complex structure & richer vocabulary.
- 19. Creole language • Over time a pidgin language may gain native speakers, becoming the first language children learn in the home. • Creole language is created when: • Children are exposed to a pidgin language • They then invent a grammar system with their peers for the pidgin language without an adult model.
- 20. What is that you’re looking atWhat is that you’re looking at
- 21. Relationship between Pidgin & Creole
- 22. Monolingualism & Multilingualism • Monolingual state: country with only one language spoken – Only a few monolingual states exist, though no country is truly monolingual. • Examples: Japan, Uruguay, Venezuela, Iceland, Denmark, Portugal, Poland & Lesotho • Multilingual state: country with greater than one language spoken
- 23. India’s states generally coincide with a major language family or language.
- 25. Belgium is a multilingual state. Based on its situation, what do you think are the 3 predominant languages spoken there? Answer: Remember that “situation” is how a place is relative to other places. Dutch, French, and German
- 26. Review Questions Question 1 The most widespread language family on earth is the a. Sino-Tibetan b. Romance c. Germanic d. Indo-European e. Mandarin Chinese Question 2 People in London, Melbourne, Vancouver, and Mumbai all speak a. A pidgin language b. Lingua franca c. Different dialects d. Official languages e. Different creoles
- 27. Review Questions Question 3 A simple trade language is called a a. Lingua franca b. Pidgin c. Dialect d. Creole e. Syncretic Question 4 A geographic boundary within which a particular linguistic feature occurs is called a(n) ____________________
- 28. Vocabulary Language Assimilation Whorf’s linguistic relativity hypothesis Language family Dialect Isogloss Lingua franca Pidgin Creole Monolingual state Multilingual state