What is language?

Language is a system of vocal signs through which humans communicate.

It is a SYSTEM because it consists of patterns, or rules, for putting together elements such as sounds to make words and words to make sentences that when violated result in

loss of meaning

Language is open-ended and creative

Following rules we can make up new words, combine them and create sentences never uttered before

Shakespeare created over 1700 words, many of which are still in use DISCONTENT GOSSIP FASHIONABLE GLOOMY EYEBALL LONELY MAJESTIC

Language functions through a system of contrasts

Linguists call this Duality of Patterning

This is the ability of language or a sign system to create distictions between sounds, words, and units of meaning through a system of differences between two elements

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hck55Z8lhFU

Language is intentional

Humans use it purposefully to communicate facts, ideas and emotions

All humans are born with language capability http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JmA2ClUvUY

Humans have many ways to communicate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeyofQK6tRw

Why do we speak to each other? Why are we the only animals that seem to be able to communicate in sucha complex way?

Think about the twin babies...

Children learn to make sounds that correlate to a desire for something. They learn very quickly to say something to indicate they are thirsty or hungry

But researchers have also found children can communicatew something about the world around them that gives them no apparent benefit

Language is inherent

The ability to communicate through language is part of being human

It is a part of being human, not something you learn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i1z37nYMrM

Noam Chomsky in 1957 based on observation concluded that human beings are born with Universal Grammar or basic language-creating faculty

The emergentist perspective

Language is the adaptation to the world around us. We learn aspects of language use from those around us.

A “new machine built of old parts” (Bates & McWhinney)

Children have a remarkable ability to pick up the complexities of language very quickly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR0AfDVhgqU

Saussure

Saussure states that Laguage and Thought cannot be separated.

He posited the idea of language as a combination of Langue and Parole

Langue refers to the abstract system of signs and rules that make up the structure and nature of language

Parole is language in practice, the words, phrases and sentences that are actually used

Chomsky

Competence & Performance Competence is the set of abilities the

speaker of a language would develop over time. The ability a human has at birth, the “universal grammar” is developed into a more complex set of rules

Performance is the way in which the language is actually used (Langue)

Language & Culture

What is culture?

Culture broadly defines a system of meaning for a group of people and it includes language, laws, customs, myths, images, texts and daily practices.

But much of culture is arbitrary and its features are meaningful only to a particular group of people

Cultural boundaries

Culture is like a bricolage within a particular group overtime

Moreover, in an increasingly globalized worlds, the boundaries of one culture and another are often blurred

Cultural Relativism

All elements of our culture are learnt and they are all ARBITRARY.

The conclusion is that no culture has “the right” answers

Examples: women's education, corporal punishment, death penalty – Universal rights?

CR. has its complexities. In order to understand a culture we must truly understand its context

Then, how do we describe “A Culture”?

Do we describe its Food? Sports? Laws? Religion? Manners? Language?

We must be careful with stereotypes

Understanding, or trying to understand, different cultures we intend to understand the world aroud us

How to apply this information?

One of the goals of this course is to investigate the ways in which language conveys, defines or reflects culture.

We study cultural context in order to help us understand the meaning and effect of the words and images around us