Unit 10 - Language And The Self Flashcards

Question

Innatism

Answer 1

There is something special about the human brain which enables it to master the complexities of language ~> Goes against the ‘blank slate’ theory ~> Follows nth thought that ideas were in the mind at birth and given by a supreme being

Answer 2

Based on innatism -individual is born with genetic abilities which include the development of language ~> Naom Chomsky - LAD enables the initial development of language which interacts with an individuals childhood experiences within a society to produce both langue/sense of self

Answer 3

Idea that the structure of a language determines the thought processes of its speakers

Answer 4

Idea that language reflects the thoughts/ideas of a culture ~> linguistic determinism is the opposing idea

Answer 5

Idea that the structure of a language affects a persons view of the world either very directly - as in linguistic determinism - or as a much more indirect/weaker influence

Answer 6

Hypothesis supports the view that the words/grammar of a language directly shape the thoughts of its speakers ~> ie: eng has one word for snow, Inuit tribes have 3 - Inuit people think more subtlety about snow • Linguistic determinism - Language defines our thinking - Society is confined by its language - Words directly frame our thoughts • Linguistic reflectionismn - Language reflects the thoughts of its speakers - Language influences peoples view on the world but doesn’t determine it • Linguistic relativity - Structure of a language doesn’t affect the speakers world Criticism ~ Whorf gave examples of language differences relating to concepts of time, space and lifestyle Compared Eng with Native American Indian languages. Believed to not think through terms of tenses (past/present/future) - ultimately flawed as they did have an understanding of time ( using future and non-future tenses) ~ Boas-Jakobson principle (1950s) Sapir-Whorf - lannguage acts as a prison; restricting reasoning/understanding abilities Boas-Jakobson theory - every thought can be expressed in every language, but the languages differ in the required information

Answer 7

Language is a reflection of human thoughts and that all languages are similar with shared patterns/concepts ~. All humans have the same cognitive processes - memory + perception - which are reflected in every language, so that ideas can easily translated between langauges

Answer 8

• Gender : traditional words for employment imply that only men can do them (ie: fireman, policeman) - they have now become neutral (ie: firefighter) • Comedy : certain types are not acceptable (ie:personnnal/derogatory comments at the expense of others physical appearance • Ethnicity : politically correct language combats many unpleasant racist slurs/insults - now become illegal in most countries • Workplace changes : ⬆️ no of women in senior roles throughout the world - reducing stereotypes ~ boss (he) ; PA (she) • Age : Illegal to discriminate in terms of age - specifically older women subject to ageist discrimination - change attitudes about ageing, making aware of reinforcing stereotypes • Disability : Laws against discrimination aim to remove belief of being defined by their disability - use o ‘handicap’ rather than disabled • Religious beliefs

Answer 9

A very generalised opinion/idea about a type of person/group . It is a simplified and biased image, often produces negative feelings an out those concerned

Answer 10

Avoiding offence to any group of people who may be seen to be at a disadvantage because of their race/gender/disability/ect. ~> Intentions of treating people equally - criticised for being overly sensitive

Answer 11

When we make our language style similar to those speakers around us ~> Language used by group member can have an influence on an individuals sense of self - aim to be like the majority of the group ~> Giles - we don’t like appearing different from those we spend time with; therefore accommodating/changing

Answer 12

When we make our lannguage more distinctly different from those speakers around us

Answer 13

Groups of people who use the same variety of language and have a shared understanding of its style ~> ie: sociolect/accent/lexis/syntax

Answer 14

The degree of respect and value given to a particular style of language by a speech community New York - William Labour 1966 ~> Pronunciation of consonant ‘r’ after a vowel, which produces a distinct sound (often heard in Scotland/Ireland/North America). This was noted as being prestige. ~> Lower/middle workinng class were likely to channge the way they spoke to reflect the ‘right’ way of speaking Norwich, UK -Peter Trudgill 1974 ~> Investigated a similar indicator of language and social class - working class women were more aware of the more prestige forms of pronunciation Great British Class survey, 2011 ~> BBC conducted survey -upper/middle/working class satirised in shows are outdated ; however clear divisions still exist based on wealth/access to technical knowledge Restricted and elaborated codes - Basil Bernstein 1971 ~> Relates to language skills of early years of primary school children in unit 8.5

Answer 15

Prescriptivist view: ~ Influential in earlier times as reinforced through grammar books/dictionaries which stated rules Context for language views: 1~ Formal - Standard English is followed inn both speech and written forms 2~ Colloquial/casual - Everyday language used in both speech and written form 3~ Slang/nonstandard - Basic/informal variety of english. Found more in speech rather than in writing 4~ Frozen - Unchanging language full of archaisms

Answer 16

May not be considered to be polite, becomes outdated quickly, but usually spreads rapidly (greatly aided through global links). ~> Slang can be an identity marker; marking its users as a group who wish to be set apart from other non-users - When slang becomes wide spread amongst populations it ceases to be slang and becomes part of the language

Answer 17

Form of nonstandard englsih as its not apart of main-stream use. Usually relates to specialist groups/professionals

Answer 18

Particular variety of speech used by a group which may be regarded as having low status

Answer 19

• Early adopters of pop culture; innnovators of language • Information needs to be communicated in digital age of social network - blurs the line between spoken and written lannguage • May be reducing lexis • Teenage language acquisition is not about learning languages but about adapting/using lannguage in adult situations

Answer 20

Switching between different varieties/registers of language

Answer 21

• 1963 US law instated ruling equal pay for equal work • Traditionally the male maxim dominates in writing/ has become the norm - mankind

Answer 22

Female • Stereotype - passive listeners; lightweight discourse/gossip • Traditionally brought up to be more compliant than boys - sporty girls = tomboys • A most universally responsible for child-rearing - want to be display model behaviour - including speech Male • Stereotype - weighty conversation/ serious debate and men interrupt/hold conversational floors • Perceived dominance of males in mixed communities has become concerning in educational institutions • Equality of races/genders has lended itself to outdating male dominance•• Santa Barbara campus of university of California case study: • White, middle class and under 35 • 11/31 between men and women - 46 interruptions M; 2 interruptions F

Answer 23

Commnnunication between people by means of electronic devices - ie: email/text

Answer 24

Gossip is an evolutionary strategy to forge friendships/keep up to date, providing adavntages in an uncertain world - therefor of equal advantage to to men and women ~> Found that men gossip just as much as women ~> Women no less likely to discuss ‘weighty’ topics ~> When gossiping men tend to talk more about themselves Characteristics: • Men < to give supportive feedback • Women conversationally cooperative, giving more feedback etc. • Women tend to do the ‘hard work’ keep conversation going by asking questions/etc. - this is the politeness principle; uses ‘please/thanks’ • Lexical choices are evaluated more by women + increased use of adverbs • Mens language considered coarser - women use more standard forms of english

Answer 25

Deborah Tannen - linked to status/roles of participants in the western society Styles of conversation - M : F • status : support • independence : intimacy • advice : understanding • info : feelings • orders : proposals • conflict : compromise ~> Mens convos -giving/receiving info - want to be seen to act independently/put across status/security - Often assertive with no strategies to avoid conflict ~> Women convos - building/reinforcing relationships + negotiating tactics/compromising/polite forms of discourse More recent studies show - females using nonstandard english + assertiveness associated with men

Answer 26

Women and their languages should be practised from the viewpoint of women. Suggests that in most societies, womens lives/experiences are different of men and have different knowledge - may not be given equal status to men ~> Criticism : womens lives may be as different from one another as the genders differ too

Answer 27

Minorities in society have less power than others - due to this they are silenced/non one listens to them. Most culture women are dominated by male status/power

Answer 28

The making of certain people/groups feel that they belong and are valued

Answer 29

The making of certain people or groups feel left out and unimportant

Answer 30

William the conqueror invaded England in 1066 - Norman french became the official language (replacing Old english/Anglo-Saxon). French was the language of aristocracy/powerful for 200 yrs in England - peasants spoke old english. The two languages merged forming present-day english

Answer 31

Roman Catholic Church opposed the first translations of the bible into english from Latin - 1300s. People were burned as heretics because they wished to worship in english. Language of worship became apart of self-identity to the extreme where it affected living/dieing.

Answer 32

Spains colonial rule - Spanish replaced Quechua/other Amerindian languages in most of South America. Portuguese became the official lannguage of Brazil. Amerindian languages are still spoken, Spanish and Portuguese are the most spoken.

Answer 33

Spains colonial rule - Spanish replaced Quechua/other Amerindian languages in most of South America. Portuguese became the official lannguage of Brazil. Amerindian languages are still spoken, Spanish and Portuguese are the most spoken.

Answer 34

Minority languages were wiped out, but few survived (Māori); however official attitudes/policies discouraged its use . Children were forbidden to speak it in schools - seen as irrelevant for economic advancement. Concern by groups in New Zealand reversed this policy - Māori is now an official language. This inclusive policy transformed a minority native language into a mainstream component of the national culture ~> Colonisation wiped out many languages ~> British colonisation - India; south-east Asia; North America; Australasia

Answer 35

Forced transport of groups -slave trade between Africa/USA - had huge impacts on languages. Slaves worked on plantations and spoke a variety of languages and excluded from their rights in this environment. Fearing rebellion, owners mixed the language groups. This deprivation created pidgin. ~> Overtime this has now become a complex grammatical structure to form a language ~> The power of language to include those suffering exclusion is exemplified in 1960s - US civil rights movement n —> Martin Luther King - leader in making significant advances in this struggle

Answer 36

The apartheid regime - controlling white government proposed black children should be taught in Afrikaans. Unpopular - sparked riots in 1976 - english education was seen as an advantage being denied to them

Answer 37

Language is a direct factor in exclusion and inclusion - also integral part of stereotyping. ~> Stereotype based on broad generalisation about a group -judgement/labels/frequently negative~>~>

Answer 38

Fan is derived from fanatic. Therefore linking it to the excess behaviour exhibited by some of them. • Online followings/international coverage have created communities of support Chracteristics • Forum providing/sharing interests/ideas - specialist knowledge gives status • Allows like-minded/specific interest people to meet • Share jargon/common language - providing linguistic cohesion ~> Non-members are excluded for their ignorance ~> Membership/language are important discriminators

Answer 39

Relationship between star and fans in another medium. In this shared values/inclusive language form part. This helps maintain the link between star and fans

Answer 40

Speech is produced as we breathe out • Vowels are made with non restrictions of air - mouth shape forms sound • Consonants are made with restrictions of airflow

Answer 41

Refer to way in which word is pronounced - huge variety in the English language ~> RP is deemed as the perfect pronunciation Apart from RP accents are usually associated with geographical areas ~> Accents change more quickly than spelling of languages -pronunciation differs from spelling • Same pronunciation spelled differently - ‘knight’/‘night’ • Same spelling, different pronunciation - ‘refuse’/‘refuse’ • Silent letters - ‘ballet’ • Diverge in spelling (USA/UK) - ‘program’/programme’

Answer 42

Certain accents/dialects carry more prestige. ~> UK - broader accents have been associated with lower socioeconomics/formal unifications ~> Higher socioeconomic groups = higher qualifications - able to be mobile geographically/socially Now with greater ethnic mixes - wider travel work/leisure - causing more accents to be found in urban areas

Answer 43

Demand for neutral global accent in call centre industry is seeing Indians workers stripped of their mother tongue. Training for American/British accents was present - now leaning towards a ‘neutral global’ accent - allowing for various markets to be served without additional training. Demand for globalised speech has led to the creation of accent neutralisation institutes ~> Skilled workers don’t want to work in call centres/ those that don’t speak well don’t come from good schools ~> Schools don’t concentrate on phonetics - picking up sounds from mother tongue - get rid of that influence ~> Program is 3/4 weeks - 3 months ~> Practices have not lead to a loss in culture

Unit 10 - Language And The Self Flashcards

(67 cards)