Transcript What is language?

Language
• Can you write the
title please?
Language
• In groups can you think of a situation
where language has got in the way of
straightforward communication?
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGJnynLq8Lo
Language
• Can you think of an example where
language has been abused to serve some
other end than the neutral transfer of
information?
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af44Slin7lg
Denotation and connotations
Freedom fighters or terrorists?
• When the ANC were fighting a guerrilla
war against the apartheid regime in South
Africa were they freedom fighters or
terrorists? Justify your choice.
Which phrase should we use? Why?
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Black person?
Person of colour?
Coloured?
Afro-american/european/caribean?
Non-white?
Negro?
Nigger?
Denotation and connotation
• All the words in the previous slide have the
same denotation (they refer to the same
thing) but have different connotations
(secondary meanings and inferences).
Denotation and connotation
• In the following slides decide what the
denotation is (what do the words stand for)
and discuss the connotations of the words
Slender, skinny, thin
What is the denotation of
these words? What are
their connotations?
Stubborn, steadfast, firm,
What is the denotation of
these words? What are
their connotations?
Praise, flatter, commend
What is the denotation of
these words? What are
their connotations?
Combative, belligerent, feisty,
argumentative
What is the denotation of
these words? What are
their connotations?
In your journals list as many different
words as you can for;
clever
In your journals list as many different
words as you can for;
Drunk
In your journals list as many different
words as you can for;
Stupid
Rewrite this from a Mexican point of view – Due next Monday.
The Alamo – American view
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The Siege of the Alamo is the most famous fight in Texas history. In 1836, around 225
brave Texas revolutionaries sacrificed their lives defending a post they believed essential
to their cause. For many Americans, the Alamo is a symbol of patriotic sacrifice, bravery
and loyalty.
In 1835 Texan revolutionaries had liberated the city of San Antonio from Mexican troops.
Within the city stood its mission, the town’s strongest fortification, known as the Alamo.
Around 225 colonists were at the Alamo under the leadership of Col. James Bowie and Lt.
Col. William B. Travis. The defenders resolved to be a barrier between the Mexican
government and the other Texas colonies.
Their resolve was tested on February 23rd, as General Santa Anna’s Army of 2,500 arrived
to enforce government policy. When Santa Anna sent a courier demanding the Alamo’s
surrender, Travis defiantly replied with cannon fire.
Travis wrote a plea to other Texans near Houston, “We want men and provisions. Send
them to us.” Vowing to never surrender or retreat, he pledged: “Victory or Death!” But help
would not come.
Santa Anna’s forces lay siege to the Alamo for 12 days before a final assault on March 6th
when 1,800 troops stormed the walls on the orders of their government. Travis was among
the first to die. All Texan fighters were killed or executed, taking about 600 Mexican troops
with them.
The Alamo defenders remained at their post, fighting for Texas Independence until the last
and buying time for the young government to organize. Their memory inspires courage in
Americans in any situation demanding patriotic sacrifice.
Lesson 2 - Language and Thought
• Are our thoughts limited by our language?
(the “Sapir-Whorf hypothesis”)
Newspeak - 1984
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Newspeak is a fictional language in George Orwell's novel 1984. The basic
idea behind Newspeak was to remove all shades of meaning from
language, leaving simple dichotomies (pleasure and pain, happiness and
sadness) which reinforce the total dominance of the State. A staccato
rhythm of short syllables was also a goal, further reducing the need for deep
thinking about language.
In addition, words with opposite meanings were removed as redundant, so
"bad" became "ungood." Words with similar meanings were also removed,
so "best" became "doubleplusgood." In this manner, as many words as
possible were removed from the language.
The underlying theory of Newspeak is that if something can't be said, then it
can't be thought. One question raised by this is whether we can
communicate the need for freedom, or organize an uprising, if we don't have
the words for either?
Ludwig Wittgenstein "The limits of my language mean the limits to my
world.“ DISCUSS
Language and thought
• If surgeons, mathematicians, lawyers can
use their medical, mathematical and legal
language to think in highly sophisticated
ways about their subjects, perhaps
different natural languages lend
themselves to thinking about nature in
completely different ways….
Really?
• “Italian is designed for love; we speak with
our friends in French; we use English to
talk to our dogs….
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9D1TRgf04M&feature=related
Are different languages
“better” for different tasks?
3 minutes to discuss this.
Blue/green
• Many languages do not have separate
terms for blue and green, instead using a
cover term for both. For example,
in Vietnamese both tree leaves and the
sky are xanh. How does affect our view of
the world?
No left or right!
• Pormpuraaw, a small Aboriginal community in northern
Australia define space relative to an observer. They use
cardinal-direction terms — north, south, east, and west
— to define space. This means you have to say things
like "There's an ant on your southeast leg" or "Move the
cup to the north northwest a little bit." One obvious
consequence of speaking such a language is that you
have to stay oriented at all times. The normal greeting is
"Where are you going?" and the answer should be
something like " Southsoutheast, in the middle distance."
If you don't know which way you're facing, you can't even
get past "Hello.“!
A world language?
What would be the advantages and
disadvantages if everyone in the world
spoke the same language? Write a
paragraph in your journal.
“Who does not know another language does
not know his own” Goethe
What can you learn about your own
language by studying another? How does
learning another language increase your
knowledge of the world?
Is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis true?
• Einstein (amongst many) claimed to think
best in pictures with no words
• We sometimes struggle to find the right
words to express what we are thinking – this
suggest thoughts are prior to language
• If language determines thought – how do new
words appear?
• Perhaps language just influences our
thought.
Have you ever thought about how you think? WHEN do you think the
best? In words? Images? Both? With sounds/smells?
Language as miscommunication
Ambiguity
Flying planes can be dangerous.
(Can you explain the ambiguity?)
Ambiguity
They saw Mrs Jones and a dog sitting
under a table
What are
the two
meanings?
Ambiguity
Jan tickled the woman with a feather duster
What are
the two
meanings?
Ambiguity
Refuse to be put in the basket
What are
the two
meanings?
Ambiguity
Nicole wanted to hear Justin Bieber sing
really badly
What are
the two
meanings?
Ambiguity
Visiting relatives can be boring
Ambiguity
Many poor students are on scholarships
What are
the two
meanings?
Ambiguity
• Eerik ate bacon on the sofa
What are
the two
meanings?
Ambiguity
As Jessica went to head the ball we saw
her duck
What are
the two
meanings?
Ambiguity
He is opposed to taxes which damage
incentives
What are
the two
meanings?
Problems in Translation
Translation
Translation
Translation
Translation
Translation
Translation
Translation
Translation
Translation
Translation
Google translate
• Google Translate
• “Watch out that you don’t hit your head on
the low beam”
Lesson 3 - But what do words
actually mean?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kJlxwB4VhI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnHv7NGWb0k
The problem of meaning….
The montillation of traxoline
It is very important that you learn
about Traxoline. Traxoline is a new
form of Zionter. It is montilled in
Ceristanna. The Ceristannians
gristerate large amounts of fevon
and then bracter it into quasel
traxoline. Traxoline may well be one
of our most lukized snezlaus in the
future because of our zionter
lescelidge.
The problem of meaning….
The montillation of traxoline
It is very important that you learn about Traxoline.
Traxoline is a new form of Zionter. It is montilled in
Ceristanna. The Ceristannians gristerate large
amounts of fevon and then bracter it into quasel
traxoline. Traxoline may well be one of our most
lukized snezlaus in the future because of our zionter
lescelidge.
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What is traxoline?
Where is traxoline montilled?
How is traxoline quaselled?
Why is it important to know about traxoline?
• You can answer the questions although
you have no idea what the words mean!!
• If you don’t know the meaning of key
words in a sentence you will not
understand it.
• Traxoline is a new form of Zionter – do we
know this is true?
Important because you must know what
a sentence means before you can
decide whether or not it is true.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kJlxwB4VhI
Does this happen in lessons?!
“the earthquake was caused by
movement along the subduction zone.
Here the Cocos oceanic plate meets the
Pacific plate“
Does this happen in lessons?!
“the earthquake was caused by
movement along the subduction zone.
Here the Cocos oceanic plate meets the
Pacific plate“
“What caused the earthquake in Mexico
City?”
Does this happen in lessons?!
“the earthquake was caused by
movement along the subduction zone.
Here the Cocos oceanic plate meets the
Pacific plate“
“What caused the earthquake in Mexico
City?”
“Movement along the subduction zone”
Does this happen in lessons?!
“the earthquake was caused by
movement along the subduction zone.
Here the Cocos oceanic plate meets the
Pacific plate“
“What caused the earthquake in Mexico
City?”
“Movement along the subduction zone”
Just because we know the word to use, does not
mean we understand what is happening!
Physics teacher
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJe5flD
NGcU
• A Physics teacher from Northern Ireland
demonstrates that knowing the word for
something is not the same as
understanding or explaining it (watch up to
5 mins 20 secs)
Nonsense poetry - Jabberwocky
Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borograoves’
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Theories of Meaning
What is a table?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc3H4U
kkZgk
Definition theory
Define as precisely as you can the
following words
i. triangle
ii. stool
iii. love
Problems with definition theory?
Problems with definition theory
• Only mathematical words can be defined
precisely
• Definitions depend on using other words!
• In order to stop being trapped in an
endless circle of words, language must
surely connect with the world.
Denotation theory
• A meaningful words “stands” for
something, whereas a meaningless word
does not (see earlier)
• What do the following words ‘stand for’?
France
Dog
Problems
• Can you think of words which would be
difficult to define by finding something they
“stand for”?
Problems
• Can you think of words which would be
difficult to define by finding something they
“stand for”?
• Multiplication, freedom, wisdom?
Problems!
• Denotation theory does not work with
abstract words
• Even a word like “Einstein” cannot literally
be Einstein because it would become
meaningless when he died.
Image Theory
• The meaning of a word is the mental
image it stands for
• In your groups can you describe your
mental images to each other for the
following words? (THINK before you
speak)
Freedom
Multiplication
Red
Terrorist
Physics
Love
Problems!
• We can never be sure that a person
understands the meaning of a word the
same we do if they may have a different
“image” in their mind
Lesson 4
• Problems of meaning continued
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnHv7NGWb0k
Meaning as know-how
• You know the meaning of a word when
you know how to use it correctly
Meaning as know-how
• Demonstrate you know the meaning of the
following words by including them in a
sentence (in your journals);
• Eat, dog, dusk, random, chlorophyl,
fascist, quantum-tunneling.
Old?
Bald?
How useful are vague words?
Without thinking too much, write down a
figure (number) for the following;
1.John lives near school. How close does he
live?
2.Eerik is a heavy smoker. How many
cigarettes a day does he smoke?
3.Mr Smith is middle- aged. How old is he?
4.Nafisha’s mother is rich. How much money
does she have in the bank?
A further confusion!
Use of metaphors
Metaphor
Jan has his head in the clouds
Nadia has put her roots down in Warsaw
My brother is a butcher?
My dentist is a butcher!
Metaphors
• Can you think of common metaphors in
your language that have no English
equivalent or don’t make sense in
English? Write them down.
Labels
Am I a pile of bricks
or a work of Art?
Labels
• Language has basically 2 types of words;
• Proper names which we give to things
such as people, places and pets.
• The vast majority of other words which do
not describe a unique thing but which are
general in nature. For this reason we can
simply think of language as a labeling
system.
Labels can be useful!
• A good “label” enables us to predict how
an object will behave. For example – stool.
Labels
• What predictions can you make from the
following labels?
• Dog
• Tiger
• Teacher
• Bread
• Mushroom
Classification
• Mr Porter is going to give each group a list
of words. Can you classify them into 3
groups? (Using whatever criteria you
wish).
Different labels
• There are many ways to
find similarities and
difference between
objects, so the label or
classification we use can
be different in different
circumstances.
• Baggage would be
classified differently by a
baggage handler,
designer or traveller.
Classification
• What are the main advantages and
disadvantages to classifying people by
their
1.Nationality
2.Star sign
3.Race
Stereotypes
• A danger of labeling is that our labels can
easily harden into stereotypes
Stereotypes
What stereotypes, if any, do you think
exist concerning the following groups;
1.Americans
2.Feminists
3.Lawyers
4.Buddhists
5.Computer hackers
6.IB students
Euphemisms
• Substituting mild or neutral sounding
words for a negative sounding one
• How many can you think of?
Rest room?
Passed away
Differently – abled?
Refuse collection technician
Military euphemisms
Inoperative combat personnel
Collateral damage
Friendly fire
Enhanced interrogation
technique
Area denial munitions
Ministry of Defence
Resettlement
Revealing and concealing
• I have invited an attractive blonde to the
party
• I have invited a cellist to the party
• I have invited a marathon runner to the
party
• I have invited a lesbian to the party
• How would YOU like to be described?
Revealing and concealing
• They are all the same person – how does
the words you choose to describe a
person affect people’s perception? How
would YOU like to be described? Describe
yourself in your journals.
Lessons 5 and 6
• On the corridor have been stuck some
language quotations. Go round in pairs
and try to explain to each other what each
quote means – try to think of examples
which illustrate each quote.
• You have 33 minutes (3 minutes for each
quotation).
Essay task – 800 words
• Your task is to choose one quote and write
an essay.
1.Explain what you think the quote means
giving examples.
2.Give (and explain) two examples from IB
subjects that you study to illustrate the
quote
3.Choose (and explain) a personal
experiences which is relevant to the quote
4.Due next Monday 10th October 2011
Today
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Working on your essays in either
Room 104
IB Computer room
Dining room
Library
Common room
Mr Porter will circulate to help you (make
sure you are working!)
Linking language to perception