Exam VS4:
ABOUT LANGUAGE
Table of contents
1 Language awareness .......................................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Some introductory thoughts.............................................................................................................................. 3
1.2 Language awareness .......................................................................................................................................... 4
1.2.1 Exercise: In the English classroom ..................................................................................................................... 6
2 Language acquisition ......................................................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Neuro-linguistics and the origin of language ..................................................................................................... 8
2.1.1 Grey Matter ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
2.1.2 Tomasello........................................................................................................................................................... 8
2.2 Why do we talk (video extracts) ........................................................................................................................ 9
2.2.1 Video extract 1 ................................................................................................................................................... 9
2.2.2 Video extract 2 ................................................................................................................................................... 9
2.3 The natural order – Krashen ............................................................................................................................ 11
3 Linguistics......................................................................................................................................................... 12
3.1 Microlinguistics versus macrolinguistics .......................................................................................................... 13
3.1.1 Exercise: Subdivisions of linguistics (micro- and macro-linguistics)................................................................. 13
3.2 Phonetics and phonology ................................................................................................................................ 14
3.2.1 The IPA ............................................................................................................................................................. 14
3.3 Morphology ..................................................................................................................................................... 16
3.4 Syntax, semantics, and pragmatics .................................................................................................................. 17
3.4.1 Metaphorical language .................................................................................................................................... 17
3.4.2 Humour ............................................................................................................................................................ 17
3.4.3 Stuff of thought (text pp. 46-47)...................................................................................................................... 17
3.4.4 Listening between the lines ............................................................................................................................. 18
3.4.5 Maxims of conversations (Grice, 1989) ........................................................................................................... 18
4 Macrolinguistics ............................................................................................................................................... 19
4.1 Linguistic variation: dialects and standard language ....................................................................................... 20
4.1.1 David Crystal – Global English .......................................................................................................................... 20
4.2 Linguistic variation: cultural differences .......................................................................................................... 21
4.2.1 How language shapes thought ........................................................................................................................ 21
,1 Language awareness
OBJECTIVES:
¸ Students can explain why language is used and how it constantly changes; students can illustrate this with
examples.
¸ Students can explain how language is not just typically human and illustrates this with examples.
¸ Students are able to demonstrate Chomsky's linguistic importance by situating his work historically.
¸ Students can explain language awareness, non-interventionism, communicative competence, fossilization and
interlanguage in their own words.
¸ Students can explain the importance of these concepts in relation to foreign language teaching.
¸ Students can explain how to deal with linguistic diversity in the classroom.
, 1.1 Some introductory thoughts
1 Define ‘language’.
1 A lot of definitions, a lot of different ideas, no agreed upon standard definition, narrow versus broad scope …
2 Why do we use language?
› to communicate
› to name / refer to abstract ideas and concepts
› to pass on information
› to interact socially
› to express our identity / our individuality
› to persuade people
› to entertain
› …
3 Is language typically human? Explain.
› NO! But human language is a bit more complex than other language systems.
4 Metaphor of mole heaps of various heights.
› E.g. bees, apes, dolphins …
› Even trees? Course notes page 29.
5 Define an animal.
› sth that lives in nature / sth you can take care of / any creature that can move on its own…
› a definition of a word is not fixed and is dependent on who you are, to which (cultural) group you
belong, in which time you live, what you belief …
6 Does language change? YES!
› Examples of language change
› New words (lexicon): Covid-related examples
› New meaning of words (semantics): meaning of ‘gay’ in WWI poetry versus now
› Grammar of (new) words: 1 computer mouse, 2 computer (?)
› Structures: the case of double negation
› Phonetics:
» Recent: str-platalization (street to shtreet)
» Older: intrusive r (law and order)
7 Long term language change
› The change from ‘cases’ (Latin) to isolated words with a fixed position in the sentence to chunks and
phrases has been going on for centuries and in many languages.
› This happens without any human interferences.
› It can be related to broad societal evolutions in the culture in which the language is spoken (medieval
class society ↠ focus on the individual ↠ interconnected world).
ABOUT LANGUAGE
Table of contents
1 Language awareness .......................................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Some introductory thoughts.............................................................................................................................. 3
1.2 Language awareness .......................................................................................................................................... 4
1.2.1 Exercise: In the English classroom ..................................................................................................................... 6
2 Language acquisition ......................................................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Neuro-linguistics and the origin of language ..................................................................................................... 8
2.1.1 Grey Matter ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
2.1.2 Tomasello........................................................................................................................................................... 8
2.2 Why do we talk (video extracts) ........................................................................................................................ 9
2.2.1 Video extract 1 ................................................................................................................................................... 9
2.2.2 Video extract 2 ................................................................................................................................................... 9
2.3 The natural order – Krashen ............................................................................................................................ 11
3 Linguistics......................................................................................................................................................... 12
3.1 Microlinguistics versus macrolinguistics .......................................................................................................... 13
3.1.1 Exercise: Subdivisions of linguistics (micro- and macro-linguistics)................................................................. 13
3.2 Phonetics and phonology ................................................................................................................................ 14
3.2.1 The IPA ............................................................................................................................................................. 14
3.3 Morphology ..................................................................................................................................................... 16
3.4 Syntax, semantics, and pragmatics .................................................................................................................. 17
3.4.1 Metaphorical language .................................................................................................................................... 17
3.4.2 Humour ............................................................................................................................................................ 17
3.4.3 Stuff of thought (text pp. 46-47)...................................................................................................................... 17
3.4.4 Listening between the lines ............................................................................................................................. 18
3.4.5 Maxims of conversations (Grice, 1989) ........................................................................................................... 18
4 Macrolinguistics ............................................................................................................................................... 19
4.1 Linguistic variation: dialects and standard language ....................................................................................... 20
4.1.1 David Crystal – Global English .......................................................................................................................... 20
4.2 Linguistic variation: cultural differences .......................................................................................................... 21
4.2.1 How language shapes thought ........................................................................................................................ 21
,1 Language awareness
OBJECTIVES:
¸ Students can explain why language is used and how it constantly changes; students can illustrate this with
examples.
¸ Students can explain how language is not just typically human and illustrates this with examples.
¸ Students are able to demonstrate Chomsky's linguistic importance by situating his work historically.
¸ Students can explain language awareness, non-interventionism, communicative competence, fossilization and
interlanguage in their own words.
¸ Students can explain the importance of these concepts in relation to foreign language teaching.
¸ Students can explain how to deal with linguistic diversity in the classroom.
, 1.1 Some introductory thoughts
1 Define ‘language’.
1 A lot of definitions, a lot of different ideas, no agreed upon standard definition, narrow versus broad scope …
2 Why do we use language?
› to communicate
› to name / refer to abstract ideas and concepts
› to pass on information
› to interact socially
› to express our identity / our individuality
› to persuade people
› to entertain
› …
3 Is language typically human? Explain.
› NO! But human language is a bit more complex than other language systems.
4 Metaphor of mole heaps of various heights.
› E.g. bees, apes, dolphins …
› Even trees? Course notes page 29.
5 Define an animal.
› sth that lives in nature / sth you can take care of / any creature that can move on its own…
› a definition of a word is not fixed and is dependent on who you are, to which (cultural) group you
belong, in which time you live, what you belief …
6 Does language change? YES!
› Examples of language change
› New words (lexicon): Covid-related examples
› New meaning of words (semantics): meaning of ‘gay’ in WWI poetry versus now
› Grammar of (new) words: 1 computer mouse, 2 computer (?)
› Structures: the case of double negation
› Phonetics:
» Recent: str-platalization (street to shtreet)
» Older: intrusive r (law and order)
7 Long term language change
› The change from ‘cases’ (Latin) to isolated words with a fixed position in the sentence to chunks and
phrases has been going on for centuries and in many languages.
› This happens without any human interferences.
› It can be related to broad societal evolutions in the culture in which the language is spoken (medieval
class society ↠ focus on the individual ↠ interconnected world).
