WORLD GEOGRAPHY

Oct. 21, 2014

Today

Unit 5 - Language

Unit 5 - Language

- Languages and the role they play in culture

- Language distribution

- Diffusion of language

- Language and places

Most commonly spoken/used languages- The figures will vary by source

Mandarin

Spanish

English

Arabic

Hindi

Most commonly spoken/used languages- The figures will vary by source

Languages and culture

Many sociologists and linguists (and sociolinguists, and philosophers) often state:

Language = Culture

Language

‘ Human beings do not live in the objective world alone, nor alone in the world of social activity as ordinarily understood, but are very much at the mercy of the particular language which has become the medium of expression for their society. It is quite an illusion to imagine that one adjusts to reality essentially without the use of language and that language is merely an incidental means of solving specific problems of communication or reflection.’

                                              Sapir 1949:162.

- Today, a controversial topic in some ways.

Language - definitions

Language?

- A set of sounds, combinations of sounds, and symbols used for communication

Standard language?

- A language that is published, widely distributed, and purposefully taught

Spread of English

1. How did English become so widespread?

2. What effect does English have on your culture?

3. What effects has this had on the world?

- Positive

- Negative

4. How does “English Mania” affect cultural landscape?

Language and culture

- Language contains much of cultural identity:

“Visibility”

Place of origin

Names of people, places, and things

Arts (e.g. music, literature)

PERCEPTION (to a degree, at least)

Language and politics

Examples:

- Use of Spanish in the U.S.

- Quebecois French in Canada

- “Foreign word invasion” in French and Chinese

Language and politics

Examples:

- Use of Spanish in the U.S.

As a country, U.Shas no official

Language.

Language and politics

Examples:

- Use of Spanish in the U.S.

Language and politics

Examples:

- Quebecois French in Canada

5 out of 7 peoplespeak French astheir native language

Language and politics

Examples: Quebecois French in Canada

Language and politics

Examples:

- “Foreign word invasion” in French and Chinese

- Both the French and Chinese governments have actively sought to replace “English” (Fringlish, Chinglish) words with French/Chinese words.

Language and politics

Examples:

- “Foreign word invasion” in French and Chinese

e.g. “e-mail” in French:

- Colloquially: un email, l’email

- Officially: courriel

What constitutes a language?

- Mutual intelligibility

- Standardized languages

- Dialects

Mutual Intelligibility

Criterion for a language: Speakers can understand each other

Problems

- Measuring “mutual intelligibility”

- Standard languages and government impact on what is a “language” and what is a “dialect”

Mutual Intelligibility

Criterion for a language: Speakers can understand each other

Problems

- Measuring “mutual intelligibility”

e.g. Mandarin Chinese vs. Cantonese Chinese vs. Standard written Chinese

- more than 8 dialects of Chinese

Mutual Intelligibility

Criterion for a language: Speakers can understand each other

Problems

- Standard languages and government impact on what is a “language” and what is a “dialect”

DialectVariant of standard language by ethnicity or region:

- Vocabulary- Syntax- Cadence, pace- Pronunciation

Scottish dialect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5XyecKONu8

BRP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIv0_LVT6JQ&list=PL6F15F2789687007F

Dialect

Creates the question of what the “true” language is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXGuCaApR7U

Dialect

Isogloss: A geographic boundary within which a particular linguistic feature occurs