PURCOM MIDTERMS

• Chomsky


  A child speaking is innate, or NATURE of a child stated human beings have LAD (Language Acquisition Device)
• Chomsky


  Language Acquisition Device (LAD) as innate
• Skinner


  Language acquisition nurtured by environment
• Speech Communities


  Groups sharing beliefs about language, forming identity
• Dell Hymes, William Labov


  • Studied language in social settings
• Ethnography of Communication


  Hymes's framework
• Labov


  • Showed language variability, social influence
• Characteristics of Speech Communities

  • Common language
  • Varied repertoire
  • Norms
  • Variation
• Language's role


  Shapes social identities, fosters understanding
• World Englishes


  Differences across global contexts
• Kachru


  Coined term, classified English circles
• Kachru's English Circles


  • Inner circle: Historical English roots
  • Outer circle: English institutionalized, colonial history
  • Expanding circle: English as foreign language
• Importance of World Englishes

  • Encourages linguistic diversity, cultural awareness
• Semantics


  Literal meaning of words and sentences
• Pragmatics


  Contextual meaning, speaker's intention
• Interaction


  Study of how meaning is conveyed
• Multimodal Analysis


  Study of meaning through various communication modes
• Approaches to Multimodal Analysis

  • Interaction
  • Discourse analysis
  • Social semiotics
  • Conversation analysis
• Importance of Multimodal Analysis


  • Understands how meaning is created
• Cross-Cultural Communication


  Exchange between different cultures
• Cultural Dimensions Theory


  Framework for understanding cultural differences
• Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity


  Progresses understanding and appreciation
• Communication Behaviors


  • Passive
  • Aggressive
  • Passive-aggressive
  • Assertive
• Characteristics of Communication Behaviors

  • Examples, implications
• Chomsky


  A child speaking is innate, or NATURE of a child stated human beings have LAD (Language Acquisition Device)
• LAD (Language Acquisition Device)


  A microchip in people that allow us to speak
• B.F. Skinner


  Debated that language acquisition is NURTURED (by our environment, caregivers,etc)
• Speech Communities


  • Groups of individual w/ same beliefs and attitudes about languages, dialects, customs, formed thru extended interactions based on acknowledged values
  • They recognize language as integral to meaningful participation in society and culture, embodying and constructing identity within these contexts
• Dell Hymes and William Labov

  • Sociolinguistic theorists that offer valuable insights into how language operates in social settings and shapes speech communities
  • Their work enhances our understanding of language variation and the dynamics of social interaction
• Ethnography of communication


  • Coined by Dell Hymes, studying language within cultural contexts
  • Effective communication according to Hymes goes beyond linguistic competence to include social and cultural norms
• William Labov and Variationist Sociolinguistics

  • Labov's research debunked the idea of language as static, revealing its variability and context-dependence
  • His studies on social stratification highlighted the influence of factors like social class, ethnicity, and gender on linguistic variation
  • Labov's work established how linguistic variables reflect social identity within speech communities, aiding our understanding of community dynamics
• Characteristics of speech communities

  • Share common language and dialect which is a fundamental aspect of group identity and cohesion
  • Members have varied linguistic repertoire influencing grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation
  • Communicative practices or norms/practices for communication including conventions for turn-taking, politeness and storytelling
  • Exhibit linguistic variation and change, influenced by geographical mobility and contact w/ other groups
• Language in shaping social identities within speech communities


  • Plays multifaceted and central role in shaping social identities - means of social differentiation within speech communities - signify not only group membership but social status, age, gender and other dimensions of identity
• Significance of understanding speech communities

  • It enhances our understanding of how language and social identity relate to one another
  • Informs the development of inclusive language policies, aids preservation of cultural heritage, and address linguistic inequalities, ultimately fostering social justice and contributing to more equitable societies
• World Englishes


  Differences in English language that emerge as it is used contexts across the world
• Braj Bihari Kachru


  • Professor of Linguistics who coined the term "World English"
  • A teacher of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) conference
  • Illustrates the varieties of English across the globe
• Classification of Englishes


  • English as Native Language (ENL)
  • English as Second Language (ESL)
  • English as Foreign Language (FEL)
• Kachru's three circles of English

  • Inner circle: Countries with historical English roots / native English speakers
  • Outer circle: Speakers where English has been institutionalized as a language with important function, developed own rules, English usage has colonial history
  • Expanding circle: English is primary foreign language
• Lingua franca


  English serves as common language for communication between people from different linguistic backgrounds, prominent in academic/professional settings
• Importance of World Englishes

  • Exposes people to linguistic diversity, challenging the notion of a standard English and encouraging acceptance of linguistic variation
  • Crucial for fostering linguistic diversity, cultural awareness, and successful cross-cultural communication in our globalized society