DOCSLIB.ORG

A Critical Review of Ferdinand De Saussure's Linguistic Theory

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by CSCanada.net: E-Journals (Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture,... ISSN 1923-1555[Print] Studies in Literature and Language ISSN 1923-1563[Online] Vol. 8, No. 1, 2014, pp. 57-61 www.cscanada.net DOI:10.3968/j.sll.1923156320140801.3909 www.cscanada.org A Critical Review of Ferdinand de Saussure’s Linguistic Theory Basel Al-Sheikh Hussein[a]; Ibrahim Abushihab[b],* [a]Assistant Professor. Department of English and Literature, Faculty of Arts/ Al–Zaytoonah, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. INTRODUCTION [b]Associate Professor. Department of English and Literature, Faculty of If one considers the criticism rose against methods and Arts/ Al–Zaytoonah, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. * theories which revolutionized linguistics, one comes to Corresponding author. acknowledge the fact that almost none of them remain Received 25 October 2013; accepted 3 February 2014 undisputed. And each method or approach distances itself from others before it; for example, the mentalist descriptive linguistics of structuralism in Europe led by Abstract de Saussure was against philology, and the physicality Needless to say that the issues and problems by previous descriptive linguistics of American structuralism founded linguistic studies and theories have not been completely by L .Bloomfield refused to accept or acknowledge resolved yet and still remain in dispute. Therefore the mentalist. Chomsky, in turn, reproved Bloomfield Ian authors of this paper feel the need for the re-examination descriptive structuralism as inadequate and praised of those problems and principles studied and discussed mentalist and traditional grammar as well. many years ago. And because the authors believe that As for Bloomfield, mentalism for firth was rejected many of these problems in linguistics were recognized and severely criticized. But Halliday’s functional approach by Ferdinand de Saussure, the attempt has been made to seems an alternative to both American Bloomfieldian support this by presenting his linguistic considerations structuralism and Chomskyan generativism. Continuity of and discussions. The authors’ selection of de Saussure can supplanting approaches by each other obtained. Halliday be justified by the tremendous influence of his work in comments on the continuity and history of linguistics general development of linguistic theories. as saying that twentieth-century linguistics “has tended The study has revealed that Saussure’s vision of to wrap old descriptions inside new theories instead of complexities and dilemmas in the description of language seeking genuinely new descriptions” (Beaugrande, 1933, still persists in linguistics. For example, uncertainty and p.346). disputes still exist over the relation of language to the De Saussure’s thinking on language has exercised an very great number of speech events in the experience of important influence on the whole of twentieth-century linguists, in addition to the status of rules or laws applying linguistics (cf. Harris 1983, 1984, 2001; Tagai, 2009). to all languages and in addition to the nature of linguistic For example, in studying the detailed and individual units, especially in semantics. Thus, the study reveals features of dialectal variation, one is often studying the that Saussure’s deliberations provide an inspiring impetus sort of synchronic situation in which the phenomena of for reconsidering the still disputed aspects and areas in linguistic change have their origin (cf. Robins, 1993). linguistics. Also sapir and Bloomfield share many of de Sausure’s Key words: Symbolism; Arbitrary; Language change; views on the description of language. For example, like Phonetic change; Syntagm; Sign system de Saussure, Sapir describes language as “a Pure human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, Basel Al-Sheikh Hussein, Ibrahim Abushihab (2014). A Critical emotions, and desires by means of a system of voluntarily Review of Ferdinand de Saussure’s Linguistic Theory. Studies in produced symbols” (Sapir, 1921, p.8); i.e., language is a Literature and Language, 8(1), 57-61. Available from: http://www. cscanada.net/index.php/sll/article/view/j.sll.1923156320140801.3909 “conventional, arbitrary system of symbolisms” (1921, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/j.sll.1923156320140801.3909 p.4). And as for de Saussure, the real language for Sapir is 57 Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture A Critical Review of Ferdinand de Saussure’s Linguistic Theory not made up by the phonetic framework of speech, and the the exploration of the relatedness of many languages, individual speech-sound cannot be taken as a linguistic because they failed to form the true science of linguistics, element: “The mere sounds of speech are not the essential and to draw a distinction between states and successions fact of language … and the single sound of articulated (De Saussure, p.81f). speech is not a linguistic element at all” (1921, p.22, p.42). De Saussure argued against the neogrammarians, who Again like de Saussure, Sapir declares that the tried to show how a set of facts apparently obeys the psychological existence of the word is not based on its same law. He pointed out that such facts are isolated and phonetic characteristics, such as ‘accent’. Once again accidental, and that “regardless of the number of instances like de Saussure, Sapir views language change as a major where a phonetic law holds, all the facts embraced by it concern of linguistics, and introduces it into language as a are but multiple manifestations of a single particular fact” leading and determining feature of diversity (Sapir, 1921, (p.93f). De Saussure’s principle in the study of language pp.24, p.33, p.173). is that it would be a mistake to suppose that the facts Despite these shared views with de Saussure, sapir embraced by a law exist once and for all. There are no unlike him believes that “phonetic change is frequently unchangeable characteristics. followed by morphological rearrangements” (Sapir, p.183). On Bloomfield’s side, we can recognize that he follows 2. DE SAUSSURE’S LINGUISTIC de Saussure in that the connection between linguistic THEORY forms and their meanings is wholly arbitrary; each According to de Saussure, Linguistics is differentiated “combination of signaling units is arbitrarily assigned from sciences such sciences as zoology, psychology, to some feature of the practical world” (Bloomfield, and anthropology because these sciences can be helpful 1933, p.152). Again like de Saussure, Bloomfield does to “everything that is outside the system of language” not consider writing as language, but merely a way (1966, p.20). For de Saussure, linguistics is only a part of recording language by means of visible marks, and of a science (semiology) that is engaged in the study he believes that the linguist does not “need to know of the life of signs within society (cf. Thibault, 1997). something about writing in order to study language” In other words, linguistics is expected to clarify “what (Beaugrande, 1933, p.12). Bloomfield also shares with de makes language a special system within the mass of Saussure his reluctance to see phonetic change following semiological data” (De Saussure, 1966, p.17). This, in laws (Bloomfield, p.365). turn, means that “if we are to discover the true nature of Like de Beaugrande (1993) and Robins (1993), the language, we must learn what it has in common with all authors of this paper are convinced that surveying the other semiological systems” (De Saussure, 1966, p.17). major issues and problems of linguistics through their The unique object of linguistics is then language studied treatment in Saussure’s ‘Course in General Linguistics’ in and for itself. For de Saussure, this unique object is the can help in planning for future research that calls for a social product deposited in the brain of each individual i.e., comprehensive and systematic study of the languages speech cannot be studied, because it is not homogeneous. of linguistics, and that de Saussure in many ways marks De Saussure then limits the object of study in drawing the beginning of linguistics as an independent academic a dichotomy between ‘langue’ (language) and ‘langage’ subject in its present form, and many of the distinctions (human speech), making language only a definite part of and topics now almost universally recognized as essential human speech and arguing that language can be classified to it were first made explicit by him. among human phenomena, whereas human speech cannot, “for we cannot discover its unity; only language 1. LINGUISTICS IN DE SAUSSURE’S gives unity to speech” (De Saussure, 1966, p.19). De Saussure also distinguishes between ‘parole’ (speaking) TIME and ‘langue’ (language); he declares that “the two objects At his time, Saussure was dissatisfied with the state are closely connected and interdependent … Speaking of linguistic research, because of the confusion that is necessary for the establishment of language, and characterized it. He also criticized the study of grammar historically its actuality always comes first … Language is which was based on logic and far from being concerned passive, receptive, collective, and homogeneous ... Unlike with the language itself; consequently, according to de language, speaking is not collective … its manifestations Saussure, the study of grammar did not approach the are individual and momentary and depend on the will of description of language scientifically. speakers”(De Saussure, 1966, p.18f). De Saussure rejected such study, because it treated De Saussure emphasizes that speaking, as the activity grammar as a normative discipline, detached from actual of speakers, should be studied in a number of disciplines observation. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the other than linguistics. De Saussure’s restricted notion study of the comparison of texts of different periods and of language can be confined “in the limited segment of Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture 58 Basel Al-Sheikh Hussein; Ibrahim Abushihab (2014).
Recommended publications
  • Similarities and Differences Between Simultaneous and Successive Bilingual Children: Acquisition of Japanese Morphology

    Similarities and Differences Between Simultaneous and Successive Bilingual Children: Acquisition of Japanese Morphology

    International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature E-ISSN: 2200-3452 & P-ISSN: 2200-3592 www.ijalel.aiac.org.au Similarities and Differences between Simultaneous and Successive Bilingual Children: Acquisition of Japanese Morphology Yuki Itani-Adams1, Junko Iwasaki2, Satomi Kawaguchi3* 1ANU College of Asia & the Pacific, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia 2School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, 2 Bradford Street, Mt Lawley WA 6050, Australia 3School of Humanities and Communication Arts, Western Sydney University, Bullecourt Ave, Milperra NSW 2214, Australia Corresponding Author: Satomi Kawaguchi , E-mail: [email protected] ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history This paper compares the acquisition of Japanese morphology of two bilingual children who had Received: June 14, 2017 different types of exposure to Japanese language in Australia: a simultaneous bilingual child Accepted: August 14, 2017 who had exposure to both Japanese and English from birth, and a successive bilingual child Published: December 01, 2017 who did not have regular exposure to Japanese until he was six years and three months old. The comparison is carried out using Processability Theory (PT) (Pienemann 1998, 2005) as a Volume: 6 Issue: 7 common framework, and the corpus for this study consists of the naturally spoken production Special Issue on Language & Literature of these two Australian children. The results show that both children went through the same Advance access: September 2017 developmental path in their acquisition of the Japanese morphological structures, indicating that the same processing mechanisms are at work for both types of language acquisition. However, Conflicts of interest: None the results indicate that there are some differences between the two children, including the rate Funding: None of acquisition, and the kinds of verbal morphemes acquired.
  • Marketing Semiotics

    Marketing Semiotics

    Marketing Semiotics Professor Christian Pinson Semiosis, i.e. the process by which things and events come to be recognized as signs, is of particular relevance to marketing scholars and practitioners. The term marketing encompasses those activities involved in identifying the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors. Whereas early definitions of marketing focused on the performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods and services from producer to consumer or user, modern definitions stress that marketing activities involve interaction between seller and buyer and not a one- way flow from producer to consumer. As a consequence, the majority of marketers now view marketing in terms of exchange relationships. These relationships entail physical, financial, psychological and social meanings. The broad objective of the semiotics of marketing is to make explicit the conditions under which these meanings are produced and apprehended. Although semioticians have been actively working in the field of marketing since the 1960s, it is only recently that semiotic concepts and approaches have received international attention and recognition (for an overview, see Larsen et al. 1991, Mick, 1986, 1997 Umiker- Sebeok, 1988, Pinson, 1988). Diffusion of semiotic research in marketing has been made difficult by cultural and linguistic barriers as well as by divergence of thought. Whereas Anglo-Saxon researchers base their conceptual framework on Charles Pierce's ideas, Continental scholars tend to refer to the sign theory in Ferdinand de Saussure and to its interpretation by Hjelmslev. 1. The symbolic nature of consumption. Consumer researchers and critics of marketing have long recognized the symbolic nature of consumption and the importance of studying the meanings attached by consumers to the various linguistic and non-linguistic signs available to them in the marketplace.
  • Part 1: Introduction to The

    Part 1: Introduction to The

    PREVIEW OF THE IPA HANDBOOK Handbook of the International Phonetic Association: A guide to the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet PARTI Introduction to the IPA 1. What is the International Phonetic Alphabet? The aim of the International Phonetic Association is to promote the scientific study of phonetics and the various practical applications of that science. For both these it is necessary to have a consistent way of representing the sounds of language in written form. From its foundation in 1886 the Association has been concerned to develop a system of notation which would be convenient to use, but comprehensive enough to cope with the wide variety of sounds found in the languages of the world; and to encourage the use of thjs notation as widely as possible among those concerned with language. The system is generally known as the International Phonetic Alphabet. Both the Association and its Alphabet are widely referred to by the abbreviation IPA, but here 'IPA' will be used only for the Alphabet. The IPA is based on the Roman alphabet, which has the advantage of being widely familiar, but also includes letters and additional symbols from a variety of other sources. These additions are necessary because the variety of sounds in languages is much greater than the number of letters in the Roman alphabet. The use of sequences of phonetic symbols to represent speech is known as transcription. The IPA can be used for many different purposes. For instance, it can be used as a way to show pronunciation in a dictionary, to record a language in linguistic fieldwork, to form the basis of a writing system for a language, or to annotate acoustic and other displays in the analysis of speech.
  • Qualia NICHOLAS HARKNESS Harvard University, USA

    Qualia NICHOLAS HARKNESS Harvard University, USA

    Qualia NICHOLAS HARKNESS Harvard University, USA Qualia (singular, quale) are cultural emergents that manifest phenomenally as sensuous features or qualities. The anthropological challenge presented by qualia is to theorize elements of experience that are semiotically generated but apperceived as non-signs. Qualia are not reducible to a psychology of individual perceptions of sensory data, to a cultural ontology of “materiality,” or to philosophical intuitions about the subjective properties of consciousness. The analytical solution to the challenge of qualia is to con- sider tone in relation to the familiar linguistic anthropological categories of token and type. This solution has been made methodologically practical by conceptualizing qualia, in Peircean terms, as “facts of firstness” or firstness “under its form of secondness.” Inthephilosophyofmind,theterm“qualia”hasbeenusedtodescribetheineffable, intrinsic, private, and directly or immediately apprehensible experiences of “the way things seem,” which have been taken to constitute the atomic subjective properties of consciousness. This concept was challenged in an influential paper by Daniel Dennett, who argued that qualia “is a philosophers’ term which fosters nothing but confusion, and refers in the end to no properties or features at all” (Dennett 1988, 387). Dennett concluded, correctly, that these diverse elements of feeling, made sensuously present atvariouslevelsofattention,wereactuallyidiosyncraticresponsestoapperceptions of “public, relational” qualities. Qualia were, in effect,
  • Whole Language Instruction Vs. Phonics Instruction: Effect on Reading Fluency and Spelling Accuracy of First Grade Students

    Whole Language Instruction Vs. Phonics Instruction: Effect on Reading Fluency and Spelling Accuracy of First Grade Students

    Whole Language Instruction vs. Phonics Instruction: Effect on Reading Fluency and Spelling Accuracy of First Grade Students Krissy Maddox Jay Feng Presentation at Georgia Educational Research Association Annual Conference, October 18, 2013. Savannah, Georgia 1 Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of whole language instruction versus phonics instruction for improving reading fluency and spelling accuracy. The participants were the first grade students in the researcher’s general education classroom of a non-Title I school. Stratified sampling was used to randomly divide twenty-two participants into two instructional groups. One group was instructed using whole language principles, where the children only read words in the context of a story, without any phonics instruction. The other group was instructed using explicit phonics instruction, without a story or any contextual influence. After four weeks of treatment, results indicate that there were no statistical differences between the two literacy approaches in the effect on students’ reading fluency or spelling accuracy; however, there were notable changes in the post test results that are worth further investigation. In reading fluency, both groups improved, but the phonics group made greater gains. In spelling accuracy, the phonics group showed slight growth, while the whole language scores decreased. Overall, the phonics group demonstrated greater growth in both reading fluency and spelling accuracy. It is recommended that a literacy approach should combine phonics and whole language into one curriculum, but place greater emphasis on phonics development. 2 Introduction Literacy is the fundamental cornerstone of a student’s academic success. Without the skill of reading, children will almost certainly have limited academic, economic, social, and even emotional success in school and in later life (Pikulski, 2002).
  • Hierarchy of Social/Pragmatic Skills As Related to the Development of Executive Function Created by Kimberly Peters, Ph.D

    Hierarchy of Social/Pragmatic Skills As Related to the Development of Executive Function Created by Kimberly Peters, Ph.D

    Hierarchy of Social/Pragmatic Skills as Related to the Development of Executive Function created by Kimberly Peters, Ph.D. Age Pragmatic Skills EF Development/Tasks requiring EF Treatment Ideas/Strategies 0-3 Illocutionary—caregiver attributes Development: - face to face interaction months intent to child actions - behavior is designed to meet - vocal-turn-taking with care-providers - smiles/coos in response immediate needs - attends to eyes and mouth - cognitive flexibility not emerged - has preference for faces - exhibits turn-taking 3-6 - laughs while socializing - vocal turn-taking with care-providers months - maintains eye contact appropriately - facial expressions: tongue protrusion, - takes turns by vocalizing “oh”, raspberries. - maintains topic by following gaze - copies facial expressions 6-9 - calls to get attention Development: - peek-a-boo months - demonstrates attachment - Early inhibitory control emerges - place toys slightly out of reach - shows self/acts coy to Peek-a-boo - tolerates longer delays and still - imitative babbling (first true communicative intent) maintains simple, focused attention - imitating actions (waving, covering - reaches/points to request eyes with hands). 9-12 - begins directing others Development: - singing/finger plays/nursery rhymes months - participates in verbal routines - Early inhibitory control emerges - routines (so big! where is baby?), - repeats actions that are laughed at - tolerates longer delays and still peek-a-boo, patta-cake, this little piggy - tries to restart play maintain simple,
  • Linguistic Scaffolds for Writing Effective Language Objectives

    Linguistic Scaffolds for Writing Effective Language Objectives

    Linguistic Scaffolds for Writing Effective Language Objectives An effectively written language objective: • Stems form the linguistic demands of a standards-based lesson task • Focuses on high-leverage language that will serve students in other contexts • Uses active verbs to name functions/purposes for using language in a specific student task • Specifies target language necessary to complete the task • Emphasizes development of expressive language skills, speaking and writing, without neglecting listening and reading Sample language objectives: Students will articulate main idea and details using target vocabulary: topic, main idea, detail. Students will describe a character’s emotions using precise adjectives. Students will revise a paragraph using correct present tense and conditional verbs. Students will report a group consensus using past tense citation verbs: determined, concluded. Students will use present tense persuasive verbs to defend a position: maintain, contend. Language Objective Frames: Students will (function: active verb phrase) using (language target) . Students will use (language target) to (function: active verb phrase) . Active Verb Bank to Name Functions for Expressive Language Tasks articulate defend express narrate share ask define identify predict state compose describe justify react to summarize compare discuss label read rephrase contrast elaborate list recite revise debate explain name respond write Language objectives are most effectively communicated with verb phrases such as the following: Students will point out similarities between… Students will express agreement… Students will articulate events in sequence… Students will state opinions about…. Sample Noun Phrases Specifying Language Targets academic vocabulary complete sentences subject verb agreement precise adjectives complex sentences personal pronouns citation verbs clarifying questions past-tense verbs noun phrases prepositional phrases gerunds (verb + ing) 2011 Kate Kinsella, Ed.D.
  • 'Langue' and 'Langage

    'Langue' and 'Langage

    FOURNET, Arnaud. Some comparative and historical considerations about Ferdinand de Saussure's distinction between ‘langue’ and ‘langage’. ReVEL , vol. 8, n. 14, 2010. [www.revel.inf.br/eng]. SOME COMPARATIVE AND HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT FERDINAND DE SAUSSURE ’S DISTINCTION BETWEEN ‘LANGUE ’ AND ‘LANGAGE ’ Arnaud Fournet 1 [email protected] ABSTRACT : Modern French has two words: langue and langage when English has only one: language , originally a loanword from Old French. The article investigates when and how French gradually used two words to distinguish the concept of a particular language ( langue ) and that of speech ability ( langage ). This split started around 1600 and was permanently established around 1800. KEYWORDS : Language; Structuralism; de Saussure. 1. ABOUT THE ENGLISH WORD ‘LANGUAGE ’ The present article originates in my personal realization that English only has one word: language whereas French has two words: langue and langage to describe linguistic activity, behavior, competence or faculty 2, in spite of the quite obvious historical fact that the English word is a loanword from (Old) French 3. So I set about looking for the reasons why the difference exists and what particular theoretical features it may entail. English somehow misses a word and it is interesting to investigate the causes and some potential consequences of that lexical want. It is worth noting that, following the impulse of Old French, several modern Romance languages display a similar difference between langue 4 and langage 5. The word langue is the 1 PhD from Université René Descartes. 2 Depending on the theoretical preferences of authors. 3 The English word begins to be attested in the time bracket: 1250-1300.
  • Media Theory and Semiotics: Key Terms and Concepts Binary

    Media Theory and Semiotics: Key Terms and Concepts Binary

    Media Theory and Semiotics: Key Terms and Concepts Binary structures and semiotic square of oppositions Many systems of meaning are based on binary structures (masculine/ feminine; black/white; natural/artificial), two contrary conceptual categories that also entail or presuppose each other. Semiotic interpretation involves exposing the culturally arbitrary nature of this binary opposition and describing the deeper consequences of this structure throughout a culture. On the semiotic square and logical square of oppositions. Code A code is a learned rule for linking signs to their meanings. The term is used in various ways in media studies and semiotics. In communication studies, a message is often described as being "encoded" from the sender and then "decoded" by the receiver. The encoding process works on multiple levels. For semiotics, a code is the framework, a learned a shared conceptual connection at work in all uses of signs (language, visual). An easy example is seeing the kinds and levels of language use in anyone's language group. "English" is a convenient fiction for all the kinds of actual versions of the language. We have formal, edited, written English (which no one speaks), colloquial, everyday, regional English (regions in the US, UK, and around the world); social contexts for styles and specialized vocabularies (work, office, sports, home); ethnic group usage hybrids, and various kinds of slang (in-group, class-based, group-based, etc.). Moving among all these is called "code-switching." We know what they mean if we belong to the learned, rule-governed, shared-code group using one of these kinds and styles of language.
  • Linguistics As a Resouvce in Language Planning. 16P

    Linguistics As a Resouvce in Language Planning. 16P

    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 095 698 FL 005 720 AUTHOR Garvin, Paul L. TITLE' Linguistics as a Resouvce in Language Planning. PUB DATE Jun 73 NOTE 16p.; PaFPr presented at the Symposium on Sociolinguistics and Language Planning (Mexico City, Mexico, June-July, 1973) EPRS PPICE MF-$0.75 HC-$1.50 PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS *Applied Linguistics; Language Development; *Language Planning; Language Role; Language Standardization; Linguistics; Linguistic Theory; Official Languages; Social Planning; *Sociolinguistics ABSTPACT Language planning involves decisions of two basic types: those pertaining to language choice and those pertaining to language development. linguistic theory is needed to evaluate the structural suitability of candidate languages, since both official and national languages mast have a high level of standardizaticn as a cultural necessity. On the other hand, only a braodly conceived and functionally oriented linguistics can serve as a basis for choosiag one language rather than another. The role of linguistics in the area of language development differs somewhat depending on whether development is geared in a technological and scientific or a literary, artistic direction. In the first case, emphasis is on the development of terminologies, and in the second case, on that of grammatical devices and styles. Linguistics can provide realistic and practical arguments in favor of language development, and a detailed, technical understanding of such development, as well as methodological skills. Linguists can and must function as consultants to those who actually make decisions about language planning. For too long linguists have pursued only those aims generated within their own field. They must now broaden their scope to achieve the kind of understanding of language that is necessary for a productive approach to concrete language problems.
  • New Paradigm for the Study of Simultaneous V. Sequential Bilingualism

    New Paradigm for the Study of Simultaneous V. Sequential Bilingualism

    New Paradigm for the Study of Simultaneous v. Sequential Bilingualism Suzanne Flynn1, Claire Foley1 and Inna Vinnitskaya2 1MIT and 2University of Ottawa 1. Introduction Mastering multiple languages is a commonplace linguistic achievement for most of the world’s population. Chomsky (in Mukherji et al. 2000) notes that “In most of human history and in most parts of the world today, children grow up speaking a variety of languages…” Clearly, multilingualism “is just a natural state of the human mind.” Notably, most of this language learning occurs in untutored, naturalistic settings and throughout the lifespan of an individual. The false sense of language homogeneity and monolingualism that is often heralded in the United States, at least in certain regional sections, is clearly a historical artifact. As Chomsky notes: Even in the United States the idea that people speak one language is not true. Everyone grows up hearing many different languages. Sometimes they are called “dialects or stylistic variants or whatever” but they are really different languages. It is just that they are so close to each other that we don’t bother calling them different languages (Chomsky, in Mukherji et al., 2000:19 ) A conclusion is that every individual, by virtue of living within a community, is bilingual1 in some sense. Further, this means that in the same sense there is essentially universal multilingualism in the world. Despite the centrality of multilingualism to the human experience, however, questions persist concerning how learners construct new language
  • Semiotic/Cultural Analysis Brainstorming

    Semiotic/Cultural Analysis Brainstorming

    Writing & Language Development Center S emiotic/cultural analysis brainstorming Semiotics is the study and interpretation of cultural signs: words, objects, images, or behaviors. For example, a red light is a sign, but signs derive their meaning from the context in which we find them, so to understand the meaning of a red light, we must place it in a wider context. A red light at a busy intersection means one thing, and a red light in the window of an Amsterdam brothel means something else. Use this tip sheet as a tool once you have selected a sign: • Using questions, place the sign within a context of similar things. • Using questions, identify what social values the sign represents. • Write a claim about how the sign shows cultural values, and where cultural power is concentrated. Discovering the context, or system, of a sign First ask yourself questions about the word, object, image, or behavior you wish to examine. You want to place it in an appropriate context, or system, of similar things. Some questions to ask Example brainstorming… What is the cultural sign (word, object, image, behavior)? My ceramic coffee cup What is it like? What things are similar? Other coffee cups: travel mugs, Styrofoam cups, porcelain tea cups, my handmade pottery cup Among those things, what things are different? How are My mug is less delicate than a teacup, so I’m not afraid of breaking it. It they different? How different are they? isn’t as rugged as a plastic or metal travel mug. It looks nicer and makes less waste than Styrofoam.