Sociolinguistic Approaches to Language Change : Phonology
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Why Is Language Typology Possible?
Why is language typology possible? Martin Haspelmath 1 Languages are incomparable Each language has its own system. Each language has its own categories. Each language is a world of its own. 2 Or are all languages like Latin? nominative the book genitive of the book dative to the book accusative the book ablative from the book 3 Or are all languages like English? 4 How could languages be compared? If languages are so different: What could be possible tertia comparationis (= entities that are identical across comparanda and thus permit comparison)? 5 Three approaches • Indeed, language typology is impossible (non- aprioristic structuralism) • Typology is possible based on cross-linguistic categories (aprioristic generativism) • Typology is possible without cross-linguistic categories (non-aprioristic typology) 6 Non-aprioristic structuralism: Franz Boas (1858-1942) The categories chosen for description in the Handbook “depend entirely on the inner form of each language...” Boas, Franz. 1911. Introduction to The Handbook of American Indian Languages. 7 Non-aprioristic structuralism: Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) “dans la langue il n’y a que des différences...” (In a language there are only differences) i.e. all categories are determined by the ways in which they differ from other categories, and each language has different ways of cutting up the sound space and the meaning space de Saussure, Ferdinand. 1915. Cours de linguistique générale. 8 Example: Datives across languages cf. Haspelmath, Martin. 2003. The geometry of grammatical meaning: semantic maps and cross-linguistic comparison 9 Example: Datives across languages 10 Example: Datives across languages 11 Non-aprioristic structuralism: Peter H. Matthews (University of Cambridge) Matthews 1997:199: "To ask whether a language 'has' some category is...to ask a fairly sophisticated question.. -
Manual for Language Test Development and Examining
Manual for Language Test Development and Examining For use with the CEFR Produced by ALTE on behalf of the Language Policy Division, Council of Europe © Council of Europe, April 2011 The opinions expressed in this work are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe. All correspondence concerning this publication or the reproduction or translation of all or part of the document should be addressed to the Director of Education and Languages of the Council of Europe (Language Policy Division) (F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex or [email protected]). The reproduction of extracts is authorised, except for commercial purposes, on condition that the source is quoted. Manual for Language Test Development and Examining For use with the CEFR Produced by ALTE on behalf of the Language Policy Division, Council of Europe Language Policy Division Council of Europe (Strasbourg) www.coe.int/lang Contents Foreword 5 3.4.2 Piloting, pretesting and trialling 30 Introduction 6 3.4.3 Review of items 31 1 Fundamental considerations 10 3.5 Constructing tests 32 1.1 How to define language proficiency 10 3.6 Key questions 32 1.1.1 Models of language use and competence 10 3.7 Further reading 33 1.1.2 The CEFR model of language use 10 4 Delivering tests 34 1.1.3 Operationalising the model 12 4.1 Aims of delivering tests 34 1.1.4 The Common Reference Levels of the CEFR 12 4.2 The process of delivering tests 34 1.2 Validity 14 4.2.1 Arranging venues 34 1.2.1 What is validity? 14 4.2.2 Registering test takers 35 1.2.2 Validity -
Applying Phonology in Lexicography: Variant-Synonym Classification In
Applying phonology in lexicography: variant-synonym classification in Czech Sign Language Hana Strachoňová, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, [email protected] Lucia Vlášková, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, [email protected] Sign language (SL) lexicography, as a young field of study within SL linguistics, faces a lot of challenges that have already been answered for the audio-oral language material. In this talk we present a method that is being applied in the ongoing process of data classification for the first Czech SL online dictionary (part of the platform Dictio). Problem: For audio-oral languages, a dictionary entry standardly contains the citation form of a lexeme and all the variants (Čermák 1995). See for example the gender variants in Czech: brambor (potato- masculine) / brambor-a (potato-feminine), hadr (cloth-masculine) / hadr-a (cloth-feminine). However, two (or more) expressions of a different word-forming nature are not considered variants but synonyms (Filipec 1995). See the example pairs in Czech - the first expression comes from the traditional Czech lexicon and the latter originates in English/Latin: jazykověda (linguistics; Czech origin) / lingvistika (linguistics; foreign origin), poradce (consultant; Czech origin) / konzultant (consultant; foreign origin). The common ground of the variant- and synonym-pairs is their shared meaning (brambor has the same meaning as brambora; jazykověda has the same meaning as lingvistika) and in the lexicographic work it is essential to assign each of them the right place in the dictionary entry. What seems as a simple task for spoken languages (basically - common root for variants, different roots for synonyms) becomes a challenge for SLs (still ongoing discussion about the definition of morphemes and lexical roots; see e.g. -
Social Dimensions of Language Change
Social dimensions of language change Lev Michael 1 Introduction Language change results from the differential propagation of linguistic vari- ants distributed among the linguistic repertoires of communicatively inter- acting individuals in a given community. From this it follows that language change is socially-mediated in two important ways. First, since language change is a social-epidemiological process that takes place by propagating some aspect of communicative practice across a socially-structured network, the organization of the social group in question can affect how a variant propagates. It is known, for example, that densely connected social net- works tend to be resistant to innovations, where as more sparsely connected ones are more open to them. Second, social and cultural factors, such as lan- guage ideologies, can encourage the propagation of particular variants at the expense of others in particular contexts, likewise contributing to language change. The purpose of this chapter is to survey our current understanding of the social factors that affect the emergence and propagation of linguistic variants, and thus language change, by bringing together insights from vari- ationist sociolinguistics, sociohistorical linguistics, linguistic anthropology, social psychology, and evolutionary approaches to language change. It is im- portant to note that there are, as discussed in Chapter 1, important factors beyond the social ones discussed in this chapter that affect variant propaga- 1 tion and language change, including factors related to linguistic production and perception, and cognitive factors attributable to the human language faculty (see Chapter 1). 1.1 Theorizing variation and language change As Weinreich, Labov, and Herzog (1968) originally observed, theories of lan- guage that assume linguistic variation to be noise or meaningless divergence from some ideal synchronically homogeneous linguistic state { to be elim- inated by `averaging' or `abstraction' { encounter profound difficulties in accounting for language change. -
Language Development Language Development
Language Development rom their very first cries, human beings communicate with the world around them. Infants communicate through sounds (crying and cooing) and through body lan- guage (pointing and other gestures). However, sometime between 8 and 18 months Fof age, a major developmental milestone occurs when infants begin to use words to speak. Words are symbolic representations; that is, when a child says “table,” we understand that the word represents the object. Language can be defined as a system of symbols that is used to communicate. Although language is used to communicate with others, we may also talk to ourselves and use words in our thinking. The words we use can influence the way we think about and understand our experiences. After defining some basic aspects of language that we use throughout the chapter, we describe some of the theories that are used to explain the amazing process by which we Language9 A system of understand and produce language. We then look at the brain’s role in processing and pro- symbols that is used to ducing language. After a description of the stages of language development—from a baby’s communicate with others or first cries through the slang used by teenagers—we look at the topic of bilingualism. We in our thinking. examine how learning to speak more than one language affects a child’s language develop- ment and how our educational system is trying to accommodate the increasing number of bilingual children in the classroom. Finally, we end the chapter with information about disorders that can interfere with children’s language development. -
Research on Language and Learning: Implications for Language Teaching
Research on Language and Learning: Implications for Language Teaching EVA ALCÓN' Universitat Jaume 1 ABSTRACT Taking into account severa1 limitations of communicative language teaching (CLT), this paper calls for the need to consider research on language use and learning through communication as a basis for language teaching. It will be argued that a reflective approach towards language teaching and learning might be generated, which is explained in terms of the need to develop a context-sensitive pedagogy and in terms of teachers' and learners' development. KEYWORDS: Language use, teaching, leaming. INTRODUCTION The limitations of the concept of method becomes obvious in the literature on language teaching methodology. This is also referred to as the pendulum metaphor, that is to say, a method is proposed as a reform or rejection of a previously accepted method, it is applied in the language classroom, and eventually it is criticised or extended (for a review see Alcaraz et al., 1993; Alcón, 2002a; Howatt, 1984; Richards & Rodgers, 1986; Sánchez, 1993, 1997). Furthermore, * Addressfor correspondence: Eva Alcón Soler, Dpto. Filología Inglesa y Románica, Facultat Cikncies Humanes i Socials, Universitat Jaume 1, Avda. Sos Baynat, s/n, 12071 Castellón. Telf. 964-729605, Fax: 964-729261. E-mail: [email protected] O Servicio de Publicaciones. Universidad de Murcia. All rights reserved. IJES, VOL 4 ((1,2004, pp. 173-196 174 Eva Alcón as reported by Nassaji (2000), throughout the history of English language teaching methodology, there seems to be a dilema over focused analytic versus unfocused experiential language teaching. While the former considers learning as the development of formal rule-based knowledge, the latter conceptualises learning as the result of naturalistic use of language. -
Phonetic and Phonological Research Sharing Methods
The Kabod Volume 3 Issue 3 Summer Article 1 January 2017 Phonetic and Phonological Research Sharing Methods Cory C. Coogan Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/kabod Part of the Modern Languages Commons, and the Reading and Language Commons Recommended Citations MLA: Coogan, Cory C. "Phonetic and Phonological Research Sharing Methods," The Kabod 3. 3 (2017) Article 1. Liberty University Digital Commons. Web. [xx Month xxxx]. APA: Coogan, Cory C. (2017) "Phonetic and Phonological Research Sharing Methods" The Kabod 3( 3 (2017)), Article 1. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/kabod/vol3/iss3/1 Turabian: Coogan, Cory C. "Phonetic and Phonological Research Sharing Methods" The Kabod 3 , no. 3 2017 (2017) Accessed [Month x, xxxx]. Liberty University Digital Commons. This Individual Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Kabod by an authorized editor of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Coogan: Phonetic and Phonological Research Sharing Methods Running Head: PHONETIC AND PHONOLOGICAL RESEARCH SHARING METHODS 1 Phonetic and Phonological Research Sharing Methods Cory Coogan Liberty University Published by Scholars Crossing, 2017 1 The Kabod, Vol. 3, Iss. 3 [2017], Art. 1 PHONETIC AND PHONOLOGICAL RESEARCH SHARING METHODS 2 Phonetic and Phonological Research Sharing Methods Most linguists affirm the observation that human language is innate; the human mind has a capacity for grammar that is inherent from birth. This notion implies that a singular grammar produces all human languages; therefore, to appropriately understand the scope of the human capacity for grammar, a single model must cohesively describe the various processes of all human languages. -
24.900 Intro to Linguistics Lecture Notes: Phonology Summary
Fall 2012 Phonology Summary • Speakers of English learned something from the data they were presented with as (contains all examples from class slides, and more!) babies that caused them to internalize (learn) the rule exemplified in (1) — just as Tojolabal speakers learned from the data that they heard as babies, and ended up with 1. Phonology vs. phonetics the rule exemplified in (2). • The path from memory (lexical access) to speech is mediated by phonology. • The English rule is real and active "on-line", governing creative linguistic behavior. A • Phonology = system of rules that apply when speech sounds are put together to form native speaker of English will apply it to new words they have never heard. The /t/ in morphemes and words. tib will be aspirated, and the /t/ in stib (both nonsense words, I hope) will not be. Probably Tojolabal speakers will show similar behavior with respect to their rule. (1) stop consonant aspiration in English: initial within a stressed syllable ASPIRATED UNASPIRATED 2. What phonetic distinctions are made in lexical entries? initial within a stressed syllable after s or initial within an word-final (therefore syllable- Part 1: phonological rules that eliminate distinctions from the lexicon unstressed syllable final) pan span nap tone stone note • English: lexicon does not need to distinguish aspirated from unaspirated stops. kin skin nick There is no reason to suppose that information about aspiration forms part of the sound field of lexical entries of English words, since it is entirely predictable. Though pan is upon supping pronounced /pʰæn/ and span /spæn/, there is no reason to distinguish the aspirated and unaspirated bilabial stops in the lexical entries of the two words. -
The Origin of Language and Communication
Athena and Eve — Johnson Papers lution, editors Jones, Martin and Pilbeam conceded that The origin of ‘there are no non-human languages’, and then went on to observe that ‘language is an adaptation unique to humans, and yet the nature of its uniqueness and its biological basis language and are notoriously difficult to define’ [emphasis added].3 In his book, The Symbolic Species: The Co-Evolution of Language communication and the Brain, Terrance Deacon noted: ‘In this context, then, consider the case of Brad Harrub, Bert Thompson and human language. It is one of the most distinctive Dave Miller behavioral adaptations on the planet. Languages evolved in only one species, in only one way, with- By age four, most humans have developed an ability out precedent, except in the most general sense. to communicate through oral language. By age six And the differences between languages and all other 4 or seven, most humans can comprehend, as well as natural modes of communicating are vast.’ express, written thoughts. These unique abilities of What events transpired that have allowed humans to communicating through a native language clearly speak, while animals remain silent? If we are to believe the separate humans from all animals. The obvious evolutionary teaching currently taking place in colleges and question then arises, where did we obtain this dis- universities around the world, speech evolved as a natural tinctive trait? Organic evolution has proven unable to process over time. Yet no-one is quite sure how, and there elucidate the origin of language and communication. are no known animals that are in a transition phase from Knowing how beneficial this ability is to humans, non-speaking to speaking. -
Foreign Language Teaching and Learning Aleidine Kramer Moeller University of Nebraska–Lincoln, [email protected]
University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications: Department of Teaching, Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Learning and Teacher Education Education 2015 Foreign Language Teaching and Learning Aleidine Kramer Moeller University of Nebraska–Lincoln, [email protected] Theresa Catalano University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/teachlearnfacpub Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Educational Methods Commons, International and Comparative Education Commons, and the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons Moeller, Aleidine Kramer and Catalano, Theresa, "Foreign Language Teaching and Learning" (2015). Faculty Publications: Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education. 196. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/teachlearnfacpub/196 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications: Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Published in J.D. Wright (ed.), International Encyclopedia for Social and Behavioral Sciences 2nd Edition. Vol 9 (Oxford: Pergamon Press, 2015), pp. 327-332. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.92082-8 Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Used by permission. digitalcommons.unl.edu Foreign Language Teaching and Learning Aleidine J. Moeller and Theresa Catalano 1. Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, USA Abstract Foreign language teaching and learning have changed from teacher-centered to learner/learning-centered environments. Relying on language theories, research findings, and experiences, educators developed teaching strategies and learn- ing environments that engaged learners in interactive communicative language tasks. -
Contributors
Contributors Editors Xuesong (Andy) Gao is an associate professor in the School of Education, the University of New South Wales (Australia). His current research and teaching interests are in the areas of learner autonomy, sociolinguistics, vocabulary studies, language learning narratives and language teacher education. His major publications appear in journals including Applied Linguistics, Educational Studies, English Language Teaching Journal, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, Language Teaching Research, Research Papers in Education, Studies in Higher Education, System, Teaching and Teacher Education, TESOL Quarterly and World Englishes. In addition, he has published one research mono- graph (Strategic Language Learning) and co-edited a volume on identity, motivation and autonomy with Multilingual Matters. He is a co-editor for the System journal and serves on the editorial and advisory boards for journals including The Asia Pacific Education Researcher, Journal of Language, Identity and Education and Teacher Development. Hayriye Kayi-Aydar is an assistant professor of English applied linguistics at the University of Arizona. Her research works with discourse, narra- tive and English as a second language (ESL) pedagogy, at the intersections of the poststructural second language acquisition (SLA) approaches and interactional sociolinguistics. Her specific research interests are agency, identity and positioning in classroom talk and teacher/learner narratives. Her most recent work investigates how language teachers from different ethnic and racial backgrounds construct professional identities and how they position themselves in relation to others in contexts that include English language learners. Her work on identity and agency has appeared in various peer-reviewed journals, such as TESOL Quarterly, Teaching and Teacher Education, ELT Journal, Critical Inquiry in Language Stud- ies, Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, Journal of Latinos and Education, System and Classroom Discourse. -
Dictionary Writing System
Dictionary Writing System (DWS) + Corpus Query Package (CQP): The Case of TshwaneLex Gilles-Maurice de Schryver, Department of African Languages and Cul- tures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Xhosa Department, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Republic of South Africa; and TshwaneDJe HLT, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa ([email protected]), and Guy De Pauw, CNTS — Language Technology Group, University of Antwerp, Belgium; and School of Computing and Informatics, University of Nairobi, Kenya ([email protected]) Abstract: In this article the integrated corpus query functionality of the dictionary compilation software TshwaneLex is analysed. Attention is given to the handling of both raw corpus data and annotated corpus data. With regard to the latter it is shown how, with a minimum of human effort, machine learning techniques can be employed to obtain part-of-speech tagged corpora that can be used for lexicographic purposes. All points are illustrated with data drawn from English and Northern Sotho. The tools and techniques themselves, however, are language-independent, and as such the encouraging outcomes of this study are far-reaching. Keywords: LEXICOGRAPHY, DICTIONARY, SOFTWARE, DICTIONARY WRITING SYS- TEM (DWS), CORPUS QUERY PACKAGE (CQP), TSHWANELEX, CORPUS, CORPUS ANNO- TATION, PART-OF-SPEECH TAGGER (POS-TAGGER), MACHINE LEARNING, NORTHERN SOTHO (SESOTHO SA LEBOA) Samenvatting: Woordenboekaanmaaksysteem + corpusanalysepakket: een studie van TshwaneLex. In dit artikel wordt het geïntegreerde corpusanalysepakket van het woordenboekaanmaaksysteem TshwaneLex geanalyseerd. Aandacht gaat zowel naar het verwer- ken van onbewerkte corpusdata als naar geannoteerde corpusdata. Wat het laatste betreft wordt aangetoond hoe, met een minimum aan intellectuele arbeid, automatische leertechnieken met suc- ces kunnen worden ingezet om corpora voor lexicografische doeleinden aan te maken waarin de woordklassen expliciet worden vermeld.