Language and Communication Part 1

Learning Objectives for Language and Communication Unit  1. Identify key structures of language  2. Identify what focal vocabularies are and why they exist  3. Discriminate between the different forms of non- verbal communication  4. Discriminate between the early ideas of Sapir-Whoft hypothesis and the modern viewpoint.  5. Identify the differences between non-human primate communication & human language.  6. Identify how historical linguistics relates to anthropology.  7. Analyze the impact of colonization as well as globalization on indigenous languages.

Language and the Human Species  Language: ______________________  Importance of language for human life  1. only ___________capable of speech  2. avenue of communication & thought concerning ___________________, and ___________ persons, places, things, actions, & events  3. _____________________aided by language

Linguistic Anthropology  Focus on language  social and cultural context  Generally interested in how language can influence  Comparisons  Worldview  Patterns of thought  Multilingualism  World economy

Origin of Language  When did language first appear in human evolution?  What evidence can anthropologists use to test hypotheses on the origin of language?  _______________  ________________________

Origin of Language

FOXP2 and the Evolution of Language  FOXP2  Gene _____________________________  Based on genetic research, the FOXP2 gene is believed to have appear around _______________________  ______________________________________  Linguistic & cultural abilities  Sequencing of the __________________shows that this species had FOXP2

FOXP2 and the Evolution of Language

Non-Verbal Communication  _________________  ______________________of bodily movements, facial expressions, and spatial relationships  ___________________ can occur, if the understanding is not shared  Touching  Space usage

Nonverbal Communication 1. Kinesics: _______________________ ____________________________  _______________________  Emotional states  Different meanings in different circumstances  __________________________  Convey feelings and/or messages via touching another person

Nonverbal Communication

 2. Proxemics  Study of how people in _____________ _________________________________  ____________________  Meaning conveyed by _________ ____________________

Nonverbal Communication

Properties of Language  1. Productivity  Speaker’s ability to create totally ______________________ ______________________________  A language’s ________________________ can be combined into a infinite number of meaningful sentences

Properties of Language  2. Displacement  Our ability to talk about objects, people, things, and events that are __________________________  Due to usage of symbols to transmit meanings

Structure of Language: Terms  Phonology  _____________________________  Present & significant in language  Morphology  _________________________________

Structure of Language: Terms  Lexicon  Dictionary concerning all ________________  Organized around __________________  Lexeme  Minimal unit of language  _______________________  ______________________

Structure of Language: Terms  Syntax  __________________________________________  ‘Appreciating Anthropology’ page 116  We will talk about this study later in lecture  Semantics  ___________________________________  Ethnosemantics: ________________________

Structure of Language: Terms  Phonetics  Study of ________________________  What people actually say  Phonemics  Study of _________________in a language  Phonemes  _________________________________  Phonetic range – ________________

Language, Thought, and Culture  Noam Chomsky  Set of rules ______________________________  Human brain contains a limited set of rules for organizing language  All Languages = ______________________

Language, Thought, and Culture  Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis  Idea that different languages produce ________________________________  English & Hopi languages

Language, Thought, and Culture  Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, continued  Initial ideas centered on ‘all thoughts being constrained, or determined, by language’  Various studies have disproved this area of the hypothesis – language does not determine thought  Studies have also shown that language does have an influence on thought  ways in which we see the world may be influenced by the kind of language we use

Focal Vocabulary  Lexicon – influence on perception  Focal Vocabulary  _____________________________________  Examples: 11 22

Language and Communication  What is the difference between language and communication?  Communication: ___________________ ___________________________________  If language is unique to the human species, how do other species communication?

Communication Among Non- Human Primates  Communication can ______________:  submission, reassurance, aggression, etc.  Communication can include:  _______________ __________________ ________________ Howler Monkey (male): loudest land animals and the second loudest of all animals

Communication Among Non- Human Primates  Primates don’t ___________  Parts of calls are not ___________ to get new information  Their calls are _____________  Proboscis monkey calling Proboscis monkey calling