1. COM 370—Psychology of Language John R. Baldwin
Language Systems
COM 370—Psychology of Language
John R. Baldwin

3. Opening and announcements
Syllabus on-line
Today: Ellis, Ch. 1 [ReggieNet]
Aspects of language
What are sociolinguistics? Speech community?
10 ideas about language
Tuesday: Clark & Clark Ch. 1. Watch for…
Propositions …and their functions
Joining propositions and condensing sentences
Content versus function words
Thematic structure: 3 main considerations

4. Coming up next… A brief look at study of language (Ellis, pp. 8-13)
10 ideas about language: How do they apply to your language use? Watch and think:
Class notes: Basic elements of language

5. 10 Ideas about Language (Ellis, 1999, Ch. 1)
Inherently communicative
Learned easily and implicitly
Rule-governed
Sounds, vocabulary, syntax
Everyone speaks a dialect

6. Styles, subdialects, colloquial, slang
Language change is normal
Intimately tied to society & individuals (language is political)
Judgments; language attitudes
Writing is derived from speech
(Artifact idea…)

7. Opening discussion Thought questions:
TTE: What are some things you learned about language through your reading?
Structural vs functional aspects of language?
Is language biological or cultural?
How is human comm different from that of other animals? ("holistic, emotional, and referential," Ludden p. 15)
What is relationship b/t language and comm? between language and ?
Meaning of title: "from magic to semantics?

8. Do you speak English? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0I7PCoy-nk
Tones:
Clicks:
Whistles:

9. Language Systems Elements of Language: Once over Lightly…
Phonetics: the sounds of a language
Phonology: how sounds are put together
Morphology:
the breaking up of sounds into words:
Ihavetogohomeearlytoday.
I have to go home early today
Rhaidimifyndadre’ngynnarheddiw
Rhaid I mi fynd adre’n gynnar heddiw
the parts of sounds that have meaning, can work together: "coffeelike"; "bookly" "incentivate,“ “conversate”

11. Language Systems (continued)
Syntax: how sounds relate to each other structurally: the arrangement of sounds into grammatical sentences
You up pick at o’clock will eight
I will picks you up at eight o’clock
I will pick you up at eight o’clock
At eight o’clock, I will pick you up
Grammaticality (is it correct?) versus semantic acceptability (does it make sense?)

12. Language Systems (continued)
Semantics: the relation of sounds to what they represent: the meaning of utterances
Ambiguity (more than one possible meaning)
I like chocolate cakes and pies.
I’ll meet you at the bank.
Visiting relatives can be dreadful
I saw her duck
Semantic equivalence?
John is an unmarried male = John is a bachelor?
The car bumped the truck = The truck was bumped by the car?
Spanish: "Las llaves se me perdieron."
Onomotopeia: HHD Exercise!

13. Language Systems (continued)
Pragmatics: the relation of language to context; social conventions, etc.
How (when, to whom) would you…
ask a favor?
point out something potentially embarrassing?
Tell a joke
Styles of Speech: Registers, dialects
Discourse: Types of discourse (interview discourse, chit-chat, giving instructions, telling a story/”narrative,” etc. OR…

14. Language Elements 2 Phonemic: the sounds
Phonology: the relation of sounds to sounds
Morphemic: the relation of sounds to meaning
Syntax: the relation of words to each other
Semantics: the relation of words to what they represent
Pragmatics: the relation of utterances to social settings
Discourse: the relation of utterances to ideas

15. An exercise… www.engrish.com A exercise:
Bruno Mars: The Lazy Song
I'll be lounging on the couch, Just chillin' in my snuggie Click to MTV, so they can teach me how to dougie 'Cause in my castle I'm the frikkin’ man
Find:
Phonemes/phonology
Morphemes
Syntax
Semantics
Pragmatics

17. Language

18. Now…in more detail: Phonetics
What are the phonemes in the following words?
/wash/
/strength/
/pecan/
/foyer/
/pen/ vs /pen/ /don/ vs /dawn/
/lumber/ (versus /dumber/)
Explain how you produce these sounds?
What are some phoneme types in other languages that English does not have? What are some phonetic confusions with other languages?

19. Phonemes and the mouth…

20. (phonetics)
What are some types of phonemes? (how would you label them)? Useful terms in describing them?
Consonants / vowels / semi-vowels
The Phonetic Alphabet
What are some phonemes that do not go together in English? Differences in Amer/Brit English?
Why is this information useful?

22. Morphology Morphemes in word structure Rules on prefixes and suffixes
Conjugation
Declension
Prefixes and suffixes
Rules on prefixes and suffixes
Stems with a given affix usually combine to form the same part of speech: -able, -un, -dis
Words joined with an affix usually result in the same part of speech: -usable, disuse, abuse

23. THURSDAY
SPECIES
WHO?
Birds
Joi, Jimmy/Jim, Nicole, Tricia [too much in chapter!]
Bees
Hannah, Andres, Tyler, Lucy
Fish
Abby, Kelly, Caleb, Liv
Ants
Emilie, Deena, Ryan, Kailee
Dolphins
Madison, Kate, Anna K [not in chapter]
Chimps
Chinny, Sarah, Christina [not in chapter]
Fireflies & Crickets
Frank, Matt, Anna T
Know “design features” of language and 3 that Thorpe adds for people!
What stands out about your animals?
Your animal and “design features”?

24. Morphology Bound: Needs to be attached to a word
Categorizing Morphemes
Bound: Needs to be attached to a word
Affixes
Prefix
Suffix
Inflectional
Conjugation : verbs
Declension: nouns
Free: Can exist by itself

25. Morphology Categorizing Morphemes
Derivational: Change the meaning of the word or the part of speech
Ex: happy (ADJ) + un = unhappy (ADJ)
Ex: happy (ADJ) + ness =happiness (N)
Inflectional: Root meaning of word stays the same, as does part of speech
Conjugation: Ex: She runs; he walked
Declension: Bradens; Braden’s
[Insert bad joke here]

26. Conjugation English Greek English I know ginosko [yo] conosco
He/she/it knows
You know
We know
Y’all know
They know
[yo] conosco
[tu] conoces
[él/ella/Ud.] conoce
[nosotros] conocemos
[vosotros] conocéis
[ellos/ellas/Uds] conocen
ginosko
ginoskeis
ginoskei
ginoskomen
ginoskete
ginoskousin
A conjugation chart of Basque verb "to be"

27. Declension The boy Greek German Subj: The boy(s)
Poss: Of the boy(s)/the boy’s(s’)
IO: (to) the boy(s)
DO: the boy(s)
(Vocative): Oh boy!
Nom: logos
Gen: logou
Abl: logou
Loc: logo
Inst: logo
Dat: logo
Acc: logon
Voc: loge
Subj: der Junge/ die jungen
Gen: des Jungen/ der jungen
Dat: dem Jungen/ den Jungen
Acc: den Jungen/ die Jungen

28. An exercise Find the Morphemes: nonjudgmental Weird morphemes
Unkempt, uncouth, unruly, undermine
Ugly
Disheveled
Conversate????
Let us rejoicify with definish morphemes! 
How, if at all, does the morpheme change the part of speech?
Would these be derivational or inflectional morphemes?

30. Syntax
Lexical Categories: clusters or groups of words according to function
Nouns (N)
Verbs (V)
Adjectives (ADJ)
Adverbs (ADV)
Determiners (DET)
Auxiliary Verbs (AV)
Prepositions (P): (P + NP = PP!)
Pronouns (PRO)

31. A quick example “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog”
“I’m lookin’ for the man who shot my paw”
“I’m gonna kill the dirty dog that does his business in my lawn.”

32. Syntax Ways to Organize Sentences Linear Order
Hierarchical Structure: Propositions and Constituents: Semantically coherent groups
Ex: Most executives eat at really fancy restaurants
Ex: Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax

33. Practice Phonemes Morphemes Syntax: Semantics Propositions
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day
Phonemes
Morphemes
Bound, unbound
Derivational, inflectional
Syntax:
Sentence structure
Parts of speech
Semantics
Propositions
Constituents
Joining/condensing
Thematic structure

34. Clark & Clark Ch. 1 Three fundamental questions
Comprehension
Production
Acquisition
Why is studying grammar important for understanding the psychology of language?
Structure, function, and process

35. Content and Function Words
Content words (contentives): "Carry the principal meaning of the sentence" —"name the objects, events, and characteristics that lie at the heart of the message the sentence is meant to convey" (Clark & Clark, 1977, p. 21)
Function words: The "glue" that holds the content words together, "to indicate what goes with what and how."

36. Content or Function??? Pronoun Determiner (e.g., articles)
Adjectives
Prepositions
Nouns
Conjunctions
Adverbs and conjunctive adverbs
Verbs, regular, linking, and auxiliary
Relative pronouns
Which are faster or slower to change?

37. Propositions & Constituents
A ________ is a group of words that hold together in a sentence. Find constituents:
“The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog”
A ________ is a unit of meaning within a sentence. Find constituents above.
Usually a verb plus one or more nouns (with other possible elements). Some verbs require 1 noun, some 2, and some 3! (p. 11)
Underlying mental structure of __________.
On diagramming sentences…

38. (surface structure of sentence) Groups of words
Constituents
What you hear
(surface structure of sentence)
Groups of words
[The quick (brown fox)]
[jumped (over {the lazy dog})]
Propositions
The underlying meaning of the actual words spoken
The fox jumped over a dog
There is a fox we know about (“the fox”)
The fox is quick
The fox is brown
The dog is known (the)
The dog is lazy
NOT: The dog was laying down
NOT: The fox was agile
NOT: The dog was sleepy

39. My old dog, Finn, sleeps a lot of the time, but he is still friendly and playful!!
Content word? Function word?
Main “sentence”:
Subject(s), predicate(s), SVO?
Morphemes: bound/free, derivational, inflectional
Constituents
Propositions
Combining and condensing propositions?

40. Jabberwocky

41. Combining propositions
Coordination: 2 props “on par” with each other (NOT subordinate)
And, but, or/nor, (so)
Relativization: restricting or qualifying
Possession
Adjectives/adverbs, prep phrases
Relative clauses: that (etc.), which, who
Subordinating conjunctions: (although, etc.)
Complementation: One fills an “empty part”
Complement: “Mike is [tall]”; “Emma is [a student]”
“[For Grandma to visit] was nice / took a lot of work”
Recursion: Using more than one of these at once!

42. Condensing Sentences Ellipsis: The key: _______________
Grammatical: “We went to the mall, the pool hall, and had some milkshakes” [incorrect!]
Contextual: “Where are my sunglasses?!” “On your head, you dolt.”
Pronominalization
Why repeat the noun when you don’t have to?
Key: __________ “When students use vague pronouns, they are annoying.”
Pro-verbs: “Please do so”

43. Clark & Clark Ch. 1 exercises
Sentence: Wellington’s fresh, young troops defeated Napoleon’s well-trained army."
Find the "propositions" (p )
Diagram the sentence (p. 12)
Main phrases (NP & VP, or subject and predicate
Adjectives, articles, and so on
Adjective and Adverb clauses
Different ways to say the same thing?
Why is this useful!?

44. Thematic Structure The puppy that I bought was cute. ≠
I bought a puppy that was cute. ≠
I bought a cute puppy.
3 aspects of thematic structure:
Frame and insert (where do we file it in our brain?
Subject and predicate
Given and new

45. Give me Ambiguity, or… Defining Ambiguity: Types of Ambiguity:
Structural: when constituents can be grouped in more than one way
Lexical: when a word can be a member of more than one lexical category
Semantic: when a word or phrase (or gesture) can mean more than one thing. [Also frequently called lexical!]

46. Examples: Ambiguity Larry raises miniature badgers and racoons.
We need more intelligent leaders.
Iraq Bombs Gut Factory (headline)
Free Wales
Wet Paint
The little girl hit the child with the toy
Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim (headline)
Teacher Strikes Idle Kids (headline)

47. Student Quotes
"She said she was having problems with her job [at a school]. She said it was because of a bad principle."
There was a high degree of gender differentiation within her family, with her father resting on the top.
Where I work if a person comes in by them self to eat the customers sometimes expect me to sit down and converse with them.

48. The only information given about the college was that it was a liberal arts college off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.
"Stella was flapping and fighting the currants in the river…"
"In our findings, a variety of beauty definitions arouse."
Barthes felt this was the problem with mythic shits.
The sample could have screwed our data.

49. Baldwin’s Writing Corner
Learning structure and clearer speaking:
PP = preposition + object of preposition
"This is important for both Susan or myself"
"This is important for both Susan and I"
"This is important for both Susan and me"
VT versus VI: "It’s good to be able to critique"
Adjective or Noun?: "lots of positives," "prejudice," "the dominate characteristic"
Help! I need an AV: "I would of been there…"

50. Ellipsis and
List structure: It is important for students to bring their books, materials, and have a good attitude.
Pronoun case: Give this to Dr. C or ____
Supporting clauses as fragments:
Although she had not seen her for years.
Meaning I really didn’t understand Baldwin’s point.
Relation and variety of conjunctions

51. Dude!

52. Productivity: Old Words

53. Language in a System: Communication
Sending
Meaning
All of These
Receiving
Interpreting
Conceptual
Pragmatic

54. ALL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS HAVE
A MODE OF TRANSMISSION
SIGNS
SIGNALS

55. ALL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS HAVE
PRAGMATIC FUNCTION

56. Language productivity (continued)
EMERGENT
EVOLVES
BUT ALWAYS RULE GUIDED (set by language and culture)
Phonetic
Semantic
Syntactic
Pragmatic

57. TRUE LANGUAGE-BASED COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS HAVE
CONCEPTUAL FUNCTION
INTERCHANGEABILITY
CULTURAL TRANSMISSION
ARBITRARINESS
DISCRETENESS
DISPLACEMENT
PRODUCTIVITY

59. A thought question: