1. Ways of Knowing: Language

2. What is language? Language is:- rule-governed intended creative and open-ended

3. What is the purpose of language?

4. What gives language meaning? Definition theory Denotation theory Image theory

5. Newspaper Headlines Child’s Stool Great for Use in Garden Stud Tires Out Stiff Opposition Expected to Casketless Funerals Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case Iraqi Head Seeks Arms Queen Mary Having Bottom Scraped

6. Where does language come from? innate? learned?

8. Can animals use language?

9. Does language shape thought? Thought is not merely expressed in words; it comes into existence through them - Lev Vygotsky

10. Language at War WarspeakReal meaning security assistancearms sales Neutralisekill friendly fireaccidentally firing on your own troops inoperative combat personneldead soldiers Pacificationbombing collateral damagekilling of civilians reporting guidelinescensorship pre-emptiveunprovoked Liberateinvade ethnic cleansinggenocide

11. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis The ‘real world’ is to a large extent unconsciously built upon the language habits of the group. No two languages are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality. The worlds in which different societies live are distinct worlds, not merely the same world with different labels attached…We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do because the language habits of our community predispose certain choices of interpretation. -Edward Sapir

12. Does language assist or limit our search for knowledge and truth?

13. “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” -2 Corinthians 3.6

14. Group discussion topic Do u h8 txt msgs?: Is texting wrecking our language?