...William C. Stokoe, Jr. is most commonly known as the “Father of American Sign Language Linguistics”. Dr. Stokoe did not invent American Sign Language (ASL), but he is thought be the person most responsible for having it recognized as an official language. The work he did while the teaching English at Gallaudet University was essential in proving ASL was not simply a visual code but an actual language. He proved that ASL has the components necessary to be considered a language. These include having phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics—all that he proved to be present in ASL. Dr. Stokoe was born in Lancaster, New Hampshire and was educated at Cornell University receiving both a bachelors and Ph.D. in English before moving to Wells...
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...Language is a medium used to express information, as well as emotions and feelings. Animals clearly communicate amongst themselves, but critics feel their communicative actions fall short of meeting the criteria for linguistic capabilities, especially when it comes to distinguished grammar and morphology. Pinker [1994:334-341] goes further by describing how non human primates, formally trained to learn forms of language, didn’t produce any explicitly positive results. He describes how differences in neurological structure, vocal apparatus and their interfacing, are different in apes and thus they are incapable of linguistic capabilities; he explains away any seemingly positive displays of ASL by chimps through likening them more to gestures they already knew from the wild. Finally he also discusses how often humans communicate about unnecessary things; they may comment on how something looks, or just give a random opinion [Pinker, 1994:341], yet this phenomena is rare in other species who mainly “make demands for things they want” [Pinker, 1994:340], and incidents of apes communicating differently such as the famously trained ape Kanzi [Savage-Rumbaugh – Lewin, 1994], displayed this kind of communication minimally [Pinker,1994:341] Tomasello [2003:11] quotes experimental evidence to show, that unlike children, apes could not understand the intentions behind certain sounds, subsequently using this as criteria for language, “sounds become language for young children...
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...twenty new word etymologies. To increase student engagement with the text, Yule has also included more than fifty new tasks, including thirty involving data analysis, enabling students to apply what they have learned. The online study guide offers students further resources when working on the tasks, while encouraging lively and proactive learning. This is the most fundamental and easy-to-use introduction to the study of language. George Yule has taught Linguistics at the Universities of Edinburgh, Hawai’i, Louisiana State and Minnesota. He is the author of a number of books, including Discourse Analysis (with Gillian Brown, 1983) and Pragmatics (1996). “A genuinely introductory linguistics text, well suited for undergraduates who have little prior experience thinking descriptively about language. Yule’s crisp and thought-provoking presentation of key issues works well for a wide range of students.” Elise Morse-Gagne, Tougaloo College “The Study of Language is one of the most accessible and entertaining introductions to linguistics available. Newly updated with a wealth of material for practice and discussion, it will continue to inspire new generations of students.” Stephen Matthews, University of Hong Kong ‘Its strength is in providing a general...
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...communicated in order to learn just how similar or different we are to species of animals that shared a common ancestor with us in the past. Interest in primate language began as a result of conflicting theories of human language acquisition. Scholar Noam Chomsky, argued for Nativism that humans have an innate ability to comprehend and utilize language, regardless of their environment. Chomsky claimed that, “Knowledge a language grows and matures along a course that is in part intrinsically determined” (Chomsky 1986.2). Similarly, The Critical Period hypothesis proposed by Eric Lenneberg claimed that a full acquisition of a language can only occur during an optimal period before the person goes through puberty (Lenneberg). In contrast, Linguistic empiricism supports a “blank slate” view, where every human is born without any innate knowledge of language. Scholars such as Geoffrey Sampson argue, “Our language and logic are not inborn but are learned wholly by experience” (Sampson 1978:204). As a result of this debate, Primates became an important tool for scholars and scientists to learn how unique humans language abilities were when compared to non-human primates. If we knew that we were born with a special knowledge of language, it would be the paramount distinction between humans and other animals. One of the first goals of primate language,therefore, was to test the idea of Nativism. The “poverty of stimulus argument” emerged, explained as,“accounting for the richness,complexity...
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...Developing Guidelines to Design Gestures for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language From the Perspectives of Kinesics and Linguistics Yihan Zhou Seton Hall University Abstract According to kinesics and linguistic theories, this project investigates what parts are involved in making gestures and how gestures carry meanings. A wide range of body parts are involved in making a gesture. According to David Mcneill, the physical movements acquire meaning by iconics, metaphorics, deictics, and beats. The project also discovers an etymological way to connect gestures to Chinese vocabulary. Based on the findings, the project further develops some guidelines to design gestures for teaching Chinese. They are making easy movements, identifying teaching content, making gestures understandable to your students, and applying gestures into teaching. In the end, the project applies the guidelines in designing activities for teaching Chinese pronunciation, vocabulary, character, and culture. Keywords: guidelines, gestures, teaching Chinese, kinesics, linguistics 1. Introduction 2.1 Background Gestures are common body movements: teachers instruct with gestures, referees in soccer game use gestures, people greet each other with gestures. Then what are gestures? Generally speaking, gestures are body movements which accompany and even sometimes replace verbal language. Because of its intimacy with language, it has attracted the people’s attention since Greek and Roman era...
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...promising results from the right on time creature language studies were tossed after disclosures of methodological issues were revealed. This lent confirmation to an necessary clarification of the advancement of language, championed by a few language specialists and analysts, who guarantee that semantic attitudes are remarkably human (Kalat, 2013). Later research, deliberately intended to overcome procedural blemishes has refueled the level headed discussion, by giving confirmation to the transformative clarification of language improvement, proposing that a graduation of linguistic abilities exists in human and nonhuman primates. Analysts and commentators alike are mindful in assessing these later studies (Toates, 2001). Numerous are concentrating on the inquiries that emerged from the dialect investigations of nonhuman primates, concerning cognizance and knowledge, and their relationship to phonetic/linguistic capacity. As supported by the book, Biological Psychology by James W. Kalat, human language is a repercussion of knowledge and its blemishes with this hypothesis (Garrett, 2009). Language should likewise have developed after some time as particular mind component. In light of acoustic instruments that control conduct, intentional and automatic frameworks, I accept to be genuine that creatures are equipped with language and learning it. Reference Garrett, B. (2009). Brain & behavior: An introduction to biological psychology. Los Angeles: Sage. Kalat, J.W. (2013)...
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...CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Technology has always been a great part of people’s everyday lives. The innovation of every piece of work has been developed through the use of advanced technology and new innovations. These new technologies and innovations are bringing people to new perspective of daily living. Nowadays, people are very technology conscious that it seems that they cannot live now without these new technologies, such as using the internet to feed their conscious minds, to browsing for new menus, to searching the most popular and highest paid personalities, to political issues point of view, and sometimes to showcasing the talents of the most talented even though some of these talented are specially able people. Many people are very thankful that one of the greatest inventions in human kind is the mobile phone.Many tools and applications have been invented and are continuously being produced. One of the most significant technology advances in education is also the use of mobile application. Through these mobile phones, people can easily communicate with one another, whether some of these people are normal or some are especiallyabled ones. Also, through these mobile phones, conflicts or misunderstandings can be solved; sometimes a fight can also ignite through it if it was not used for good. But of course, we need to use the technology wherein we can benefit from it, and also we need to think of other people’s sake. As the saying goes, you are truly living and loving...
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...Can Grammar or Phonetics be taught through Games? Table of Contents I. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………..……………1 II. What is Grammar?……………………………………………...………………………………2 III. The place of Grammar in the language teaching……………….…………...2-4 IV. Games and Grammar teaching/learning: A.Background of Grammar Games……………………………………………..…..……4 B.The function of Games………………………………………………………………4-5 C.The roles of teachers and learners………………………………….………5-6 D.Factors affecting Grammar Games: Age……………………………………………………………………..………6-7 Ability in the target language…………………………………..7 Motivation…………………………………………………………………..7-8 Size of group…………………………………………………………..8-9 Time…………………………………………………………………………....9 V. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...………10 VI. Appendix……………………………………………………………………………….…11-13 Introduction This paper aims at discussing the issue of teaching grammar through game activities, which derives its importance from the pursuit of excellence in language learning and teaching. At this point it is probably a good idea to start with some definitions of grammar, followed by the place of grammar in language teaching. In this context, researchers speak of the grammars of a language rather than of the grammar. Therefore, different methods of teaching a language will be presented and two of them will be discussed individually; that is to say, structural and communicative. What I would like to take into consideration...
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...Many of us read about different cultures and study the history of other nations through books written in English. What might we be missing or gaining by vieweing these peoples and nations through the lens of English? For instance how would reading a memoir in English about being an Iranian woman be dfferent from reading the same memoir in Farsi? ** Farsi: Offical language spoken in Iran Reading different cultures and study of other nations through books written in English could be challenging to readers if they are not aware of the author’s cultural frame of reference or social development, such as language, religion, tradition of family, community, cultural practices and the social context around them (Andersen and Taylor 9). The Author could use significant or metaphorical key factors or references in their literature, such as Germany in 1939 which represents for cold war, genocide or poverty that could be not easily understood or identified by readers who have insufficient historical or cultural understanding. As a result the reader could operate from an ethnocentric point of views, and fail to comprehend the core message. The reader could thereby miss out and fail to see new or other aspects in life such as how mankind still suffers under hidden discrimination, racism, nepotism, Nazism etc. For instance reading a memoir in English about being an Iranian woman could be different from reading the same memoir in Farsi because culture is symbolic. Symbols are things or...
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...Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary What Is the Church? A Proposal Submitted to Dr. McDonald In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course THEOLOGY 620-Ecclesiology By Brian Newman Proposed Topic: This paper will research the Biblical definition of “Church”, examining the etymology of the term “Church” in comparison to the words “Assembly”, “Congregation”, and “Synagogue”. The term “Church” has been used many different ways throughout the centuries of Christianity, and has also been contorted in many ways to describe nearly everyone who wears a cross without bearing a cross. It has also been misunderstood as pertaining to a Building instead of a Body which has removed much of the responsibility for changing the world to those in charge of the building, or even if granted to everyone, this responsibility only binds them to carrying out the duties of the “Church” when they are in the building. Therefore we see that semantics have a very drastic effect on how we live our lives. Etymology also has a profound influence on the meanings we attach to words and etymology between Hebrew to Greek and Greek to English has been a determining factor in wars and the division of the body into Denominations, especially when single verses are removed from context or single words are mistranslated, such is the case with the word “Church’ that has divided Christianity and its assemblies from Judaism and its Assemblies by creating separate name for the Building...
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...Literary elements in “ She walks among the untrodden ways” Jacqueline Garcia ENG125: Introduction to Literature Robert Frost says, "There are three things, after all, that a poem must reach: the eye, the ear, and what we may call the heart or the mind. It is most important of all to reach the heart of the reader." (Clugston, 2012) How true is this? Each writer has to tap into the sense on the reader to convey each ones feelings. How is it that we can take their attempts to do just that and understand it from a reader stand point? The answer is key literary elements; there are many kinds of literary elements that can allow readers to do this without completely getting frustrated and giving up on wonderful pieces of literature. Identifying the key literary elements in literature allows for a deeper understanding and appreciation for the particular piece that’s being read. The elements help articulate a response and a reactions to what the author is trying to convey, or wants to you grasp from it. While reading a particular piece of literature by Willaim Wordsworth called “She dwelt among the untrodden ways” (Wordsworth, 1798) I found that the three key elements that help me gain a response and capture a reaction to the poem were figurative language, tone and theme. Each one allowing me to better understanding of what the author was trying to convey. Some people might get one thing from it and other another but non-the less his message will be convey something to whomever reads...
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...Reflection Essay This first semester of my freshman has been a very interested trip indeed. I have learned so much in the short amount of time that I have spent here at Georgia Southern University. I feel as if I have grown, not only as a student, but as a person as well. I have met many new people, made many new friends, and learned many new things. I have so much in my English class. I thought I knew everything there was to know about writing, but I was very wrong. However, I have now learned how to improve on my writing skills, how to write better grammatically correct sentences, and how to use better verb usage. When I came into this semester as a freshman I was very confident in the caliber of my writing. However, my ego was soon crushed shortly thereafter. Even though my writing skills had been very good amongst my fellow peers in high school, at the university level they were merely average. I had to do something quick to learn how improve on my writing skills. With the help of my teacher, I have made tremendous improvements and strides on my writing skills. I believe that I am writing the best papers that I have ever written in my life. I am avidly anticipating the beginning of next semester when I take English 1102, because I cannot wait to see my writing skills improve again. When writing, it is very important that your sentences are grammatically correct. Nothing can ruin a paper faster than a couple of incorrect grammatical errors. I was good about not making...
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...Verbal communication is subdivided into the vocal category which includes spoken language, and the non-vocal category which includes written communication and communication conveyed through sign language or Braille (Communication and Language). The HPC requires Radiographers to be able to communicate information, advice, instruction and professional opinion in English (HPC’s Standards of Proficiency - Radiographers, 2008) since it is the main language in the United Kingdom (Mandy Barrow, 2009). For example, when performing an examination, they need to give clear instructions by explaining what they are doing and why they are doing it (Bach and Grant, 2009). If the receiver does not understand English, a good interpreter is needed to avoid misunderstanding. The receiver may also not understand the examiner’s professional language and as Minardi and Riley (1997) point out, the professional should explain technical terms in order to be understood. Written communication is the ability to write effectively in a range of circumstances and for different audiences and purposes, in good English (The University of Sydney, 2009) using memorandums, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, electronic mail (e-mail) letters, telegrams, faxes, contracts, advertisements, brochures or news releases (Reference for business, 2010). It is very important in healthcare centres because it is used to increase patients’ knowledge and to influence their behaviour (Givaudan et al) for...
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...1. If students sit in the same classroom, read the same assignments, and hear the same lectures, are they all receiving the same education? Might these students interpret the same lesson differently because of the social worlds in which they live? Page 163 The students might not all receiving the same education even they sit in the same classroom, read the same assignments, and hear the same lectures. First, because each student has different ability to gain the new knowledge, so some of them may learn better than others. Second, based on the kinesics, different people might have different understanding to people’s body language. Body language throughout the world is culturally specific. If a gesture or other body language from the professor is culturally specific, it may mean one thing to the student from one culture but something quite different to the student from another culture. Third, if the students are from different culture, they could have totally different understanding to an issue that is discussed based on their social background. So these students might interpret the same lesson differently because of the social worlds in which they live. 2. One of the challenges confronting doctors is to open up lines of communication with their patients. One doctor laments, “people put us on a pedestal. They see us as angels, and this makes communication difficult. They don’t ask questions or express their concerns. But we make mistakes like anyone else.” In communicating...
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...NEGATIVE LANGUAGE TRANSFER W H E N L E A R N I N G SPANISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE NURIA CALVO CORTÉS Universidad Complutense de Madrid RESUMEN. Este trabajo se centra en la influencia negativa de la transferencia lingüística en el aprendizaje del español como segunda lengua. Está dividido en dos partes: una teórica y un análisis práctico. La primera incluye los distintos aspectos que se tienen que tener en cuanta a la hora de considerar la transferencia lingüística. La segunda analiza distintos ejemplos de transferencia negativa que se han extraído de textos escritos por varios estudiantes británicos que están aprendiendo español. La conclusión mostrará que el análisis de estos errores puede ayudar a predecir algunos de estos errores. PALABRAS CLAVE. Influencia negativa, transferencia lingüística, español como segunda lengua, dos partes: una teórica y un análisis práctico, transferencia negativa, predecir errores. ABSTRACT. This paper focuses on the negative influence of Language Transfer on the learning process Spanish as an L2. It is divided into two main parts; a theoretical one and a practical analysis. The former includes the different aspects considering language transfer, whereas the latter analyses different mistakes due to negative transfer, which have been taken form texts written by several British students when learning Spanish. The conclusion will show that the analysis of these mistakes may help predict some of these mistakes. KEY WORDS. negative influence,...
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