UNIT ONE THE NATURE OF LANGUAGE

The units we are going to learn Unit 1:　Popular　reading Unit 2: academic reading Unit 3: Popular　reading Unit 5: academic reading Unit 6: Popular　reading Unit 9: journal reading Unit 10: academic reading Unit 14: academic reading Unit 15: academic reading

What we will do ? Preparatory work Content-based learning Critical thinking Presentation and discussion Extended reading

Assessment of your performance Final exam (60%) Performance in class (40%)

Teaching contents Period of lessons Brief introduction to Book Ⅰ, lead-in, preparatory work 2 periods Understanding the text, critical thinking, language enhancement 4 periods Conclusion and intercultural reflection, Text B

Teaching objectives Reading skills Communicative competence Critical thinking Intercultural competence

Lead-in Critical reading Language enhancement Extended reading

Lead in

Why Study Language? Language is only a means of communication. The function of language is to exchange information. English is more difficult to learn than Chinese. Language operates by rules. Language slowly changes.

What is Language? Language “is not to be confused with human speech, of which it is only a definite part, though certainly an essential one. It is both a social product of the faculty of speech and a collection of necessary conventions that have been adopted by a social body to permit individuals to exercise that faculty”. --Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913): Course in General Linguistics (1916)

“Language is a purely human and non- instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols.” --Edward Sapir (1884-1939): Language: An Introduction to the Study of Speech (1921)

“From now on I will consider language to be a set (finite or infinite) of sentences, each finite in length and constructed out of a finite set of elements.” --Noam Chomsky (1928- ): Syntactic Structures (1957)

Design Features of Language

Language distinguishes human beings from animals in that it is far more sophisticated than any animal communication system. Human language is ‘unique’

Could you explain the four design features of language, based on your research? Arbitrariness Duality Creativity Displacement

Cultural diversity Please look at the following illustrations, and describe them in English, based on your understanding.

In Expressing Opinions

Life Style

Time and Punctuality

Interpersonal Relationship

Display of Anger

Self

Seen on Sundays and Streets

Understanding the Text Scan the whole text for the topic sentences in each paragraph if there is , and group them into four parts.

Part Ⅱ written language and spoken language Part Ⅰ Introduction Part Ⅱ written language and spoken language Part Ⅲ body language Part Ⅳ conclusion

Hierarchy of written language(para.2) Letters Words Sentences Paragraphs Chapters book

Discussion: Can you give some examples to show the complexities of written language at the levels of alphabet, words, sentences and discourse respectively?

Complexity in alphabet and word-formation: Industry Industrialize Industrialization

enthusiastic Unenthusias-tically

Complexity in sentence: Human beings have distinguished themselves   from other animals, and in doing so ensured  their survival, by the ability to observe and  understand their environment and then either   to adapt to that environment or to control and   adapt it to their own needs.  

Hierarchy of spoken language(para.3) Sounds Syllables Sentences Conversation/speeches

Discussion Can you give some examples to show the complexities of spoken language at the levels of sounds, words, sentences and dialogues respectively?

Originality of Language: Making new sentences (para.5) Twelve policemen Along the beach Wear yellow socks Rode donkeys

Twelve policemen wearing yellow socks rode donkeys along the beach. Twelve policemen, riding donkeys along the beach, wore yellow socks.

Discussion Following Crystal’s donkey example, can you make up a few sentences that nobody has ever said before? What does this tell us about language?

Originality of Language: creating new words (para.6) Merry “unbirthday”

“ I will unspeak what I said”.

Discussion ‘Un-’ is a frequently used prefix that can be attached to a large number of words to form new words. Can you think of more prefixes and words containing those prefixes? What does this tell us about language?

Body language(para.7)

Three differences between language and body language Differences in scale Differences in creativity Differences in structure

Differences in scale Over a million A few dozen

Differences in creativity New words ? New facial expressions?

Differences in structure “two-level” structure One fixed meaning?

Rules of Grammar The boys saw the dog. The dog saw the boy. He got up early this morning. This morning, he got up early.

Sign language(para.12)

Touching and Helen Keller’s “language”(para.13)

Conclusion(para.14-15): Language is unique and complex.

Assignment Paragraph writing Please write a paragraph to compare and contrast the life in city and life in countryside. you may refer to paragraph 9.

Assignment Please go to library or search information on line, to prepare for the in-class discussion about the topics on Page 11. Group 1 and 2: topic 1 Group 3 and 4: topic 2 Group 5 and group 6: topic 3 Group 7 and group 8: topic 4 BACK

Extended reading The e-version of A little Book of Language. (some chapters are recommended) Text B

Intercultural reflection, based on Text A and Text B.