Anthropology 340 LANGUAGE AND CULTURE Course Overview

Defining Language What is the dictionary definition? How useful is the dictionary definition? How do we tell whether any given form of communication is language? Are humans the only ones who use language? To what extent do other animals have the capacity to use all or part of language?

The Biological Foundations of Language What do we know about language and genetics? What parts of the body and brain are used to acquire and produce language? When in the evolution of humanness did language develop? Why did language develop in humans?

Descriptive Linguistics Definition: The study of how language is structured and spoken. Phonetics - the study of how speech sounds are formed. Phonemics – the study of how speech sounds are combined. Morphology - the study of how units of meaning are used to form words. Syntax – the study of how words are combined to form sentences. Semantics – the study of the relationship between language and meaning. *Grammar includes morphology and syntax.

Historical Linguistics The study of how language changes over time. Describing and accounting for observed changes in particular languages; Comparative linguistics - Reconstructing the pre-history of languages and determine their relatedness, grouping them into language families. Developing general theories about how and why language changes. Etymology - studying the history of words.

Ethnolinguistics Definition: The study of the relationship between language and culture, and the way different ethnic and cultural groups perceive the world. EG. The Sapir-Whorf Hopothesis: perception (they way people see the world) is limited by what can be described in one's own language

Sociolinguistics Definition: The study of the how language is used in society. Every language group uses different versions of the same language based on: Social context Gender Level of education Age Social class

Dialects Definition: A variant form of the a language that differs in systematic ways from the original language and characterized a subgroup in a society. Regional Dialects Ethnic Dialects Social Class Dialects National Dialects

Developmental Linguistics The study of how children acquire language. Learning vs Acquisition Developmental stages Critical periods for language acquisition The mental skills reflected in acquiring language

Multilingual Societies Definition: The study of language in plural societies. Bilingualism Language Legislation Pidgins and Creoles Linguistic hegemony

Writing Definition: The graphic representation of language using representational or symbolic inscriptions Types of graphic language The history of writing The diversity of written communication

Non-Verbal Communication Paralanguage Kinesics Proxemics Social expectations