Regions and Structure Formal Region: An area of near uniformity (homogeneity) in one or several characteristics. Sometimes defined properly! Functional Region: A region created by the interactions between a central node and surrounding locations. Perceptual Region:An area defined by subjective perceptions that reflect the feelings and images about key place characteristics. When these perceptions come from the local, ordinary folk, a perceptual region can be called a vernacular region.

Regions and Structure This Applies to Formal Regions! Core: The zone of greatest concentration or homogeneity of the culture traits that characterize a region. Domain: The area outside of the core of a culture region in which the culture is still dominant but less intense. Sphere (a.k.a Periphery): The zone of outer influence for a culture region. Also an area of inter-mixing.

Intro to the Geo of Languages

Language Distribution Indicates: History and conquest Isolation or integration of cultures Migration of peoples Economic Domination of certain cultures Influence of wealth and technology Political Divisions (country boundaries) Physical geography barriers (mtns., deserts)

Cultural Aspects Language May Influence Character and sounds of a culture Visual landscapes of signs (script, letters, ideograms)

Cultural Values A Language May Indicate class structure gender differences in vocabulary environmentally specific vocabulary formal and informal relationships technology of a culture

Language Language: –a system of communication that uses sounds writing (literary tradition and or gestures –meanings of symbols and sounds are learned

Language Divisions How do we study and categorize languages? Language Families Languages Branches Languages Groups Languages Dialects Accents Large number of people & land area Small number of people & small area

Language Families a collection of individual languages with a common ancestor in the very distant past (thousands of years) a family may be divided into several divisions or branches

Language Branches a group of languages that share a common origin but have evolved into different languages example: Romance Branch - Indo-European Family –French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanch, Catalan, Italian, Romanian

Language Groups Several individual languages within a language branch –share a common origin in recent past –few differences in grammar and vocabulary

Language Groups in Northern Europe

Language Language: –a system of communication that uses sounds writing (literary tradition) and or gestures –meanings of symbols and sounds are learned

World’s Top 10 Languages Mandarin Chinese726 Million English427 Million Spanish266 Million Hindi182 Million Arabic181 Million Portuguese165 Million Bengali162 Million Russian158 Million Japanese124 Million German121 Million

English Speaking Countries

Interesting Facts about the English Language English is spoken as a first language by about 427 million English is spoken as a second language by another 350 million English is the most widely taught language in over 100 countries In 70 countries English has official status: –more than any other language

Dialect Pronunciation and vocabulary of a language distinct to a certain region Dialects of the same language are usually mutually comprehensible –New England Dialect –Southern Drawl –Australian Dialect

Why Do People Living in Distinct Locations Speak English Differently? Isolation over long periods of time Integration with other cultures Interplay of migrants

Dialect

Key Terms Isogloss: An area of distinct word usage or pronunciation that can be defined as a distinct region with boundaries. Accent: Non standard pronunciation of language by a a non native speaker –First generation immigrant

Key Term Ideograms: The system of writing used in China and other East Asian Countries in which each symbol represents an idea or a concept rather than a specific sound, as is the case with letters in English.

Anatolian Hearth Area of the Indo-European Languages Central Asian Hearth?

Key Term Lingua Franca: a language mutually under-stood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages. –A language of commerce English Spanish Chinese Japanese

Creole Creole is a language that is made up of a combination of two languages Often it a mixture of a European and African language that is the result of slaves being brought to the Americas It is a combination of an indigenous language and colonizers languages (African languages + French = Haitian Creole)

Creole

Pidgin Is a verbal communication system that is made of very small vocabulary resulting from the contact of two languages. It was created to assist trade and commerce.

Pidgen