Bethany Deibler LIN 4899 Dr.

Bartholomew June 8, 2010

Colorless Green Ideas Sleep Furiously

Often, when telling people what degree Im pursuing, the response is a blank look. What is linguistics? The online Merriam-Webster dictionary says, The study of human speech including the units, nature, structure, and modification of language. This is true, but in the two short years I have been studying linguistics, Ive come to know and explore more of the units, structures, and modifications that are so fascinating in all the languages around the world. The word language is used in the definition of linguistics; this can also be a difficult and complicated word to define. When asked in one of my first courses in linguistics to define language, my answer was along the lines of, An organized manner of communicating to another person. Now, after completing all the requirements for my degree, I cant think about language without combining many different aspects with it. My thoughts flew in many different directions when thinking about language, so I drew a chart of all the aspects I could think of that are involved in language. This chart is a depiction of each part that is involved in language. For teachers, it could be a good tool to take into consideration when teaching students a second or foreign language. For students, or just the general population, it is a good thing to keep in mind when meeting people, especially when they are from different countries and cultures. Communication is at the top of the diagram because humans use more than just language to communicate; there are facial, and body motions that are used to communicate as well. From language, the two arrows on the right show aspects that are universal for all languages. First of all, each language has its own phonological, morphological, grammatical, syntactical, and

discourse systems. While these will be different for each language, some similarities may be seen between related languages.

Linguistic components: phonology, morphology, syntax, discourse, grammar, lexicon Communication Language Change over history English Spanish Russian Koine Greek

Cultural groups

Accents/dialects

Output

Intake

Speech Formal Informal

Written

Speech

Written

Poetry Letters Academic

Second, every language changes over time, some more than others, but it is quite impossible for a language to stay exactly the same over many years. The languages off from the main language node simply refer to the languages I have had some experience with, making this a personalized chart. These are the languages I have officially studied, even though I know bits and pieces of others as well. The different aspects of language come off from English, due to the fact that it is my first language; however, all of these aspects can be applied to every language. Dead languages, however, such as Koine Greek, will be different. We only know what has been recorded about ancient cultures so these things can only be studied, not experienced firsthand. The first branch, cultural groups, can refer to several things. First, each language has a certain over-arching language X culture. For example,

French speakers are often known for their food, such as baguettes. Russian speaking women might all be pictured as babushkas, little old ladies with head scarves, and Mexican Spanish speakers as being cowboys with large sombreros. It is obvious that not every French person you see will be eating or carrying a baguette around, and not all Russians are grandmas; these are stereotypes. A different way to define culture is that each person has many cultures that he or she belongs to. A cultural group can be made from language, race, social groups, religious groups, educational groups, families, and friends. No two people have the same cultural experiences or background. Each of these groups has a specific dialect and manner of speaking, thus the direct correlation between culture and dialects shown on the chart. Dialectical groups tend to be separated and differentiated by region. For example, in the United States, there is Southern dialect which is different from the Northwest dialect. However, dialects are better distinguished by the cultural groups. There is religious talk for a church group, slang for close friends, respect for people in authority; and every person will change the way they speak for each situation they find themselves in. While accent is included with dialect, it is slightly different. Accent refers mainly to the phonology of the speaker, while dialects may have slightly differing grammar and vocabulary. Accents also tend to refer to learners of the language as a foreign language, but can refer to the different phonology of different dialects as well. The other aspects of the English language are the ways of producing it: speaking and writing. Each of these aspects has a multitude of different aspects as well. In writing, there are many different types: poetry, essays, business letters, love letters, notes, stories, novels, biographies, and now, with new technology, chatting and texting. Each of these different types requires a different vocabulary, grammar, and formality.

With speaking, there are presentations, group discussions, debates, interviews, and talking with friends or family. Different types of speech are generally differentiated by the level of formality, otherwise known as register. The register depends on the age and gender of the receiver. People can use different registers in different cultural groups, or switch for different people of the same cultural group. For example, talking to an adult at a church picnic would be a different register than talking to a 5 year old at that same church picnic; whereas, this church picnic language will be different than the friends from school language or boss language. On the input side of language, what we hear and read, there are the same sorts of registers and groupings as with speaking and writing, but obviously it is going the other direction as we are now receiving the language. Knowing how to respond, as well as using the correct speech and writing in every situation is important to avoid awkward or dangerous scenarios, especially when traveling in foreign countries. All of these ideas are the perceptible aspects of language. There are many other factors and concepts to study in language, such as psychological, neurological, and social aspects that are more related to the psychology side of things. So whats the point of all this information? Personally, when I learned all this and more, it makes me think about how I can treat people around me differently. Understanding a persons background, especially when encountering them from a foreign country, is important. It will be a more pleasant experience for foreigners if they have people who can understand their background and relate to them on other levels. Also, when teaching languages, these things should be kept in mind to teach the students. An understanding of part of the culture that comes with the language will help the students comprehend both the language, and the people who use the language a little better. In turn, they can use this knowledge to be welcoming and understanding with foreigners as well.

My hope for the future is to translate the Bible sometime, and all these things will be relevant for that as well. With translation, it can get difficult at times, especially when a language does not have a word that is used in English or the original Greek or Hebrew. An example of this is Psalm 23 which uses the metaphor of a sheep and shepherd. If a culture had no idea what a sheep was, how could a translator work around this problem without changing the meaning too much? If the community is a farming community, it is probable that they have some other animal that is comparable to a sheep, and this animal could be used instead. It would be better to avoid describing the animal and the connotations that go along with it as the goal is to have a book that the people can read and understand easily. This is just one example of many difficulties that translators encounter in this arduous process. A good translation will be natural and not awkward sounding. This is often difficult as the translator is usually working in a nonnative language. Getting the grammar rules correct, as well as the unwritten cultural rules about the language will take a lot of hard work. A word for word translation simply will not work. Asking the native speakers to help and check the translation will improve the quality of it. Having studied all these aspects, especially culture, it seems that I have gained a clearer understanding of people as individuals. Every person uses language and every person personalizes it. Understanding a persons language, dialect, and culture leads to a better understanding of who the person is and how he or she identifies himself/herself. In my future I want to continue to, as the mission statement of the department of Foreign Languages and Literatures puts it, understand and appreciate the rich diversity of world languages and cultures, both ancient and modern and to be a blessing as a stranger in another land and be hospitable to strangers in one's own land.