LS1ELU ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN USE

Autumn Term

Language & the Individual

Lectures 1 - 10

Dr. Francesca La Morgia

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Information on LS1ELU Autumn Term – Language in the individual

The essential materials for the course are: 1. ELU handbook

The handbook includes the reading you will have to do to prepare before class,

the main concepts introduced and the aims of the lecture. 2. Blackboard You will be able to download the Powerpoint slides shown in class through the Blackboard site. On Blackboard you will also find additional reading and links to relevant websites. 3. Essential textbook

You are advised to purchase the main textbook: Fromkin, V., Rodman, R. and Hyams, N. 2011. An introduction to Language. 9th Edition. Wadsworth. There is a more recent edition (purple cover), but the two are the same. The page numbers in the handbook refer to the 9th edition.

4. Other books:

Yule, G. 2010. The study of language. Fourth Edition. CUP.

Crystal, D. 2010. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Third Edition. CUP.

Armstrong, D.F. and Wilcox, S.E. 2007. The gestural origin of language. Oxford

University Press. (available as Ebook)

Aitchison, J. (various editions) The Articulate Mammal. An introduction to

psycholinguistics. Routledge.

O’Grady, W. 2005. How Children Learn Language. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press. (available as Ebook)

De Houwer, A. 2009. An introduction to bilingual development. Multilingual Matters.

Saville-Troike, M. (any edition) Introducing Second language acquisition. Cambridge

University Press.

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Lecture 1: The Origin of Language and the Human Communication System

Readings

Fromkin et al., pp. 284-291; 308-310

Crystal, Sections 49-51

Armstrong, D.F. and Wilcox, S.E. 2007. The gestural origin of language. Oxford University

Press. Chapter 1. (Available as Ebook)

Concepts

Theories of language origin

Features of language

Aims of the lecture

Define language and communication

Overview theories on the origin of language

Describe the properties of the human language communication system

Notes

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Lecture 2: Animal Communication

Readings

Fromkin et al., pp. 302-307

Yule, chapter 2

Aitchison, J. (various editions) The Articulate Mammal, chapter 2 “Animals that try to

talk”

Armstrong, D.F. and Wilcox, S.E. 2007. The gestural origin of language. Oxford University Press. Chapter 2. (Available as Ebook) Concepts

Various forms of animal communication

Aims of the Lecture

Determine whether language is unique to humans

Consider the communication systems of different species

Evaluate research on language development in non-human primates

Notes

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Lecture 3: Spoken vs Signed languages

Readings

Lee, R. 2004. A beginner's introduction to deaf history. Feltham : BDHS Publications.

Miles, D. 1988. British sign language. A beginner’s guide. pp. 8 to 76. (you are not expected to learn the signs, but the illustrations are very useful to understand how BSL works) See other resources on Blackboard.

Concepts

Sign Language BSL (British Sign Language) Features of BSL and fingerspelling Aims of the Lecture

Learn about the differences between spoken and signed English

Understand the way in which members of the Deaf Community communicate

BSL Fingerspelling

Lecture 4: Child Language Acquisition – Theoretical Accounts

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Readings

Fromkin et al., pp. 298-300; pp. 324-331

Yule, Chapter 13

Concepts

Innateness Hypothesis

Language Acquisition Device / Universal Grammar

Behaviourism

Child directed speech and the poverty of the stimulus

Imitation/ Reinforcement

Aims of the lecture

Introduce some of the most influential theories in language acquisition

Notes

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Lecture 5: Child Language Acquisition – Development of Vocabulary

Readings

Peccei, J. S. 2006. Language acquisition. A resource book for students, section A3 Lexical

development

Fromkin et al., pp. 332-343

Yule, Chapter 13

O’Grady, W. 2005. How Children Learn Language. Chapters 2 and 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (available as Ebook)

Concepts

Vocabulary development

Extension (over/under)

Vocabulary spurt

Aims of the lecture

Understand how children build a lexicon / vocabulary

Introduce the milestones in vocabulary acquisition

Notes

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Lecture 6: Child Language Acquisition – Grammatical Development

Readings

Fromkin et al. pp. 343-357

Peccei, J.S. 2006. Language acquisition. A resource book for students. Sections A4 and A5 O’Grady, W. 2005 How Children Learn Language. Chapters 4 and 5. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (available as Ebook) Concepts

Telegraphic speech

Overgeneralizations/generalizations

Morpheme order

‘Wug’ test

Optionality

Aims of the lecture

Present milestones in the acquisition of morphology and syntax in childhood

Explore how children acquire morphemes, the role of overgeneralizations; present

the ‘wug’ test

Explore how children build sentences and form multi-word utterances

Notes

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Lecture 7: Issues in child bilingualism Readings

De Houwer, A. 2009. An introduction to bilingual development. Multilingual Matters.

Chapters 1 to 4.

Concepts

Bilingual First language acquisition

Separate vs Single System Hypothesis

Code-switching

Aims of the lecture

Examine features of bilingual first language acquisition

Understand how children acquire and maintain two languages

Notes

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Lecture 8: When language users grow up: learning to read and write Readings

Crystal, sections 31, 32, 33

Fromkin et al. chapter 11

Yule, chapter 16

Concepts

Syllabary vs alphabetic system

Logographic vs phonographic scripts

Problems with learning to read and write

Aims of the lecture

Discuss approaches to reading

Discuss aspects of writing (motor skills and linguistic skills)

Discuss some of the problems in learning to read and write

Notes

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Lecture 9: Issues in second language acquisition

Readings

Fromkin et al. pp. 357-366

Saville-Troike, M. (any edition) Introducing Second language acquisition. Cambridge

University Press. Chapters 1, 2 and 3.

Concepts

Second language acquisition (SLA)

Theories of SLA

Social and psychological factors affecting SLA

Aims

Become familiar with the terminology and the most relevant findings in the area of SLA

Notes

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Lecture 10: Language & the Brain

Readings

Fromkin et al. pp. 3-17

Yule, chapter 12

Crystal, section 45

Concepts

Brain hemispheres

Cerebral dominance

Corpus callosum

Lobes of the brain: Frontal; Occipital; Parietal & Temporal

Aphasia

Aims

Learn about brain functioning in relation to language

Learn about the brain hemispheres

Learn about aphasia

Notes

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LS1ELU

ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN USE

Autumn Term

Language & the Individual

Seminars

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SEMINAR 1: “CHIMP TALK”

Week 3

Seminar 1 is a video presentation to support the second lecture topic. You will watch the BBC Horizon programme Chimp Talk, broadcasted on 21st June 1993, and are then invited to make your comments on the discussion board on Blackboard.

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SEMINAR 2: Acquisition of vocabulary Week 5

1. Analyse the following dataset in terms of over-extensions and under-extensions.

State the functional or physical feature upon which over-extension appears to be based. Look also for other reasons for the child’s apparent mislabelling.

(a) Uses dog to refer first to a soft toy dog, then a woollen scarf, a cat, a fur coat.

(b) Uses muffin to refer both to blueberries and to blueberry muffins, but not to

other types of muffins.

(c) Calls the decorated Christmas tree big fow-fow (he had previously used this word only for flowers).

(d) Uses umbrella to refer to open umbrellas, a large green leaf, kites – but not

closed umbrellas.

(e) Uses bubby to refer first to his brother and then to his 3 year-old boy cousin, the boy next door.

(f) Uses tick-tock to refer first to clocks then to watches, wallpaper circles with

radiating spikes, a circular road sign, a barometer with a circular dial.

(g) Uses duck to refer first to a duck, then to a cup of milk, a coin with an eagle on it, a teddy bear’s eye.

(h) Uses bow-wow to refer to the family dog but not to the neighbour’s dog. Later

she will use it to refer to cats and sheep.

2. Semantic fields: Dimensional terms: Given the acquisition order of dimensional

adjectives presented in Table 1, try to explain the results from the ‘Opposite game’ in table 2. In the ‘Opposite game’ children are requested to supply the opposite of the word that appears in bold in Table 2.

To what extent do they agree with the proposed acquisition order in table 1? What similarities and differences do you observe between the 3 and the 6 year-olds? How do you explain Child B’s response to high and C’s responses to wide and long.

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Table 1 Acquisition order of dimensional adjectives

1. big-small 2. tall-short, long-short 3. high-low 4. thick-thin 5. wide-narrow, deep-shallow

Table 2 The ‘Opposite game’ with a 3 and 6 year-olds

3 year olds 6 year olds

A. male B. female C. male D. female

E. female

F. male

big little small little little little little

tall small short small short short short

high down up small low small low

long small short big short short short

wide little thin long thin skinny thin

thick little thin small thin thin thin

3. Comment on the following errors that children make with prepositions. Which constitute errors of omission and which of commission? How can you explain the commission/substitution errors?

(a) He gave the book for me. (b) The dog is putting the bone in the plate. (c) The boy is putting the ball the chair. (d) The boy is giving the ball at the dog. (e) The girl is sitting in the stool. (f) The mother put the bottle up the table. (g) The boy opened the door his keys. (h) He gave the book the mother.

Tasks A & B are adapted from Stilwell Peccei, J. (1999). Child Language. 2nd edition. Abingdon, Oxon and New York, NY: Routledge.

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SEMINAR 3: Issues in child bilingualism Week 7

Questions for discussion in class (a) Think of bilinguals you know in your community. Are they balanced or dominant? In which context and at what age have they acquired the two languages? Can you comment on their proficiency? (b) Consider the case of a Korean-English bilingual child living in London. If the

normal language for interaction at home is Korean, which may be the factors

affecting the family members’ switch to English within the home context?

(from Bee Chin, N. and Wigglesworth, G. 2007. Bilingualism: an advanced

resource book. Routledge)

(c). Watch the first half of the documentary available at the following URL

www.bilingualforumireland.com/babbling

Comment on the strategies used by parents to transmit their native language

to their children. Do you think some are more successful than others? Why?

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Seminar 4: Issues in SLA

Week 9

1. Match the following terms to their definitions:

Target language Has no immediate or necessary

practical application, might be used

later for travel or be required for

school

Second language

The aim or goal of language learning

First language An official or societal dominant

language (not speakers’ L1) needed for

education, employment or other basic

purposes

Foreign language

Acquired during childhood

2. List all of the languages that you can use. First classify them as L1 and L2, and

them further classify the L2(s) as “second”, “foreign”, “library”, “auxiliary” or

“for special purposes”. Finally, distinguish between the ways you learned

each of the languages: through informal exposure, formal instruction, or

some combination of these.

3. Do you think you are (or would be) a “good” or a “poor” L2 learner? Why do

you think so? Consider whether you believe that your own relative level of

success as a language learner is due primarily to linguistic, psychological or

social factors (for example contexts of learning or attitudes toward the L2).

4. One feature of interlanguage grammars is the apparent existence of temporary rules that don’t match the rules of either the L1 or the L2. The following examples are from a speaker whose L1 is Arabic. Can you describe the rule(s) he seems to be using for the use of plural –s in English? (a) How many brother you have?

(b) The streets are very wide.

(c) I finish in a few day.

(d) Here is a lot of animal in the houses.

(e) Many people live in villages.

(f) There are two horses in the picture.

(g) Both my friend from my town.

(h) Seven days in a week.

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LS1ELU ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN USE

Spring Term

Language and Culture

Lectures 11 - 20

Dr. Christiana Themistocleous

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Information on LS1ELU Spring Term – Language and Culture

The essential materials for the course are:

1. ELU handbook

The handbook includes the aims of the lecture, the main concepts introduced

and the reading you will have to do to prepare before class.

2. Blackboard

You will be able to access the Power Point slides shown in class by accessing the

Blackboard site.

3. Essential textbooks (copies are available in the library)

Holmes, J. (1992) An introduction to sociolinguistics. Harlow: Pearson,

Longman.

Thomas, L., S. Wareing, I. Singh, J.S. Peccei, J. Thornborrow and J. Jones (2004)

Language, Society and Power: An Introduction. London and New York: Routledge.

Wardhaugh, R. (2006) An introduction to sociolinguistics. Oxford: Blackwell.

* Other sources (e.g. books and journal articles) will also be used.

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Lecture 11

Language and the family

Reading:

Cook-Gumperz, J. & Kyratzis, A. (2005) Child Discourse. In D. Schriffrin, D. Tannen, & H. Hamilton (eds), The Handbook of Discourse Analysis. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Pp. 590-611

Key concepts:

Contextually situated learning Language Socialization

Communicative competence Asymmetric Conversations

Conversation analysis Proto-conversation

Turn-taking

Aims of the lecture

To approach language development as a process of socialisation

Discuss communicative competence

To examine language use in the family and its effect on early childhood

language development

To examine the implications of particular family practices for the individual

and society: early childhood socialization- a cross-cultural approach

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Lecture 12

Language and education

Readings:

Edwards, V. (1989) Patois and the politics of protest: Black English and British Classrooms. In Coupland, N. & Jawarski, A. (eds.) Sociolinguistics: A reader and coursebook. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. (Chapter 31) Mesthrie, R., Swann, Deumert, A. & Leap, W. (2000) Introducing Sociolinguistics. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. (Chapter 11) Philips, S. (2007) A Comparison of Indian and Anglo Communicative Behaviour in Classroom Interaction. In S. Kiesling & C. Bratt Paulston (eds) Intercultural Discourse and Communication. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. (Chapter 19) Concepts:

Educational sociolinguistics Elaborated/restricted code

Teacher talk IRE sequence

African American Vernacular English (AAVE)

Aims of the lecture:

To introduce the field of ‘Educational Sociolinguistics’ To discuss the effects of disparity between home/community language and

classroom

Potential consequences of such disparity

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Lecture 13

Language and migration

Readings:

McEachron, G. and G. Bhatti (2005) Language Support for Immigrant Children: A Study of State Schools in the UK and US. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 18(2): 164-180. Thomas, L., S. Wareing, I. Singh, J.S. Peccei, J. Thornborrow and J. Jones (2004) Language, Society and Power: An Introduction. London and New York: Routledge (Chapter 6) Concepts:

Inequality Language policy

Integration Limited English Proficient (LEP Fluent English Proficient (FEP)

Aims of the lecture:

To introduce issues of inequality when it comes to migration, culture and ethnicity

To investigate language and migration in the domain of education To investigate language and migration in the domain of the workplace

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Lecture 14

Language shift, maintenance and death Readings: Crystal, D. (2000) Language Death. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Dorian, N. (1981) Language Death: The Life Cycle of a Scottish Gaelic Dialect. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Holmes, J. (1992) An introduction to sociolinguistics. Harlow: Pearson, Longman. (Chapter 3) Nettle, D. & Romaine, S. (2002) Vanishing voices. Oxford: Oxford University Press Trudgill, Peter (1984) Languages in the British Isles. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (For case studies on Manx, Cornish, Welsh and Scottish Gaelic) Concepts:

Language shift Language maintenance

Language death Language revitalisation

Language choice Political, social and demographic factors

Identity Attitudes to language

Aims of the lecture:

To examine language shift, maintenance and death in the UK

To examine factors that can affect the survival/spread of a language

To outline the potential consequences of language shift and death

To examine language revitalisation methods

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Lecture 15

Language planning

Readings: Holmes, J. (1992) An introduction to sociolinguistics. Harlow: Pearson, Longman. (Chapter 5) Wardhaugh, R. (2006) An introduction to sociolinguistics. Oxford: Blackwell. (Chapter 15) Concepts:

National and official languages Nationalism

Policy of assimilation Multilingualism

Status/Corpus Planning Haugen’s (1966) language planning steps

Aims of the lecture:

To understand the difference between national and official language

To explore language planning in multilingual countries

To explore in which countries around the world English is the official language

To understand the difference between status and corpus planning

To understand the four planning steps, proposed by Haugen in 1966

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Lecture 16

In-group and Secret Languages

Readings: Hancock, Ian. 1984. Shelta and Polari. In Trudgill, Peter (ed.) Languages in the British Isles. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Chapter 24) Hancock, Ian. 1984. Romani and Angloromani. In Trudgill, Peter (ed.) Languages in the British Isles. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Chapter 23) Concepts:

Shelta Polary

Romani Angloromani

Travellers/Gypsies Lexicon and phonological disguise

Archaisms Aims of the lecture:

To introduce in-group and secret languages used in the UK

To explore the emergence of Shelta, Polary, Romani and Angloromani

To explore the current usage of in-group and secret languages

To explore how secret languages differ from Standard English

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Lecture 17

Language, culture and thought

Readings: Holmes, J. (1992) An introduction to sociolinguistics. Harlow: Pearson, Longman. (Chapter 13) Wardhaugh, R. (2006) An introduction to sociolinguistics. Oxford: Blackwell. (Chapter 9) Yule, G. (2010) The study of language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (Chapter 20) Concepts:

Culture Whorfian Hypothesis (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis)

Linguistic relativity Linguistic determinism

Kinship terms Time concepts

Colour Aims of the lecture:

To explore the relation between language, culture and thought

To introduce the Whorfian Hypothesis

To explore how English differs from other cultures and languages around the world

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Lecture 18

Language and age

Reading: Thomas, L., S. Wareing, I. Singh, J.S. Peccei, J. Thornborrow and J. Jones (2004) Language, Society and Power: An Introduction. London and New York: Routledge (Chapter 7) Concepts:

Age as a cultural category Connotations

Labelling Child Directed Language Elder Directed Language

Aims of the lecture:

To investigate age as a cultural category

To investigate how age influences language use

To look at labelling of different age groups

To explore how elders are characterised and spoken to

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Lecture 19

Sexism in English Language

Readings: Holmes, J. (1992) An introduction to sociolinguistics. Harlow: Pearson, Longman. (Chapter 12) Talbot, M. (2010) Language and Gender. Cambridge: Polity Press. (Chapter 12) Thomas, L., S. Wareing, I. Singh, J.S. Peccei, J. Thornborrow and J. Jones (2004) Language, Society and Power: An Introduction. London and New York: Routledge. (Chapter 5) Concepts:

Sexist language Stereotypes

Animal imagery Honorific terms

Generics Degrading vocabulary Semantic derogation Political correctness

Aims of the lecture:

To explore whether the English language is sexist

To discuss how stereotypes about men and women are represented in language

To introduce the concept of political correctness

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Lecture 20

Language in the workplace

Readings: Drew, P. & Heritage, J. (1992) Talk at Work Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Holmes, J. (2006) Gendered Talk at Work. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Koester, A. (2006) Investigating Workplace Discourse. London: Routledge. Concepts:

Relational talk Transactional talk Goal orientation

Institutional roles Collaborative talk

Politeness strategies at work Mitigations

Aims of the lecture:

To discuss naturally occurring conversation in the workplace

To consider its structure and function

To focus on transactional and relational talk

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LS1ELU

ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN USE

Spring Term

Language and Culture

Seminars

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SEMINAR 1

Language and Education

BACKGROUND

In Lecture Twelve we discussed studies investigating the disparity between a child’s

home/community language and that of the School. Most of these studies were in the

USA. Today we’re going to consider a study closer to home, in the UK.

Viv Edwards’ paper (in Coupland, N. & Jaworski, A. (1997) Sociolinguistics: A

Reader and Coursebook. London: MacMillan Press) is one of the seminal papers in

‘Language, Education & Disadvantage’. She discusses the use of Patois (Creole

speech) used by Afro-Caribbean children in English schools in the City of

Birmingham in the UK. She discusses interactional contexts and the consequences

of using Patois, in addition to the user’s perceptions about its use and value.

One of the main themes of this paper is the need to confront the stereotype held in

Britain that Patois speakers are ‘young, disaffected, academically underachieving’

(p.410) individuals and that the variety is a ‘plantation English which is socially

unacceptable and inadequate for communication’ (p.409).

PREPARATION BEFORE CLASS

Read Edwards’ paper and identify the key issues and findings of this study and note

them down. Also note anything that you do not understand. Bring your notes to the

seminar.

In class activities:

Discuss with fellow students the key issues and findings of this study.

Also consider the following questions for discussion as a group.

(This might be useful for revision purposes so keep your notes!).

1. How does the case of Patois in Britain compare with the situation of AAVE in the

USA?

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2. What factors appear to determine Black pupil’s shifting between Patois and the

local dialect of English?

3. What is meant by the assertion ‘that for any given situation there will be

marked and unmarked language choices’ (p.410)?

4. How is the use of Patois interpreted by the teacher/educational authorities and

what are the consequences?

5. To what extent do you think educational authorities and Governments should

accommodate to the needs of the minority – at least to ‘help them on their way’

to learning the standard? What cultural/social/political/economic considerations

have to come into play? Can you think of any other minority groups in the UK

for whom accommodation is necessary?

6. Beyond informing policy, in studying educational disadvantage, sociolinguists

are also interested in examining culture-bound perceptions and attitudes

towards one’s own and other groups’ linguistic and socio-cultural status? How

might we investigate this as linguists?

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SEMINAR 2

Language Shift, Maintenance and Death

1. People are often unaware of the range of ethnic minority groups living in their

area. Can you think of any? If not, how could you find out how many minority

ethnic groups there are in the area where you live?

2. What is the difference between language shift and language death?

3. What would you predict as the effect of intermarriage on language maintenance

and shift? If, in England, an English-speaking woman marries a Gujerati-speaking

man, for instance, which language will they most probably use to their children?

4. Beyond the family, what are some other reasons that might lead speakers to

maintain their language?

Read the text on Language Revival on the following page

5. List the different kinds of institutional support which can be sought by a

community of people, who want to maintain their minority language within a society where English is the language of majority.

6. Yoruba, the language of people living in the state of Lagos in Nigeria, West Africa, is increasingly threatened by the spread of English. In November 2006, Chief Olusoji Smith led a group of tribal elders who recommended that Yoruba be made compulsory as an admission into tertiary institutions. How much of a contribution do you think this will make to encouraging parents to use Yoruba in the home?

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SEMINAR 3

Language, Culture and Thought

BEFORE COMING TO THE SEMINAR YOU MUST PREPARE QUESTIONS 1 AND 2

1. English (especially British English) has many words to refer to woods and

woodlands. Here are some:

woodlot, fen, grove, heath, holt, lea, shaw, coppice, scrub, spinney, copse, brush, bush, bosquet, bosky, forest, timberland, thicket

a. How many of these words do you recognise? b. Look up these words in the dictionary. Many of these words are obsolete,

so if your dictionary does not have them, try the Internet. c. Think about the differences in meaning. Do you think that English

speakers have a richer concept of woodlands than speakers whose language has fewer words? Why or why not?

2. Pirahã is a South American indigenous language spoken by approximately 420

individuals near the Maici River in Brazil’s Amazonas state. Research this language on the internet – Google would be a good start – identify certain characteristic features and try to explain them in relation to the Pirahã culture.

3. Terms such as uncle, father, mother, sister, brother, son and cousin are sometimes used

outside the English kinship system. Describe these uses and try to account for them.

4. Try to account for the often reported finding that, for English at least, males

usually display less ability than females in dealing with matters having to do with colour, including the actual use of colour terminology.

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5. All of the following expressions can be said to be euphemistic: Pest control officer, building engineer, comfort station, socially deviant behaviour, culturally deprived children.

a. Try to explain why such expressions arise. Do they have any useful social

function to perform? b. Do you know any other similar expressions?

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Seminar 4

Sexism in Language

BEFORE COMING TO THE SEMINAR YOU MUST READ THE EXTRACT BY SARA MILLS (2006). WRITE DOWN YOUR IDEAS ON SEXISM IN LANGUAGE.

Exercise 1 Job adverts in New Zealand may not specify the gender of the required employee unless aspects of the job require the attributes of a particular gender. Do you think that the suffix –man could be regarded as generic in such adverts, or is it an example of sexist language? Consider postman, milkman, fireman, salesman, fisherman, warehouseman. 1. What alternatives would you suggest? 2. Do you consider phrases like master plan and master key to be sexist? Why (not)? Exercise 2 The following examples are based on material from textbooks and a newspaper. What is your reaction to them? (a) Alone among the animals man uses language to communicate.

(b) ‘Speech’ wrote Benjamin Lee Whorf ‘is the best show man puts on’… Language

helps man in his thinking. The average student might hear 100,000 words a day. If he has a modest reading speed he would cover 90,000 words a day. He could easily increase that if he wanted.

(c) Man has been civilised for centuries. He no longer needs to hunt for food for his

women and children.

(d) The two Oxford Union debates most ably supported by a woman debater from Victoria made entertaining contributions.

(e) The pioneers who established the farms of this country, who toiled together with

their wives and children to break the land, know little of what was happening in the towns. 1. Can you translate the sentences above into non-sexist terms? 2. What strategies did you use?

Exercise 3

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For homework you should have read the extract by Sara Mills (2006). Based on this text and the notes that you prepared discuss the following:

1. Is Cameron right to suggest that the use of non-sexist language can simply mask sexist attitudes?

Exercise 4 The histories of words sometimes reveal a good deal about the social organisation and values of speech communities and how different uses of language can express information about users’ attitudes towards others, and about how they perceive society to be organised. Consider the words in the table below, showing historical developments for each of them. The dates refer to the first attestation of the word being used in this way or the period when this meaning was the primary sense for the word (data from the OED): gay (adj.) (persons)

full of joy and mirth (1310)

addicted to social pleasures and dissipations (1637)

(woman) leading an immoral life (1825)

homosexual (1935)

bad quality/ stupid (1980s)

girl (n.) a child of either sex e.g. knave girl (1290)

a female child, unmarried woman (1530)

a sweetheart, lady-love (1648)

a prostitute or mistress (1711)

a Black woman (1835)

queen (n.) a king’s wife, woman of high rank (893, 900)

A term of endearment to a woman (1588)

An attractive woman, a girlfriend (1900)

A male homosexual (1924)

1. What can you infer about the social values of the speech communities realising

these changes?

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LS1ELU English Language in Use

Autumn Term Assignment

Assignment 1 (Language in the Individual)

Write between 1200 and 1500 words on ONE of the following topics:

1. Describe the features of signed languages, and explain how British Sign Language differs from spoken British English.

2. Describe the properties of early child language (between 18 to appr. 36

months) in terms of the acquisition of morphology and syntax.

3. Second language acquisition can be inhibited or facilitated by many social and individual factors. Explain how aptitude and motivation can affect the outcome of second language acquisition.

You should refer to at least FIVE different sources (i.e. books or journal articles) in your assignment. Wikipedia or other websites should not be used. Assignments should be word-processed using the font Times New Roman 12 point, and double line-spaced. Appropriate referencing conventions must be used. Marking Criteria

Demonstration of understanding of the literature on the chosen topic

Ability to integrate information from various sources (books, journals, etc.)

Clarity of discussion

Coherence of assignment, especially organisation and division into sections and paragraphs;

Presentation, especially correctness of referencing, and quality of writing. A hard copy of the assignment should be submitted to Anne Whitbread by 12 noon on Wednesday of Week 10 of the Autumn Term, together with TWO copies of the coversheet (see below). Assignments should be word processed unless otherwise stated. We do not accept assignments by e-mail. Assignment Cover Sheets

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On the following pages (un-numbered) you will find cover sheets for both of the assignments for this module. Please complete two of them for each assignment, one with your name and the second without your name. This is to ensure anonymous marking. Don’t submit any assignment without both cover sheets!

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LS1ELU

English Language in Use

Spring Term Assignment

Assignment 2

Write between 1200-1500 words on ONE of the following topics:

1. Educational disadvantage may emerge from the inability to acquire/learn a ‘standard language’. Discuss this idea in relation to a minority group discussed in lectures/seminars or reported in literature.

2. Investigate a language endangerment scenario in the UK. You may choose to look at the case of Welsh, Scots Gaelic, Cornish or Manx. Focus on the reasons of language shift and also on language maintenance and revitalisation efforts.

You should refer to at least THREE different sources (i.e. books or journal articles) in your assignment. Wikipedia is banned. Assignments should be word-processed using the font Times New Roman 12 point, and double line-spaced. Appropriate referencing conventions must be used. A hard copy of the assignment should be submitted to Anne Whitbread (HumSS 210B) by 12 noon on Wednesday of Week 10 of the Spring Term. Please use two copies of the cover sheet, with your name on one sheet only. Do not put your name on your assignment or anywhere else. We do not accept assignments by e-mail. Marking Criteria

Demonstration of understanding of how English language is used in social contexts and its effect on minority languages;

Clarity of discussion and evaluation of evidence;

Ability to integrate information/quotations from various sources (books, journals, etc.) as a starting point for discussion, as examples, and to support your discussion;

Coherence of assignment, especially organisation and division into sections and paragraphs;

Presentation, especially correctness of referencing, and quality of writing.