Chapter 5Language

Agenda

• 1. Nature of Language

• 2. Appreciating the Power of Words

• 3. Improving Your Language Use

The Power of Language

• Think about the individuals throughout history who have essentially changed the world through their specific choice of words.

• Examples?

Fascinating…

• Many species communicate in one form or another, but we as humans are the only creatures on this planet who use language.

• The human brain has a specific capability for learning and using language that is not shared by other species.

What is language?

• Language: A structured system of symbols used for communicating meaning.

Language is Symbolic

• That statement means that each word represents a particular object or idea, but it does not constitute the object or idea itself.

• For example, the word itself is not the structure; rather, it merely symbolizes it.

• Remember the ‘what do you think of when you picture a dog’ example?

Language is Arbitrary

• Why do words symbolize the particular things they do…?

• Why do we call a cup a cup?

• For the most part, words have only an arbitrary connection to their meanings.

▫ Let’s look at an example…

Arbitrary Example

• Think of the word car.

• The actual word doesn’t look like a car or sound like a car, so why does it make us think of one?

• The only reason is because speakers of the English language have agreed to give the word car that particular meaning.

Exceptions…

• Onomatopoeia: A word formed by imitating the sound associated with its meaning.

• Examples:

▫ Buzz

▫ Meow

▫ Splash

▫ Click

Sounds reflect meanings.

Language is governed by rules

• Phonological rules: Deal with the correct pronunciation of words.

• Syntactic rules: Dictate the proper order of words for the intended meaning.

▫ Example: Yellow car vs. Car Yellow

• Semantic rules: Govern the meanings of individual words.

• Pragmatic rules: Deal with the implications of interpretations of statements.

Phonological rules

• For example, if you speak Spanish you will know that “J” is pronounced like a “H” in English.

▫ Jorge is not pronounced the same as George.

Syntactic rules

• The ordering of words…

▫ We know to say, “Your name is?” instead of “Name is your?”

Semantic rules

• Deals with the individual meanings of words.

▫ When we think of “car” we all generally think of the same thing…

None of us think cellphone, hot air balloon, or dog…but we all picture an automobile.

Pragmatic rules

• Deals with interpretations.

▫ “Nice to meet you.”

Sincere?

Sarcastic?

You use pragmatic rules to determine what the speaker “means.”

Language has layers of meaning

• Denotative meaning: A word’s literal meaning or dictionary definition.

▫ Desk example

• Connotative meaning: A word’s implied or secondary meaning, in addition to its literal meaning.

▫ Love example

Semantic Triangle

Loaded Language

• Terms that carry strongly positive or strongly negative connotations.

• Example: Economic Stimulus Act of 2008

▫ “Rescue plan” for those who supported it

▫ “Bailout” for those who opposed it

Other examples of intentional language choices?

Ambiguous language

• Language having more than one possible meaning.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis – pg. 150

• The idea that language influences the ways the members of a culture see and think about the world.

• Attitudes and behaviors of a culture are reflected in language.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0gkcY1SB-0

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df25r8pcuI8

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

• “Language determines what we can think about.”

Appreciating the power of words

• English writer Rudyard King, author The Jungle Book, once called words, “the most powerful drug used by mankind.”

Reflection

• Think about how you feel when someone expresses affection to you

• Or when you listen to a speech by a politician you can’t stand (or admire)

• Or when you comfort a grieving friend

Naming Defines and Differentiates Us

• Naming and Identity

▫ We attach meanings to names.

Example, “You don’t look like a Mary.”

Well…what does a Mary look like?

• In Western societies we generally have “male” and “female” names.

• Also, as assume someone with the name Ashley is younger than someone with the name Bertha.

Names continued…

• Names also tell us a lot about ethnicity.

▫ You may confer that someone with the name LaKeisha is African American, Cho is Asian, and Santiago is Latino.

• Names can suggest information about deposition or sense of self.

▫ William vs. Billy (both different forms of the same name)

Whether accurate or not…we make assumptions about people based on their names.

Discrimination and your name

• Men named David, Jon, Joshua, and Gregory seen more favorably than men named Oswald, Myron, Reginald, and Edmund.

▫ People only given names – made judgements.

• People who have a first name that is seen as “not being white” sometimes experience discrimination.

▫ Heard of examples of this?

What does your name “mean”?

• http://www.names.org/

We Use Words to Persuade

• Persuasion is the process of moving people to think or act in a certain way.

• Greek philosopher Aristotle described three forms (logos, pathos, ethos); recently a fourth proof has been added: mythos.

• Logos: Rational appeals based on logic, facts, and objective analysis.

• Who is a speaker/person who might use logos?

1st Proof

• Pathos: Refers to a speaker’s appeals to our emotions.

▫ Can you think of any examples?

2nd Proof

• Ethos: Rests on the speaker’s personal character and credibility.

▫ Voting for someone to be President because they seem trustworthy (might not know what they are actually doing).

3rd Proof

• Mythos: Focuses on values and beliefs embedded in cultural narratives or stories.

• Example: Americans respond positively to stories that are about freedom.

4th Proof

Examples of emotional appeals

• Appeal to fear

• Appeal to guilt

• Appeal to joy

• Appeal to disgust

• Appeal to shame

• Appeal to anger

• Appeal to saddness

Reason

• To make judgements about the world based on evidence rather than emotion.

▫ We are taught to think before we speak…but we should be taught to think before we judge.

Using Language to comfort people

• At some point in your life you will be comforting someone who has just lost a loved one. They may be a spouse, friend, or someone you do not know that personally.

• How do you comfort them?

Comforting Someone

• 1. Acknowledge the loss – “I’m so sorry to her about your sister’s accident. I know that everyone who knew her will miss her greatly.”

• 2. Express sympathy – “Words can’t express how sorry I feel. Please know that my heartfelt sympathies are with you.”

• 3. Offer a positive reflection, “I will always remember your sister’s wonderful sense of humor and her great compassion for others.”

Continued…

• 4. Offer assistance – “Please remember I am here for you, whatever you need. I’ll give you a call this weekend to see if there’s anything I can do for you.”

The use and abuse of language

• We will not be discussing the information from this section of the textbook because it is straightforward.

Improving your language choice

• Consider the effect you want to create.

▫ What do you ACTUALLY want to accomplish?

To inform, to persuade, to entertain?

Do you want to win the argument or do you want to make things right?

Some mistakes we make…

• Shared knowledge error: When you presume your listeners have information that they don’t have.

• Shared opinion error: Occurs when you incorrectly presume that your listeners share your opinions.

• Monopolization error: When one speaker inappropriately dominates the conversation.▫ Ever have a classmate who does this with the

teacher?