Language Flashcards
What is socialization?
The process by which human beings learn to become members of a group by interacting appropriately with others and coping with the behavioral rules established by the group.
(Lavenda, Schultz, and Dods, 2015: 110)
Define enculturation.
The process by which individuals learn their group’s culture, including social roles, cultural beliefs, and identities.
When does enculturation begin?
Enculturation starts at birth, even before.
What are the two types of enculturation agents?
Formal and informal agents.
- Formal: School, Religion, Sports
- Informal: Family & friends, Imitation, Observation
What is the Critical Age range hypothesis in language learning?
The hypothesis that individuals must master the basics of language by age 3 or 4, and that language acquisition is most effective until puberty.
What is communicative competence?
More than just knowing grammatical rules; it involves understanding context and cultural knowledge.
How does language shape social interaction?
The way one uses linguistic forms communicates assumptions about social interactions and the identities of those involved.
Why is language important in anthropology?
It helps study culture more broadly, revealing the relationship between language, context, and cultural knowledge.
What is the definition of language?
A bio-cultural phenomenon involving sounds, relying on basic human biological capacities, and used in different contexts.
What does linguistic ethnocentrism refer to?
The belief that one language is superior to others in its ability to express experience.
What are the design features of language?
Openness, displacement, and the ability to discuss non-existent things.
- Openness: Different words and grammatical constructions
- Displacement: Discuss past and future events
What is prevarication in language?
The use of language to lie or form statements that are grammatically correct but semantically nonsensical.
What is duality of patterning?
The principle that language consists of two levels: sounds (phonemes) and meanings (morphemes).
What is semantics?
The study of meaning in language, including denotation (formal meaning) and connotation (additional meaning).
Define pragmatics.
The study of language in the context of its use, focusing on how context affects meaning.
What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?
The idea that language shapes how people interpret and experience the world.
How does the Hopi language differ from many other languages?
Hopi does not have verb tenses for past, present, and future, distinguishing between objective and subjective modes of thought.
What is linguistic determinism?
The strong version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, suggesting that language determines thought and worldview.
What is the soft version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?
The idea that language can influence perception and thinking without completely determining it.
What are euphemisms?
Words or phrases used to conceal something embarrassing or unpleasant.
What is ethnopragmatics?
The study of language use in a specific culture, focusing on relationships among language, communication, and social interaction.
What are pidgin languages?
Simple languages that develop as a means of communication between speakers of different native languages, with no native speakers.
What are creole languages?
Languages that develop from pidgins and become more complex, typically having native speakers and developing over more than one generation.
What did William Labov study regarding African American English (AAE)?
He studied children in urban areas and challenged the notion that AAE was inadequate for effective communication.
What can specialized language lead to in communication?
Inequality, as those not familiar with the genre may have less access to decision-making processes.
