Ottenheimer Chapter 6 Language in Action
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Ottenheimer Chapter 6 Language in Action Overview Using language Learning a language includes learning how to use words and sentences in social situations. Examples of indirection As an illustration of sociolinguistic analysis, she talks about the Native American who used indirection to ask for a ride. Another example of indirection was the passing the salt request by the Japanese student Author inferred that in Kansas indirection was also practiced (yup). On Comoro Island to express admiration for something is a way to ask for it. Indirection can be used to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. “I have to wash my hair.” The dessert example of the Czech student who expected to be asked more than once is another culturally different way of showing politeness. Similarly, ‘Ukrainian no” versus “Canadian no”. In each of these examples, communication was complicated by cultural styles of communication, as well as gender and status. The idea that situations affect the meanings of words is an important one in linguistic anthropology. Bronislaw Malinowski is the European equivalent of America’s Franz Boas. He conducted research in the Trobriand Islands, PNG, around WWI. Among other important contributions was his emphasis on doing fieldwork. He discussed the context in which language is used; the cultural and social situations. How does context affect language? Translation requires knowledge of context, not just the words of a language. Context can shift meanings, so he described the contexts when he wrote. Competence with Languages 1 Linguistic competence: Ideal speakers and listeners The term, linguistic competence, was defined by Noam Chomsky. Linguistic competence is the speaker/s underlying ability to produce (and recognize) grammatically correct expressions. Chomsky’s “ideal speaker”: Lives in a homogeneous community. Knows the language perfectly. Is not distracted by environment when speaking or judging. So linguistic competence is all about grammatical correctness. Real situations are defined by distractions. Remember Malinowski and his discussion of the social context being important to meaning (Chomsky ignores this!) Some environmental “distractions”. When ‘bad’ means ‘good’. When two positives make a negative. Greetings and address terms. In English, many forms of address and reference are ambiguous. ‘Hello’ / ‘Hi’ / ‘Sup!’. Communicative competence: Real people using real language Communicative competence is a term coined by Dell Hymes to describe real people using real language. Ability to speak a language “well” as a going past linguistic competence. Ability to use your language “correctly” such as when to use the grammar and vocabulary, even accent, in a specific social situation. In a variety of social situations (Say Pierre, SD incorrectly and will know you are not a native). Competence with Languages 2 Communicative competence and symbolic capital: Language and power Related to the idea of communicative competence is the idea of symbolic capital. French sociologist, Pierre Bourdieu, says that communicative competence can be thought of as a kind of currency that you can accumulate. Buys you position and power in social and cultural contexts. You earn this capital by demonstrating you can manipulate speaking, word choice, accent, spelling and writing in the appropriate contexts. I learned not to say ain’t in school. Why is the T-shirt so funny? Directory: anth116 -> 116 Lectures 116 Lectures -> Crowther Chapter 3 (pp. 65-76) Mobile Ingredients 116 Lectures -> Introduction Setting the Anthropological Table 116 Lectures -> Ottenheimer Chapter 9 Change and Choice 116 Lectures -> Ottenheimer Chapter 7 Writing and Literacy 116 Lectures -> Ottenheimer Chapter 5 Silent Languages 116 Lectures -> Crowther Chapter 2 (pp. 29-54) Settled Ingredients 116 Lectures -> Crowther Chapter 4 (pp. 104-107) Cooks and Kitchens Download 153.39 Kb. Share with your friends:
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