LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL MEANING - U of L Class Index 语言和文化意义的U L类指数.pptVIP

LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL MEANING Cultural behaviour is not essentially different from other forms of learned behaviour; it is a consequence of the dynamic of social living over many generations, while individual members of the social system are replaced (Foley, 1997: 12) Questions How do members of different cultures express their worldviews? How do members of different cultures express events, experiences, and intentions through language? How do speakers express their way of being in the world through a particular use of their languages? By the way a speaker frames intentions and activities through language Usage of contrasting words (Blue/white, good/bad) Grammatical forms (Example: the structuring of sentences) The framing of intentions and activities English: I must go there. I make the horse run. Navajo: It is only good that I shall go. The horse is running for me. What does the example illustrate? Different attitudes about people’s rights and obligations Language expresses and reflects worldviews Cultural models: shared cultural attitudes (through language, gender relations, labor relations, etc.) Language: key for transmitting cultural models-Proverbs, stories, etc. -- conveying a way of being in the world --guiding human thought and action -- provides moral lessons “The early bird catches the worm.” Concrete and symbolic meanings “The horse is running for me” concrete object (horse) “Don’t cry over spilt milk” symbolic meaning, metaphorical Why do we study language? To identify cultural models Understand the relationship between language and environment Language and society The Foundations of Linguistic Anthropology Edward Sapir (1884—1939) and his student Benjamin Whorf (1897—1941) Linguistic research among Native Americans groups (i.e. Paiute)--Sapir: lexicon or vocabulary, Whorf: Grammatical structures Edward Sapir Physical environment and social environment through the use of language Elements of vocabulary influence speakers