MAUREEN COWAN CHAPTER SIX Introduction To Language.

MAUREEN COWANCHAPTER SIX

Introduction To Language

In this WikiSpace Page:

You will discover the answers to the following questions:

What are languages, and what role do languages play in cultures?

Why are languages distributed the way they are?

How do languages diffuse?What role does language play in making

places?

Definition

Language is defined as a set of sounds, combination of sounds, and symbols that are used for communication,

BUT….

Language is a lot more than that. It represents our traditions, values, modes of expression, religions, and all other aspects that comprise our cultures.

Chinese

Chinese is the language with the most number of speakers, at over 1.2 billion (the world population is about 6.8 billion)

Although Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, and other dialects) have the most speakers, the geographic distribution of these speakers is concentrated in China and its territories. Consequently, Chinese is not necessarily a global language.

Arabic

Arabic, the next most spoken language, has about 422 million speakers.

Arabic is a lot more widespread, with native speakers across North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of South Asia

Prayers and teachers of the Islamic faith are traditionally written in Arabic

Hindi

Hindi is the third most spoken language in the world

It has over 366 million peopleLike Chinese, but unlike

Arabic, Hindi is concentrated almost entirely in the Indian subcontinent

Consequently, the linguistic distribution applies mainly to the region of South Asia, and Hindi is not a global language

English

English, the language that you are currently reading in, is the fourth most populous language

English has over 341 million speakers and is widely distributed across the planet

Peoples in all of the continents speak English to some extent, either by native tongue, the effects of colonialism, or globalization

Abstract Concept: Think.

Draw a picture of “language.”It’s difficult isn’t it? This is because language

is such an abstract concept that encompasses an infinite amount of aspects that make us who we are.

But seriously, draw a quick picture of language, highlighting the abstract concepts that are most important to YOU.

What does your picture look like?

What does it look like?

You can’t “draw” words, so the picture that you drew can look like anything relevant to language.

Language Tree

All of the languages that we know of and are spoken today actually make up an extremely small section of a “branch” in the grand scope of the tree of linguistics

Language Popularity by Internet Users

English – 33%Chinese – 13%Japanese – 8%Spanish – 6%German – 6%French – 4%Korean – 4%Italian – 3%Other – 23%

Language By Internet - Analysis

English’s position as a global language is evident in the realm of technology

A group of 341 million out of the 6.8 billion people in the world, a group of less than 20%, makes up the highest group of internet users

Because the internet is a tool that has been connecting languages and cultures, English users dominating the realm indicate its position in the world

Internet Content, by Language

English – 68%Chinese – 4%Japanese – 6%Spanish – 2%German – 6%French – 3%Russian – 2%Other – 9%

Internet Content Analysis

As demonstrated by the information regarding internet users, English dominates the internet; in this case, in the form of actual internet content

This is significant because individuals who speak all languages will come across information in the world in English, thus aiding the process of globalization and the theoretical expansion of English as a “super-” global language

Importance of Language to YOU

What is the importance of language to you?How would our lives be different without the

use of language?Keep in mind, there are different types of

languages – not just those with words. For example, there are indigenous African languages that speak with “clicks,” as well as Inuit languages that communicate to an extent with the eyes. Sign language is a language too! Could we live without language?

What would life be like without language?

Language and Politics

Language can be politically charged

In multilingual nations, or countries in which people speak more than one language, it is often very controversial to choose one language over another as an “official” or “standard” language.

Language and Politics (cont’d)

Language can politically unite a nation, or it can cause ethnic tensions between different linguistic groups

Many African nations chose to adopt the languages of their colonizers for the sake of unity, because the borders drawn by European colonizers were extremely arbitrary and did not regard the immense diversity and number of ethnolinguistic groups

Language and Politics (cont’d)

The West African nation of Nigeria, for example, has over 370 cultural groups, and over 500 different languages, agglomerated into arbitrary borders. Consequently, the government of Nigeria uses English as its official language, the language selected, often by the educated and politically powerful elite, to promote internal cohesion; usually the language of the courts and government.

History of Languages

Languages have long and complex histories that chronicle the movement of man from Africa throughout the world

Because Africa hypothetically contains the hearth of all languages, the ethnolinguistic diversity is much more abundant than in other areas, because different groups have lived and established cultures more ancient than other civilizations.

In Africa alone, there are estimated to be over 1000 languages.

Endangered and Extinct Languages

Languages, like animal species, can be lost if we let them be replaced by other languages. When this happens, entire cultures, along with their traditions, values, religions, etc, are lost.

It is estimated by the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages that a language is lost every fourteen days. This means that we are losing languages faster than ever before in the history of man.

How can we preserve languages?

Languages will continue to become extinct, but the only thing we can do is to learn about them, appreciate them, and raise awareness about them to prolong their existences and enjoy their ethnolinguistic and cultural uniqueness while they are still here.

By reading the information in this PowerPoint and contained in our Wiki, you are becoming aware of the beauty of language, and how important they are in our lives and our cultural identities.