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Explore anthropology, culture, and language. Discover the four-field approach, linguistic anthropology topics, and applied linguistics in preserving languages. Background of instructor, research interests, and languages spoken.
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Language and Culture:Overview of the course Prof. Gerald F. Murray Dept. of Anthropology University of Florida
Outline of the lecture • What is anthropology? • What is culture? • What is language? • What will we cover in the course? • Background of the instructor • Requirements
Anthropology: The “four field” approach • Biological anthropology • Archeology • Cultural anthropology • Linguistic anthropology
Many disciplines study language • Language and Literature departments • Linguistics • Sociolinguistics • Psycholinguistics • Neurolinguistics • Philosophy No discipline has a monopoly on language. Each discipline has a focus.
Topics discussed in anthropological linguistics • Biological basis of language • Evolutionary origins: transition from calls to speech. • Language and thought. • Monogenesis or polygenesis. • Causes of language change. • Development of language “families”. • Dialects and their relation to “official” languages. • Schools and language “oppression”. • Language loyalties. • The death of languages.
Applied topics in linguistics • Combatting prejudices and negative stereotypes. • Preservation of endangered languages. • Guidelines for first language acquisition • Enrichment of language environment • Guidelines in bilingual or multilingual households • Facilitation of second language learning. • Improved language strategies in mother tongue. • Mental control • Suppressing the involuntary flow of words – inner and outer. • Developing strategies for inner silence.
Background of the instructor • Cultural anthropologist. • Countries where he has worked. • Topics that he has researched. • Linguist • Applied anthropologist
Languages studied • In addition to English, can speak Spanish, Haitian Creole, French, German, Italian, Hebrew • I have studied four ancient languages: Latin, Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic. • I have also studied, at different times, Arabic, Russian, Portuguese, Papiamentu, Malagasy
Attempts to learn Mandarin • Difficulty with characters • Difficulty with tones • Difficulty with comprehension of spoken speech.” • Difficulty with local dialects and pronunciations. • “Your room is 1016.” • “Three weeks.” • Tongue twister: 4 is 4, 14 is 14, 40 is 40
The instructor’s U. of Florida website • web.clas.ufl.edu/users/murray/ • Links to the course. • Course requirements