...Assignment 2: Figurative Language versus Literal Language The lack of exposure to non literal forms of language makes it difficult to engage in productive thinking. Having the capacity to understand figurative language increases our ability to communicate with each other. By increasing our word bank we expand our knowledge base and increase our thinking capacity. Below are a list of ten words with their meaning, definitions, examples and appropriate circumstances in which to use them. 1. Describe the meaning and function of each term. 1. Idiom is a language, dialect or speaking style peculiar to a people. 2. Analogy is a similarity between two like subjects on which a comparison can be based. 3. Metaphor is a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to which is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance. 4. Simile is a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicably compared. 5. Cliché is a sentence or phrase usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea which has lost its originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse. 6. Amphiboly is ambiguity of speech, especially from uncertainty of the grammatical construction rather than the meaning of the word. 7. "Flame word" is a word used or tone used to insult someone. 8. Hyperbole is a figure of speech not intended to be taken literally. 9. Euphemism is the substitution of a mild, indirect or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh or blunt....
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...Language Discussion Psychologists refer language to as an activity that helps people communicate and express thoughts (Sternberg, et al, 370). On the other hand, linguistics focus on the formal approach of language in a system which may be even irrelevant. Psycholinguistics refers language to a system of communication which is either written or spoken that uses words or signs to passing information across a particular community (Bailey 54). Users of a particular language culture with the use of symbols with meanings to share information. According to Hockett all languages used by human beings have common features called linguistic universals. Human beings and animals communicate differently; human language contains 13 features of linguistic...
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...Language PSY 360 June 17, 2015 Melissa Jackson ------------------------------------------------- Language An intense association exists between cognitive abilities and language. Thought processes have the capability of altering communication methods; however, methods of communication can very easily do the same to an individual’s way of thinking. New ideas are communicated in which thought can be generated simply by thinking of the name of a certain stimulus. Language can be defined by several different key components. A reciprocated attempt at a considerate conversation between individuals can be anything from arbitrary to unsubstantial, yet likely to be configured and orderly through numerous manners in which general ideas are configured through the different parts of a language (Papafragou, Li, Choi, & Han 2007). In addition, language can also be dynamic and constantly developing, therefore leading to the conclusion that such an intricate topic, such as language, is challenging to undertake, especially in explaining in more depth how it works in its entirety through the key components toward a better understanding. The main purpose of the key features of language, including arbitrariness, communications, and dynamics, as well as generative and structured divergences, is to facilitate the comprehension and translation of language itself. Associating words to stimuli is unsystematic in its development and is groundless in an unconscious attempt to form...
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..."...accent is used to refer to the breakthrough of native language phonology into the target language." While I agree that accent is generally used to refer to how a person sounds like relative to other speakers with regards to intonation and pronunciation of specific words, I cannot help but notice that the author has neglected choice of words in his definition of an accent. Language is a construct that is heavily influenced and, is in turn influenced, by culture; there is an intimate relationship between language and culture. Examination of various languages will reveal that some words or phrases in a particular language just cannot be translated perfectly into another language; the nuances and connotations are inevitably lost in the process of translation. For example, the French word "dépaysement" means the feeling that arises from not being in one's home country, the feeling of being a foreigner, and this word has no equivalent English translation. Language is a reflection of culture, and the values and practices intrinsic to it. Similarly, English users from different places not only have different intonation and pronunciation, they also utilize different words to mean the same things. In fact, some users of English even have constructed or creolized words to convey a whole wealth of meaning in their communications with other similar users. For example, in Singapore where many locals speak a colloquial English known as Singlish (a portmanteau of Singapore and English),...
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...Davenport PHI210032VA16-1132-001 – Critical Thinking January 25th, 2013 Figurative Language versus Literal Language Figurative language is a language in which the individual expresses his or her ideas and thoughts with the help of words having more than one meaning. Figurative language is an important part of writing and is also widely used in speech. To understand this language one has to use his or her imagination. Without it no one can figure out the exact meaning of the words the author wants to say. For instance, when someone says that it’s raining cats and dogs, it actually means that it is raining very hard. Terms Idioms Idioms are those terms in the figurative language in which the words, phrases and expressions are either grammatically unique or have meaning that can be literally understood by the individual. For example, an idiom: ‘after John had broken the window, he decided to face the music and tell his mother. ‘ Meaning: to accept the unpleasant consequences of one's actions With the help of an idiom, it becomes very easy for a person to narrate their native-language but if the person is using the language of other culture, sometimes it becomes an entirely unapproachable thing. Analogy If in the figurative language in order to highlight some point of similarity, the author does comparison between two different things. This style of speech is known as analogy...
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...Gender and Language Gender and Language is an interesting topic that results motivating to investigate about. It has been studied for a long time due to its importance on discourse analysis nowadays. There are many aspects that for me, we must consider before giving an opinion about it. Both genders have their own uniqueness and qualifications and at the same time these features turn to reflect on cultural aspects, which make this topic even more complex for a deeper study. So within this topic are various facets related to differences between men´s and women´s language as well as if women talk more or less than men, if women´s speech is less straight, precise and pertinent than men´s, and also there are biological factors to consider. Robin...
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...Second and Third language Since god separated human’s by causing their languages differ that led to the failure to build a building that is tall enough to reach the skies as according to The Bible, everyone have a different mother tongue, or known as the First Language. As for me, my mother tongue was Mandarin. According to my lovely mother, I was born in a Chinese family background, and I was raised speaking Mandarin as my first language. The first few proper words that I was able to utter properly were in Mandarin as well. Thus, I speak Mandarin as my mother tongue. Although my first education institution was the kindergartens, I was not taught to refine and improve my language skills thoroughly. Few years after that, I was enrolled into a Chinese Primary School, St. James Primary, where most of the students there speak Mandarin as well. Starting from Primary level, I’ve been taught to refine my language skills for few more language. From listening, speaking, to reading and also writing, I learnt new words every day in my primary school life. The next language that I learnt in my life was no other than English. English was one of the most important languages in the world as it remains the most spoken and used language regardless of aspects, let it be commercial or general use or even politics. I was taught to speak English since primary level as it was introduced into our learning syllabus. But I was not granted the chance to improve and enhance my language skills until secondary...
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...Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said "The limits of my language are the limits of my world." What are the limits of language and our world? The limits of our language are our knowledge, skills and abilities to use them, and our world - this is our vision, we know how to get along with others. Through language we share information about the world around us. If you do not master the language fully, these limits will prevent us from fully share their views on our environment. Then I will give only partial information, such as allowing our knowledge. Others around us will take the part for the whole and complete, and will conclude that they have betrayed everything we want and that the limits of our world. Boundaries of our world are not only our knowledge of a language, but for different languages. On our planet there are very different to each other languages and cultures. As we meet someone with whom we have a common language, then we can not understand it, nor did he understand us. But you are blind and deaf people, some of whom can not learn spoken language, does this mean that they will never be able to know the world and to convey their opinions? The answer is no, because languages are spoken only: braille letters enable the blind to explore the world, a zhestomimikata helps the deaf to communicate with others. Despite what factors determine the limits of our language, they limit our world from the perspective of others - for them that our world is part of...
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...English: “… but if you go to an interview and you can't shake hands, look someone in the eye and speak in the appropriate register, you are not going to get the job or place at university”. Sheffield Spring academy advises its pupils to avoid the use of informal words such as “hiya” and “ta” when they’re in school. The teachers will try to learn the pupils when to use Standard English and when to use colloquial language. Kathy August from The United Learning Trust (ULT) says that by doing this they will enhance their prospects of getting a job or a place at the university; so basically the reason is that you won’t be declined because of your accent. The thing about slang is that it is very appealing to children and adolescents. Slang is part of Black English. Maria Manning researched how it was used in a school and saw to her big surprise that many children of different ethnic backgrounds used slang. The main reason was that they wanted to rebel against a culture that had nothing to offer them. Both white and black pupils, who are from the most deprived parts of England as Sheffield Spring, feel excluded from the “British culture” which represents Standard English. This could be a reason why the “slang prohibition” won’t work. Maybe it will just make them more belligerent against the culture. According to the text “Standard English and Received Pronunciation” some people think that the link between accent and social status is weakening. On the other hand we have some...
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...Study on the Impact of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and New Media on Language Learning EACEA 2007/09 ANNEXE II QUANTITATIVE SURVEY Commissioned by: Carried out by: © European Commission STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT) AND NEW MEDIA ON LANGUAGE LEARNING ANNEXE II: QUANTITATIVE SURVEY 2 STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT) AND NEW MEDIA ON LANGUAGE LEARNING This is an Annexe to the Final Report of the study regarding the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) and new media on language learning which was commissioned by the Education and Culture Executive Agency (call for tenders EACEA 2007/09) and carried out by Ellinogermaniki Agogi through an international team of experts. Edited and compiled by In conjunction with Reviewers of literature: Field studies: Anne Stevens, The Open University UK Lesley Shield, e-learning consultant Lesley Shield, e-learning consultant (review in the area of CALL) Katerina Zourou, University of Luxembourg (review in other areas) Cyprus Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Spain UK International interviews Data analysis: External advisor: Project Manager: Commissioned by: Pavlos Koulouris, Ellinogermaniki Agogi Peppi Taalas, University of Jyväskylä Ilona Laakkonen, University of Jyväskylä Katerina Zourou, University of Luxembourg Daniela Stai, Ellinogermaniki Agogi Dagmar Schäffer, Ellinogermaniki Agogi Pavlos...
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...Languages in the U.S. COM/150 May 1, 2010 M. Lynn O’Donnell Have you ever noticed how many people speak a different language? It seems there are many people in the US who speak foreign languages and have limited English comprehension; so how do we adjust to this growing population? While foreign languages are taught more frequently and encouraged by employers, adversity surrounding Spanish speaking individuals in the US and their ability to support themselves remain. In recent years it has been documented that foreign languages are being taught more frequently. More Americans are studying foreign languages than before, data obtained from a 2006 survey indicates over 1.5 million college students were enrolled in foreign language courses in 2006 fall class schedules. American colleges and universities indicate Spanish as the most widely taught language. Other languages that are showing an increase in enrollment at a steady pace are French, German and Russian. With so many individuals coming from different countries to work or live with families already in the US it is becoming almost a necessity to be able to speak another language to communicate effectively with others. Foreign languages are becoming popular among college students as well as adults that have completed their education and are looking to expand their job skills. Some individuals make the choice to take these classes simply to communicate with others who are of limited English speaking ability. Most...
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...Vernacular Language Jessica Trevino AIU Online University Vernacular Language Vernacular is defined as using a language that is native to a country or province rather than a cultured, foreign or literary language. The Vernacular languages would also be considered as the large family of contemporary romantic language. Vernacular languages would one day be known to use as Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and others as well. In the twenty century, Latin was the major language that was used for literature and to be educated. The Latin language was influenced by many others in the native language that included those of Celtic languages, Greek and Etruscan. The Latin languages were consistently developed due to the fact there were significant differences during each period. These differences included those in the literary written language and also due to differences in the spoken language of he educated and those of the less educated population lower class. When it all started the Latin language was the only italic language that belonged to the Indo-European linguistic family and the development of these languages were generated or taken by other tongues, including the language known as Celtic, Etruscan and Greek. The Latin language under went reconstruction, during its evolution stage, between the literary written language which was very different from the way it was spoken and conformed to the educated versus to that of the less educated versus that was most used by...
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...LANGUAGE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSIGNMENT Examine the socio-cultural and political and religious implications of English as a national language in a multi lingual society like Nigeria. What is Language? Hornby (2001:667) defines language as the system of communication in speech and writing that is used by a people of a particular country. Oderinde (2005) sees language as a “system and vehicle of communication. Language is a symbol used by members of a given society, both in written and oral form. What is a Nation and a National Language? According to the Oxford Learners Dictionary, a nation is also considered as a group of people with the same language, culture and history who live in a particular area under one government. Countries like Cameroun, France, Thailand, Switzerland, United States of America etc. are nation states . A national language is a language or language dialect that has some connection with a people and the territory they occupy. It can be described as a dominant language in a multilingual environment used for regional and nation-wide communication. French is used as a mother tongue and national language in France, Thai in Thailand, Urdu in Pakistan, English in the United Kingdom and English in Nigeria but some scholars have argued that Nigeria cannot be called a nation exactly because of the presence of various ethnic groups which have their own languages, Hausa, Yoruba and Ibo being...
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...Language and Memory Tina Sams Psych 560 June 1st, 2013 Dr. Pauline Pitt Language and Memory Introduction Language is the thing that is very important to an individual. It is the way that people communicate with each other. Along with the language there are types of memory that the individual has to acquire that is very vital to the language. The individual have to form sentences, phrases and even paragraphs that will help them express the meanings on what they want to say and how they say it. A lot of people believe that when we talk or speak it is almost without the thought and is done without thinking and unconsciously. In this paper it will explain or seek to explain the relationship between the semantic memory and the language production. Nature and Function The semantic memory is a fancy word for the word knowledge. How we gather and gain the knowledge over the years is quite entertaining and very intriguing. It is an awesome experience that knowing that each individual has the ability to retrieve the information from the long term memory banks that the individual has stored whether that be in high school or even elementary. Each of us learn thing is a different perspective that the other one for example, brushing our teeth, or matching the clothes and this is all done with the use of our semantic memory. These are things that individuals just know how to do and there is no event or teaching or learning technique that is used when they have to learn...
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...us “further and further from ourselves to other selves, from our worlds to other worlds”. Drawing from this readings, argue for or against this statement. Ngugi (1986) argues that language and identity are inseparable, and that a global language robs people of their identities. I however believe that language does in a way guide how we perceive the world but it in no means defines who we are. Identity as explained by Gervais-Lambony (2006) develops over time and is shaped from our social experiences. Identity is not fixed and can change over time to how we want people to perceive us. In this discussion I shall argue against Ngugi’s statement by drawing from readings that opposes what Ngugi says. Ngugi (1986) feels that English was forced upon him and that his home language and his culture were taken away. For Ngugi identity, culture and language are closely linked. Therefore he feels that if one’s language is taken away so is your identity. An author that agrees with his statements is Appiah (1999) who has a strong traditional sense of what it means to be an African. Appiah uses the word tribe when he speaks of identity ( Appiah 1999: 42 ) “ a tribe is thought of as a group of people who are descended from common ancestors and ruled by a chief , who share a single culture including language and religion”. Ngugi and Appiah do not believe that there is any choice in identity, they believe that identity is fixed. On the contrary Kamwangamalu (2004) argues that one can choose...
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