Language/Noam Chomsky's theory of universal grammar

The history of language

(Questions and answers based on the video)

1. Why is it said that people in East Africa developed more than the rest?

Because they developed a better language.

2. What happened to the earlier languages on Earth?

They were erased, they no longer exist.

3. According to Dr Johanna Nichols, what were the first utterances made by Humans?

The fist utterances made by humans were sounds and calls.

Language: constant change


1. What is the biblical story of "the Tower of Babel"?

The story is about a group of people that tryed to build a tower that reached heaven. God, after seeing their avarice, punished them, making every people talk a diferent language.

2. What does historical evidence tell us of this biblical event?

The time the story takes place is the same were the earlier civilizations started, and also the variety of languages now days.

3. What's the relationship between genes and language?

There is no relationship between genes and language.

4. Why do languages constantly change?

Because of the relation with our peers and slang.

(Questions and answers based on the folowin video)

The power of language

The story of the Tower of Babel

1. What does the image, and the story, suggest about the benefits of everyone speaking the same language? What are the drawbacks? 

That its easyer to comunicate between each other and to organise themselves as a group. A drawback is that there would be no ethnical variety.

2. What does the story suggest about the social functions of language?

That language is what makes us what we are as a group. If we understand between each other, we will be able to work togeather, and reach a comon objective.

 Tower of babel story:

Up until this point in the Bible, the whole world had one language - one common speech for all people. The people of the earth became skilled in construction and decided to build a city with a tower that would reach to heaven. By building the tower they wanted to make a name for themselves and also prevent their city from being scattered.

God came to see their city and the tower they were building. He perceived their intentions, and in His infinite wisdom, He knew this "stairway to heaven" would only lead the people away from God. He noted the powerful force within their unity of purpose. 

As a result, God confused their language, causing them to speak different languages so they would not understand each other. By doing this, God thwarted their plans. He also scattered the people of the city all over the face of the earth.

Why do we talk?- activity 1

Why do we talk?


Questions:

1. Which is the 'trick' (process) that enables us to communicate something to others?

 Language, or the ability to talk. We push air out of our mouths to produce sounds,(or words) to comunicate what we think.

2. Do animals talk? If not, What do they do to communicate?

 Animals don't talk. They comunicate with sounds and gestures.

3. What do we express when we talk?

What we think.

4. WHat did Dr Deb Roy try to achieve in his house?

To discover how a child learns how to talk. Also to understand earlier stages of language formation.

5. Which are the earliest stages in language for a child?

Babbling, then using single words.

6. What external and internal factors made the data recollected in the experiment into something they could use?

They recorded sounds, and how this ones developed into words and sentences. This develop was influenced by the parents language.

7. How did the parent's speech change from their son's first word until he could utter more complex structures?

They first used simple words, like nouns, something easy for the child to learn. As he was growing, his parents started using more complex words and sentences.

8. What does Dr Deb Roy compare the "blossoming" of a speech form?

He compares it with the blossoming of a flower.

(Questions were answered based on the followin video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75XxjJYuV7I