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Language can refer to the mental faculty which allows people to learn and use complex communication systems, or it can refer to those systems themselves. Language consists of a system of signs with agreed or conventional meanings combined according to a set of rules for the purposes of communication, formulation of ideas, storage of knowledge or as a medium of thought. The term “signs” can be interpreted very broadly to include letters, symbols, sounds, gestures, images and even objects. Language is a crucial part of our daily lives, but is also filled with potential problem areas, for example, ambiguity, sarcasm, irony and translation issues.
Language plays an important role in communicating knowledge. However, some see language as having an even more central role, arguing that language doesn’t just describe our experiences of the world but in fact actually structures those experiences. In the section on the knowledge framework there is a discussion about whether certain types of knowledge are actually constituted by language—the idea that language is part and parcel of the knowledge claim itself and not merely a description of something that exists independently of language. The view that facts about the world might be determined by the language is called linguistic determinism.
Language and ways of Knowing TED talk:
As ToK students, we should think about how language communicates knowledge, and some of the problems that might creep up when we try to pass on knowledge through signs as symbols. One fascinating topic that you might not have heard of is the debate over ‘linguistic determinism’. This is the idea that language determines the way we think.
Language.pdf
Multilingualism/Code-switching
Watch the video below- pretty impressive?
Why does the child speak English?
There are several reasons to switch codes in a single conversation.
A particular topic: People generally switch codes during discourse about a particular topic, since it requires specific language; varieties related to a particular topic may be better able to convey or communicate issues surrounding it.
Quoting someone: People have to switch codes while quoting another person.
Solidarity and gratitude: While expressing gratitude or solidarity, people may speak in ways that express these feelings.
Clarification: Speakers may alter their speech when listeners have trouble understanding how they communicated a thought or idea before.
Group identity: People may alter their language to express group identification. This can happen, for example, when introducing members of a particular group to others.
To soften or strengthen command: While asking someone to do something, code switching works to mark emphasis or provide inspiration.
Lexical need: People often use some technical terms or words written in another language. In that case, if people try to translate those words, that might distort the exact meaning and value of the word or term. In this case, code switching occurs to maintain the exact meaning of the word.
Is language diversity a good thing, or should we all speak the same language?
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