Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Angela Lockard Reed

Outline 4, September 17, 2003

Language

I           American Tongues

            A          Note examples of communicative competence that are different from linguistic competence.

            B          Based on examples from the video, do you see evidence for or against the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

            C         In what ways is the video a study of pragmatics as linguistic anthropologists define the term?

            D         Based on examples from the video, explain how the different ways in which we speak the same language creates or perpetuates linguistic inequality.

            E          Based on examples from the video, identify different discourse (series of answers and responses in a conversation) genres (types) in American speech patterns.

II           Language

            A          Anthropological interest in language:

            B          Language uses symbols as well as signals

                        1          Symbols

                        2          Signal

            C         How does language differ from the communication systems of other animals?

                        1          Design features of human language

                                    a          Openness

                                    b          Displacement

                                                c          Arbitrariness

                                                d          Multilevel patterning

                                                e          Semanticity

                                    f           Prevarication

            D         Language is different than speech and communication.

                        1          Speech

                        2          Human communication

            E          Language use

                        1          Native speakers

                        2          Speech communities

                        4          Linguistic competence

                        5          Communicative competence

                                    a          Code switching

                                    b          Sociolinguistics/Pragmatics

            F          The study of Language

                        1          Ethnolinguistics

                        2          Linguistic relativity (Sapir-Whorf hypothesis)

            H          Non-verbal human communication

                        1          Kinesics

                        2          Paralanguage