Theories of Speech

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at the article "Linguistics in Action" where Susan Ehrlich offers insight into the interrelationships between culture and language. The paper then reviews Roger Farr's article "Protest Genres and Pragmatics of Dissent" where he looks at dissent strategies, Marie Annharte Baker's article "Borrowing Enemy Language: A First Nation Woman Use of English" where she discusses language as a tool of oppression and colonialisation and Janet Giltrow's article "Academic Reading" which focuses on the first person narrative.

From the Paper:

"One of the things that differentiate humans from other animals is our ability to communicate with each in a variety of very effective ways. Of these communication methods, speech is the method that most effectively distinguishes us from other animals, and which, arguably, has been most important in our progress to our dominance of all other species. However, speech is so ubiquitous that we seldom pause to think about how it works. However, some linguists and other theorists have paused to think about it, and have come up with interesting theories about how language works."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Baker, Marie Annharte. "Borrowing Enemy Language: A First Nation Woman Use of English." West Coast Line, 10(27/1) (Spring, 1993).
• Ehrlich, Susan. "Linguistics in Action." Words in Common: Essays on Language, Culture and Society. Ed. Gillian Thomas. Don Mills: Addison-Wesley Longman, 1999.
• Farr, Roger. "Protest Genres and Pragmatics of Dissent."
• Giltrow, Janet. Ed. Academic Reading. 3rd edition. Toronto: Broadview, 2000.
• Sparks, Allister. (1990). The Mind of South Africa. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

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• Analytical Essay # 141343 : "Canada: The Law and Freedom of Speech"
• Term Paper # 209 : "Theories of Language Acquisition: Peters, Chomsky, and Brown"
• Essay # 2979 : "The Evolution of Speech in Hominids"

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