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Teaching Synonymy, 2008.
This paper discusses the problems of synonymy in the English language and suggests ways of teaching the correct usage.
1,930 words (approx. 7.7 pages), 6 sources, APA, $ 61.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that some linguists insist that in order for true synonymy to exist the two words must be identical in meaning when they are transposed into the same sentence; however, this is often not possible because of the dual meanings that some words possess and the possibility that switching the words may have a different impact on the reader because of slang. The author points out that, when different cultures are considered in relation to words, the sameness may become confusing because the words or phrases are interpreted by people with differing cultural associations. The paper stresses that teaching synonymy requires students to work on activities, which are directly related to each concept. The author analyzes the contents of an included email and suggests teaching activities.
From the Paper
"Klembe (1983) states that "utterances" may classify as synonymy. This is because utterances are expressions that may not have a specific meaning if broken down word by word, but they do have an implied meaning if they are interpreted as the speaker intended them to be understood. Field, (2001) states, however, that defining utterances as synonymy is much the same as arbitrarily insisting that a word or phrase has meaning when it does not.. Yet, Fine (1993) stipulates that Aristotle accepted both approaches as arguments and that ultimately how synonymy was determined was left to the listener. "
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Social Colloquialisms, 2008.
A research proposal on social labeling and its significance, with a focus on the subject of gender.
1,186 words (approx. 4.7 pages), 5 sources, APA, $ 40.95
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Abstract
The paper relates that social labeling is identified as qualifying terms attached to specific constructs found within general social interactions. The paper explains that the purpose of this study is to identify those social colloquialisms that are used to identify gender within common parlance. The paper states the scope of the study, the research questions, the methods of assessment as well as the format and timetable.
Outline:
Purpose of the Study
Scope of the Study
Methods
Outline and Timetable
From the Paper
"The pervasiveness of social labeling has resulted in the investigation of these words as representative of values shared throughout a specific society. Early research by Brooks-Gunn and Lewis (1979), for example, sought to identify why children between 9 to 24 months of age were more likely to associate the label "daddy" with an authority figure while the label "mommy" was more likely to be associated with a nurturing figure. The authors found that these two terms were heavily saturated within information communicated to infants and children, such as nursery rhymes, and that the children absorbed these social labels without attaching any qualifying information to these terms."
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The English Language, 2008.
Argues that the future of the English language promises to be an eventful one.
1,880 words (approx. 7.5 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 60.95
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Abstract
This paper asserts that there is every reason to believe that the English language will continue to divide and sub-divide in much the same way as the ancient Indo-European language of which it is a descendant divided and sub-divided over time. The paper further asserts that one can reasonably expect to see the denotative and, especially, connotative meanings of words change as societal attitudes and perceptual paradigms change. Lastly, the paper asserts that, as society evolves and new innovations muscle their way to the fore, new words and expressions will enter the lexicon - helped along by the fact that English has always been very good at borrowing from other languages when striving to find an apt descriptor for a new "thing" or phenomenon. The paper concludes that, in the end, the English language will continue to grow more dynamic, larger, and will most likely continue to freely take from other languages.
From the Paper
"For instance, Fred C. Robinson writes that a statement such as King Edward's in Henry VI, "Warwick was a bug that feared us all," would be incomprehensible to today's readers without an appreciation of how the noun, "bug," and the past-tense of the verb "fear", which is to say "feared," have both changed in meaning over the centuries. To be specific, in sixteenth and early seventeenth century England - the England of Shakespeare's time - a bug meant "an object of terror, a bug-bear," and the verb, "feared," meant something quite a bit different than the common modern-day understanding which holds that the subject in the sentence is afraid of someone or something."
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A Dialectological Study, 2007.
This paper is a dialectological study of the Peel Region, Southern Ontario, a mainly suburban area of Toronto with many new Canadians from around the world.
1,010 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 4 sources, APA, $ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that a dialectological study of the Peel region first seemed impossible due to the high ethnic diversity of the region; however, the research revealed that Peel does feature an idiom different from that of Toronto. The author points out that some verification was possible when contrasting what was heard of the English spoken by diverse Torontonians on public transit as compared to the English that new Canadians acquired if they both lived and worked in Peel. The paper stresses that this research underscores that it is not true that globalization has created a world of uniform speakers of American-English. The author concludes that this preliminary research produced the thesis that the rise of local economies that absorb people who might otherwise commute to work elsewhere promises a degree of insularity to encourage certain forms of expression. It also seemed that the first language spoken mattered less than the kind of English one learned or adopted in Canada.
Table of Contents:
Telling Remarks
Discussion
Concluding Remarks
From the Paper
"A man born in Punjab, a Canadian for 25 years, stated that there could be no Peel dialect due to a diverse population and the influence of TV that had made North American accents quite similar. At the same time, he used to syllable of "eh" and also happened to use another bit of rural jargon in referring to having gone "down" to Kingston recently when most certainly he meant across. A total of 10 subjects agreed with his opinion that there was no Peel accent or dialect but said that they found the English spoken in Toronto very halting, as if it was assumed that no stranger had English as the first language or a good command of it."
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Human Language and Mathematics, 2007.
This paper discuses that mathematics and human language are very similar in structure and form because they can both be broken down into ever smaller functional units.
1,520 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that regressions are preformed all the time in mathematics, which involve the division of numbers into innate and precise formal units; however, this is not a common practice in human language other than by theorists of deconstruction techniques. The author points out that the deconstruction of language, both verbal and non-verbal, has been a practice of linguists, philosophers and critical theorists for many years. The paper relates that verbal and non-verbal human communication is comprised of both signs and symbols,which together form a recognized code, or what laymen commonly refer to as a language. The author underscores that there is a significant problem in reaching some consensus on what constitutes a verbal sign or symbol because of significant confusion regarding both meaning and intent.
From the Paper
"The solution to developing a better understanding of the relationship between sign and symbol in order to make the case for a deep similarity between human language and mathematics is to develop a more pragmatic framework within which to develop a more complete paradigm of the communicative process of verbal and non-verbal communication. Devlin does this when he speaks of the grammar generated, deep structure strings in the text of the "Language in the Mind". Some theorists say this need is a distinction that must be better developed between components of a sign to define as the signified and the signifier."
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How Children Learn Language, 2007.
A review of a book on the language of infants and toddlers by Roberta Golinkoff and Kathy Hirsch-Pasek, entitled "How Babies Talk: The Magic and Mystery of Language in the First Three Years of Life".
994 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the book "How Babies Talk: The Magic and Mystery of Language in the First Three Years of Life" by Roberta Golinkoff and Kathy Hirsch-Pasek." It explains that the book is geared toward parents with infants who are interested in tracking how their children learn language. The paper looks at a portion of this book which is devoted to "experiments" that parents can do with their children. This also paper examines the style in which the book is written, the language used and the use of humour. Overall the writer was not impressed with this book and feels that it adds very little to the study of language development.
Outline:
Overview
In Utero
Tactile Learning
Babbling and Other Things
Toddlers
Conclusion
From the Paper
"The authors of this book, Roberta Golinkoff and Kathy Hirsch-Pasek, claim that the fetus is being prepared to hear "the contours of our voice and the cadences of speech without ever hearing words the way that we do" (13). The words that the fetus hears, the authors state, is like the swimming pool game of guessing words spoken underwater.It is possible to hear the syllables and pitch of those words, but in most cases the words are indistinct at best. Using an experiment that monitored fetal heart rate, which declines initially before rising again when the fetus is exposed to a new experience, researchers found that babies can even differentiate between new sounds even in the uterus (14-15). Other experiments revealed that the fetus could determine differences in music and in poetry as well."
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Children and Language, 2006.
A review of Paul Bloom's book, "How Children Learn the Meanings of Words", on language acquisition in children.
1,045 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 36.95
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Abstract
In this book review of "How Children Learn the Meanings of Words", author Paul Bloom's theory of language acquisition in small children is explained. The paper discusses the primary theory called the "theory of mind," which is also called naive psychology. The paper explains that the book presents this theory on language acquisition through descriptions of research, presented in a clear and largely conversational manner. The writer of the review recommends this book to both students and to parents interested in helping their children acquire language.
Outline:
Theory of Mind
Fast Mapping
Objects and Concepts
Context Learning
About this Book
Conclusion
From the Paper
"This book describes the process of language acquisition through syntactic cues that are present in the child's environment. Such a process is not just a part of language acquisition, but is also part of other forms of reasoning as well. The capacity to learn language in such a way belongs to human beings alone. Although other mammals are capable of communicating in what could be considered to be a limited language, only humans have the capability to acquire abstract concepts."
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A Chinese Writer's Critique Of American Values, 2007.
A review of "The Classroom and the Wider Culture: Identity as a Key to Learning English Composition", written by the Chinese writer Fan Shen.
837 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 29.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the essay, "The Classroom and the Wider Culture: Identity as a Key to Learning English Composition", written by the Chinese writer Fan Shen. It explains how Shen presents an explanation of the conflicting cultural forces underlying American style writing as opposed to those underlying Chinese style writing. The paper reviews and critiques Shen's article.
From the Paper
"Many others writers share this attitude. They believe firmly that if a student presents material lifted from existing sources without attribution, the student is guilty of plagiarism, and plagiarism is not tolerated in American schools. Hobbs collects the comments of several ESL instructors voicing the frustration of instructors who confront this problem. They find plagiarism deeply offensive and state that the only reasonable sanction was to require a student to redo the paper, generally with a automatic substantial reduction of the grade. One instructor suggested that a student caught plagiarizing material should be required to make an open public confession before his classmates before being expelled. (Hobbs)"
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Language Preceding Thought, 2007.
An in-depth look at human language.
2,573 words (approx. 10.3 pages), 16 sources, MLA, $ 77.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews and discusses human language. According to the paper, human language as an ability is a very intricate competence that cannot be defined within a confined dynamic because it can modify into numerous structures and can be both recorded,signed and articulated. The paper reports that one of the most efficient and simplest ways to cover the dynamics of a language is by recognizing and defining its indispensable elements.
Outline:
Introduction
The Cognitive Approach
LRH: Summary
Thought Determines Language
Studies of Development
The Interdependence of Language and Thought
Summary
From the Paper
"Numerous subsequent studies, over the years, have backed this notion. The group of studies now being mentioned mainly studies the relation of the recognitions of concepts with the application of language. Tomasello and Farrar (1986) in their study focused on the understanding of the relational terms such as 'gone', 'down' and 'up' while analyzing the growth of the idea of an entity's solidity. They concluded that the changes that occurred while the object was visible were more quickly observed as opposed to when the object was not visible. Sinclair-de-Zwart (1969) in her study mainly concentrated on the child's ability to save or store info that if and when an object modifies its shape, it does not, in affect, modify its volume or mass. She observed that if the children understood the terminologies related to the change then they were able to store the info and not otherwise. She also observed that the children if did not understand the meaning of the words, teaching them the use of the words was inconsequent. Hence, all these studies support the understanding of thoughts and concepts for the effective use of language."
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Linguistic Profiling, 2007.
This paper discusses linguistic profiling and its damaging ramifications.
944 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 33.95
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Abstract
The paper defines linguistic profiling as the act of determining the characteristics of one's socioeconomic status and/or race based on the way one uses language. The paper examines Dr. John Baugh's study that shows how when a voice sounds African-American or Mexican-American, discriminatory action is likely to follow. The paper discusses how potential employers, mortgage service providers, real estate agents and many other service providing individuals and companies use stereotyping judgments based on linguistic profiling.
From the Paper
"The term, "linguistic profiling," was invented by the Margaret Bush Wilson Professor and Director of African American Studies in Arts and Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, Dr. John Baugh. His study indicated that when a voice sounds African-American or Mexican-American, discriminatory action is likely to follow (Rice, 2006). Baugh conducted routine analysis of the interactions of various groups, individuals, and aspects of communication to determine much of the disadvantages and dangers of linguistic profiling. The abundance of dangers and disadvantages was anything but lacking. There proved to be downsides in every regard."
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Whorfian Hypothesis, 2007.
An analysis of the relevance of the Whorfian Hypothesis (WH) to language learning.
3,802 words (approx. 15.2 pages), 12 sources, MLA, $ 104.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the relevance of the Whorfian Hypothesis (WH) - also referred to as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis - to language learning, in particular for the person who learned (or is learning) English as a second language. It looks at how there are conflicting views on the meaning of and application of WH - and on the value of this hypothesis about language. It reviews the available literature on the subject and offers value judgments on the significance of WH in various applications and learning environments.
From the Paper
"The operating hypothesis put forward was that a movie created entirely by this group might reveal "aspects of cognition and values that may be inhibited, not observable, or not analyzable" when the process of investigation relies on "verbal exchange" conducted in the language of the investigator. Moreover, producing film images then sequencing those images by editing, cutting and pasting, just might help researchers understand better the WH. Another operating theory here is that by treating the visual as though it were a language, and then following up by comparing the two "linguistic structures" (visual and verbal) - believing that both make statements about cognition and culture "across two modes" - may provide a context in which the Whorfian manner comes clearer into focus. "
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"Bilingual/Bilingue", 2007.
This paper studies the poem "Bilingual/Bilingue" by Rhina Espaillat.
1,968 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 62.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer explains that "Bilingual/Bilingue" by Rhina Espaillat is a depiction of a girl growing up in a Spanish speaking household in the United States. The writer notes that through excellent language choices and the successful use of literary devices, Espaillat captures the difficulties of living in an English speaking country while coming from a Spanish speaking home. The writer describes that "Bilingual/Bilingue" is a personal account of the realities of bilingualism, and shows how it is possible to overcome language and cultural barriers to learn a second language. The writer concludes that real life examples and the girl in "Bilingual/Bilingue" both show that the original language remains a part of one's culture and identity and that language barriers are an obstacle, but not a permanent one.
From the Paper
"It is out of this fear that he resists English in the household, but his daughter, who studies English extensively in and outside of the house on her own, comes to become more than proficient in English. She realizes what her father does not, that language is not a divisive force, and that she can express herself fully in English, her second language. Thus Espaillat is writing on the success people can achieve in learning and living in the United States as a bilingual individual. Language will not divide her from her father, and she can become a successful English poet growing up in a Spanish household. The cultural and linguistic challenges she faced she was able to overcome."
"Espaillat's perspective on the issue of bilingualism individually and as a society is backed up by both empirical and qualitative research. In fact, although Espaillat's childhood experience was many years ago in the 1930s, issues she faced and issues she overcame are relevant to this day. For instance, a 2007 study on bilingual Latino and Latina adolescents evaluated the role of the Spanish language and bilingualism for both gifted and non-gifted students. This study found that for these bilingual students, regardless of level of academic achievement, that Spanish was their native language."
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Linguistics and Free Word Order, 2007.
A review of recent literature related to 'free word order' or 'scrambling' in Asian languages such as Japanese and Korean.
4,568 words (approx. 18.3 pages), 23 sources, APA, $ 118.95
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Abstract
This work reviews historical and recent literature related to 'free word order' languages, or those, which use 'scrambling' in sentence structure. These terms relate specifically to the placement of nouns and verbs within a sentence. The social theory of language acquisition is reviewed as well as cultural influences on language acquisition specifically related to 'free word order' language structure. Word order in various languages is examined and recent studies are reviewed.
Outline:
Objective
Introduction
Socio-Cultural Formation of Speech and Language
Previous Study in Language Acquisition
Differentiation between 'verb salient' and 'noun salient' Languages
Word Order in the Various Languages
Non-Configurationality in Languages
Computer-generated Processing of Languages
Summary
Bibliography
From the Paper
" 'Free word order' languages are those in which the structure of a sentence is constructed loosely in relation to the placement of nouns and verbs. The writer notes in the research process that there are many and various explanations and theories surrounding the structure or lack of structure in the free word order languages. Grammatical encoding has never been quite as relevant as in the present as computer-generated language translation is in use frequently in the lives of many. Communication barriers presented are evident in the confused communications and specifically between languages such as the English language with its formally structured sentence use of nouns and verbs and the languages of Korean and Japanese both 'free word order' languages.. "
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Theory of Grammaticalization, 2007.
A discussion of the theory of grammaticalization as it is defined within current linguistic literature.
3,452 words (approx. 13.8 pages), 12 sources, APA, $ 97.95
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Abstract
This academic paper examines contemporary linguistic theory, with a focus on grammaticalization in the development of language. This analysis is made for both language form and in acquisition by individuals. The author challenges the idea that language is structural. The paper addresses this issue by evaluating ideas that view grammaticalization as an epiphenomenon of language.
Outline
Abstract
Introduction
Epiphenomenon
Grammaticalization Defined
Grammaticalization as Epiphenominon
Works Cited
From the Paper
"In a sense the epiphenomenon of grammaticalization, as many would claim is the psychological response to the neurologically fixed brain functioning that creates workable mental shortcuts through the utilization of commonly occurring rules that are unique to individual languages and to some extent people. The brain functions to save the individual undue work in forming language, when common rules are oft repeated and in so doing, as the theory goes it leaves the individual capable of the creation of language in an easy almost non-thinking manner. (Anderson, and Lightfoot 162) Yet, when an individual attempts, once these shortcuts have been set, to learn a unique language, a variation of ones own language, say modern English as compared to Middle English or even the English spoken in another country in the present world, he or she is stymied by these shortcuts as they would need to be eradicated or altered (which theory claims is difficult if not impossible to do) to think in and become fluent in another language. (Healy 3)"
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Native American Influence on American English, 2007.
An analysis of the history of certain American English words that have their roots in Native-American languages.
2,938 words (approx. 11.8 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 86.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the influence of Native-American languages on American English. It begins by discussing the variety, origin and roots of Native-American languages. It then discusses early contact between settlers and Native-Americans and the evidence that has been found to suggest that American English was influenced by this contact, particularly the names of places names that were named after the tribes that occupied the location.
Table of Contents:
The Lumbee
What Does this Mean for Native American Words in American English?
From the Paper
"In conclusion, tribal languages are typically spoken only in places where tribal members are isolated. However, it is doubtful if there are any areas left where the tribal language is spoken exclusively. Typically the tribal language exists alongside English. As the number of native speakers diminishes, so does the usage of that language until it is eventually extinguished. This has been the fate of many native languages. The remnants that remain in American English are testimony to their existence. In some cases they are one of the last remaining references to their existence. The study of native American words in the English language gives us a glimpse into many ancient languages that are long forgotten and can give us clues to the cultures of these people as well. The study of Native language remnants is a testimony to the tribes and peoples that once represented the dominant culture in North America."
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