Language and the Self

Innateness and learning

The relationship between language and thought

The relationship between language and social identity

Read and demonstrate critical understanding of unseen texts relating to 'Language and the Self'

Select and analyze pertinent ideas and examples from the texts

Relate those ideas and examples to theories, theorists, and studies from their wider research in the relevant topic area

Sythesize these considerations into a coherent analytical essay

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Linguistic Relativity: The idea that the structure of a language affects how its speakers see the world and understand things. (Ex. Snow)

Linguistic Determinism: The idea that a language and its structures limit and determine how its speakers think and how they understand things. (People who speak different languages have different thought processes) (Ex. Russian words for blue)

Instrumental Function: Using language to express one's needs

Interactional Function: Using language to engage with others

Personal Function: Using language to express thoughts about oneself

Regulatory Function: Using language to affect the behavior of others

Idiolect: An individual's distinctive and personalized use of language

Sociolect: The variety of language shared by people in a particular social group. Ex: That man has hyperhidrosis / That man sweats a lot

Genderlect: A variety of language considered to be (at least in part) determined by the user's gender (Ex. Women may talk to someone and try to find common ground while men may talk more about personal achievements)

The self develops through stages of learning

The relationship between our language and our thought is complicated; some theorists argue that language limits or determines thought.

The idea of self seems to involve some aspects of acting or performing

Self: An individual's idea of themselves as a unique and unified entity (Something that makes someone unique)

Self-Esteem: Belief in one's own abilities and worth as a person (Ex. High self-esteem = acting assertively without feeling any doubts)

Self-Identity: The characteristics, physical and psychological, which a person sees as making up their sense of self throughout their life (Labels we use to describe ourselves)

Speech Community: A group of people defined by their shared linguistic norms and expectations (NYC)

Face: In politeness theory, an individual's sense of their own image and how they are pervaded in social contexts. (Politeness)

Positive Face: Our wish to have our self-image approved of by others (Ex. Having a positive self-image)

Negative Face: Our wish to not let other people impose upon us- this preserving our freedom to act (Ex. Freedom to make own decisions)

Any form of words which creates a risk that our own face needs -- or the face needs of anyone with whom we are interacting, will be damaged (Ex. Please pay attention)

Politeness Strategies: Methods used by speakers to minimize the negative effects of face-threatening acts. (Using jokes, nicknames, honorifics)

Most people modify their language to avoid FTA

Hedges: words and phrases used to soften the force of an utterance (expresses indecisiveness or doubt) (Ex. Assume, may, seem)

Modal Verbs: A verb that expresses necessity or possibility (Ex. Must, should, shall)

Maxim of Quantity: Only say as much or as little as you need to in a situation

Maxim of Quality: Only say what you know to be true

Maxim of Relevance: Only say what is relevant to the situation

Maxim of Manner: Avoid being unclear or ambiguous

The study of how words are formed

Morpheme: The simplest form of a word, also called a root form or a base form

Free Morpheme: A unit that makes sense on its own (Ex: Cat)

Bound Morpheme: A unit that makes sense, but not on its own (Ex: -s)

Inflection: Making a change to the root or base form of a word in order to change its grammatical meaning or function

Affix: A unit that can be added to a stem or root