Notes 22.09.14

Children struggle with  

·         Auxiliary verbs

·         Grammar tenses

·         Indefinite/ definite article

Adults unconsciously converge towards the child’s language. (Debroy)

Parents talk to their children as if they understand.

18 months- 50 odd words are known (context dependent)

·         Mainly nouns

·         Some words but pronounced differently ‘’see-saw.’’ ‘’see-saw?’’

Sexism? Girls are encouraged ‘’clever girl’’, boys are expected to be clever.

Lots of onomatopoeia ‘’moo moo’’ ‘’baa baa’’

Two and a half years- slight conversation

Nursery rhymes are popular, they allow children to talk for 30 seconds or longer in one go.

Adults set the agenda for the conversation by asking questions.

3 years old

·         possessive pronouns are learnt

3/4/5 years

·         start to understand tense

·         compound syntax (two main clauses joined by and/but/or)

5 years

·         More aware of external influences

100,000 words as an adult

Young children go off on side sequence.

Transcript Analysis- January 2013, Question 1

Context: Text A is a transcript of Ruby (3 years 4 months) with her Auntie Lou. Ruby has just 

arrived at her aunt’s house and they are in the kitchen. Thelma, Fergal and Simba 

are cats.

Referring in detail to the transcript and to relevant ideas from language study, analyse 

the language used by children and their caregivers. (48 marks)

Text for Question 1

Key: (.) indicates a normal pause.

Numbers within brackets indicate length of pause in seconds.

Words between vertical lines are spoken simultaneously.

:: indicates elongated sounds.

Words in capitals indicate an increase in volume.

Other contextual information is in italics in square brackets.

CLA Notes

It has become apparent that all human beings are born with a Gene called FOXP2 which enables them to have the genetic ability to form words and allow them to speak.

This became knowledge to many English Language experts through the investigation into the KE Family of which 15 of the 30 members where born with an inherited gene on chromosome 7 from their Grandmother. This was due to Chromosome being slightly broken meaning that they had a speech and language disorder which portrayed them to speak as if they were deaf. This disorder is called Development Verbal Dyspraxia.

The fact that we are born with the ability to speak within our genes supports Chomsky’s LAD ‘language acquisition device) theory. This is the idea that it is an instinctive mental capacity which allows young children to acquire and produce language. It also extends on the idea that the gene FOXP2 needs to be stimulated to become an ability and that language only becomes apparent once the infant is spoken to by another person. This is supported by the case of Genie who was kept away from society from a very young age for a long period of time and was unable to produce and acquire language once she had been discovered.

AQA English Language

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/as-and-a-level/english-language-b-2705

Deficit

Jesperson (1922):

Jesperson thought that men’s language is the standard vocabulary and that female language is inefficient in comparison to the male ‘norm’. He believed that women had a less extensive vocabulary than men, have less complex sentence structures, and speak with less prior though, often leaving their sentences unfinished.

Robin Lakoff 1975):

Lakoff considered the male language as dominant but not ‘’better than’’ women’s language. She also proposes that women's speech can be distinguished from that of men in a number of ways, including:

Hedges: Phrases like "sort of", "kind of", "it seems like"

Empty adjectives: "divine", "adorable", "gorgeous"

Super-polite forms: "Would you mind..." "...if it’s not too much to ask" "Is it o.k if...?"

Apologize more: "I'm sorry, but I think that..."

Speak less frequently

Avoid coarse language or expletives

Tag questions: "You don't mind eating this, do you?".

Hyper-correct grammar and pronunciation: Use of prestige grammar and clear articulation

Indirect requests: "Wow, I'm so thirsty." – really asking for a drink

Speak in italics: Use tone to emphasis certain words, e.g., "so", "very", "quite"

Lakoff also developed the "Politeness Principle", in which she thought up three maxims that are usually followed in interaction. These are: Don't impose, give the receiver options, and make the receiver feel good. She said that these are paramount in good interaction. By not following these maxims, a speaker is said to be 'flouting the maxims'.

She suggests that women are disadvantaged relative to men by a basically inferior, less forceful ‘’women’s language’’ which they learn through socialization. She highlights various female forms and styles showing weakness, uncertainty and unimportance. She also implies that women who use ‘’women’s language’’ are ‘’systematically denied access to power’’ as the typical ‘’neutral’’ language (men’s language) is seen as superior.

https://archive.org/details/afa5370.0001.001.umich.edu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Jespersen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Lakoff

formal language within texts A and D

Both text A and D use formal language, each to fill the purpose to inform and educate their audience. Text A is used to inform people about one of the UK’s leading financial services companies, by using formal language throughout the piece it shows status from the producer of the advert.  Things that are included such as facts and figures ‘’over 4.5 million people rely on Legal and General for like assurance…’’ make the text seem reliable and encourage the target audience to look into it more as it is not just sentences that are ‘empty’ and don’t have any solid meaning and proof behind them. By using the word ‘rely’ it makes the audience feel as if they need it and have to investigate into it further as if has connotations of the service being a necessity.  Text D also uses formal language in the form of an extract of a Bill from the Higher Education during 2004. This uses language that will appeal to an older audience and inform them of the provision about research in the Arts and Humanities. If they were to use informal language and register then the person writing the text would most definitely not be taken as seriously as they intend to be. Text D also uses names proper nouns of a high status ‘’be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal…’’ By using the high status names such as ‘The Queen’ it gives it connotations that it has to be obeyed, or done without question or doubt from the person reading it.

self evaluation

After looking through and highlighting various points in my half term assessment I have come to the conclusion that I need to identify and related to the APF and context more. To do this I am going to identify the audience, purpose and form early on and when making points throughout the essay I will mention them and how they help to prove these ideas.

I also need to create a well thought through plan before I start writing. I need to think more about the structure of the piece and how each individual point can link to the next making the essay more interesting to write.

Another point that I need to work on is my terminology and how I write my sentences. Using terms such as ‘adverb’ and ‘personal pronouns’ to describe quotes that I am using. By using this is will improve my sentence structure and how well the essay comes across to the reader throughout.