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TaK - Language

Some TaK questions: How does language shape human thought? How does it influence what we know and how we know it? Does language assist or limit our search for knowledge and truth? If people speak more than one language, is what they know different in each language?. TaK - Language.

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TaK - Language

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  1. Some TaK questions: • How does language shape human thought? • How does it influence what we know and how we know it? • Does language assist or limit our search for knowledge and truth? • If people speak more than one language, is what they know different in each language? TaK - Language

  2. Problems of meaning • Language changing • Language used to influence and persuade. TaK - Language

  3. TaK - Language “In the beginning was the Word...”

  4. Problems of meaning • Vagueness: fast, slow, nice, bald • Ambiguity: • “Refuse to be put in the basket”, • “Flying planes can be dangerous”, • “Eats, shoots and leaves” • Secondary meaning: love, death, school, priest • Metaphor: • “She has her head in the clouds”, • “My brother is a butcher”, • “My doctor is a butcher” • Irony:“Nice weather!” TaK - Language

  5. Vagueness • Say a word that most in the group will have some familiarity with. • Each person describe what the word stirred them to think of... TaK - Language

  6. Vagueness • Without thinking about it too much, write down a figure for each of the following: • He lives close to his school. How near does he live? • She is a heavy smoker. How many cigarettes does she smoke each day? • He is middle-aged. How old is he? • Her mother earns a lot of money. What is her annual income? TaK - Language

  7. Changing language • Language reflects our changing world. • Gender issues • Political correctness • Technology • Slang • International travel • Internet + media TaK - Language

  8. Margaret Atwood: “There was once” • What does the conversation tell us about the opening phrase, “There was once a poor girl, as beautiful as she was good, who lived with her wicked stepmother in a house in the forest”? • What sort of things does the second speaker object to? • What is the principle behind the objections? • Is the principle reasonable? • What can we learn about language from this dialogue? TaK - Language

  9. Language used to influence and persuade Propaganda and manipulation through language using: • Emotionally laden words • Weasel words • Grammar • Revealing and concealing TaK - Language

  10. Emotionally laden words: • Terrorist / Freedom fighter • Pro-life / Pro-choice • Free speech / Hate speech • “Blocking your child’s access to objectionable material on the internet is not called Censorship – it’s called Parenting” Al Gore TaK - Language

  11. These are all expressions used by the British press while covering the First Gulf War… TaK - Language

  12. Weasel Words: • “many”,“ should”, “probably” • “Probably the best lager in the world” • “Our product can reduce wrinkles by 25%” TaK - Language

  13. Grammar: • “We bombed many villages” • “Many villages were bombed” TaK - Language

  14. Revealing and Concealing: • “I have invited an attractive blonde to the party” • “I have invited a cellist to the party” • “I have invited my sister to the party” • “I have invited a marathon runner to the party” • “I have invited a lesbian to the party” • “I have invited my best friend to the party” TaK - Language

  15. TaK - Language Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at a Uinervtisy, it deosn'tmttaer in wahtoredrtehltteers in a wrod are, the olnyiprmoatnttihng is taht the frist and lsatltteer be in the rghitpclae. The rset can be a taotlmses and yuo can sitllraed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseaetehhuamnmniddeos not raederveylteter by istlef, but tehwrod as a wlohe.

  16. TaK - Language • Some key points: • A great deal of knowledge comes through language and this makes possible an intellectual division of labour • Language is a sub-set of communication and is rule-governed, intended and creative • We need to understand what a sentence means before we decide whether it’s true or false • Much of language is ambiguous and open to interpretation • We use language to label and classify. This brings with it the danger of misclassification and stereotyping • We use language not only to describe, but also to influence and persuade

  17. TaK - Language • Some more questions: • How does language influence your perception? • How can you make sure you have understood a message that is conveyed to you? • What arguments are there for and against political correctness? • What kinds of texts are easiest to translate? Which are the most difficult?

  18. TaK - Language Religion Does religious experience lie beyond language? Maths How is mathematics like a language? Perception How does language affect the way we see things? Ethics Should offensive language be censored? Natural Sciences What role do metaphors play in science? Language Arts Is art the language of the emotions? Human Sciences Is language unique to human beings? History Is it possible to describe events in an unbiased way?

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