December 14, 2005
Final Evaluative Post
My favorite part of the class was actually the final project. I would much rather put together a project than write a paper, so I really enjoyed that. I also liked that it was basically open to interpretation, which made it a little hard to get started because there were so many possibilites, but once I had my topic I was all set and I really enjoyed putting it together. I think a skill that I gained over the semester was that I now, after watching Crash, look at movies in a different way. As I watch movies now, I think about why things are in the scene and why the director chose to show this and not that, and I find that very interesting. A goal that I have set for myself in the future is just to look at the world in different views. I hope that I don't take things for granted and that I can see the beauty in everything. I hope that I don't become to preoccupied with life that I miss some stunning sights.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 04:12 PM | Comments (1)
December 02, 2005
Response to Brenna's Question
Question: Stubbs touched upon the difference between accent and dialect, but I was not really satisfied with his conclusions. What exactly is the difference between dialect and accent?
Answer: Everybody has a dialect and an accent and in most cases, people who have the same accents have the same dialects. However, this are distinct differences between the two terms. According to dictionary.com, a dialect is "a regional or social variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, especially a variety of speech differing from the standard literary language or speech pattern of the culture in which it exists" and an accent is "the relative prominence of a particular syllable of a word by greater intensity or by variation or modulation of pitch or tone." In other words, a dialect is defined by the words, the syntax and the accent, which is how the words are pronounced. Therefore, your dialect includes your accent, but I wonder, is it possible to have different accents in a single dialect? Theoretically I think it is possible, but I can't think of any examples.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 09:56 PM | Comments (0)
December 01, 2005
Response to James Baldwin's article
Questions:
-Why does Baldwin title his article “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?”
-Why does he say, “The bulk of the white people in America never had any interest in educating black people?”
-Why does Baldwin choose to end his article the way he does?
-How do languages develop?
Response:
James Baldwin in his article entitled “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” brings up a few points that I found to be quite powerful and a bit controversial. One such point is shown in the quotation: “The brutal truth is that the bulk of the white people in America never had any interest in educating black people, except as this could serve white purposes.” I found this to be quite controversial. I’m not sure when this article was written, but I do not agree with this statement if this is a recent article. If this article was written over twenty years ago, then I would agree, as racism was much more prevalent than it is today, even though it is still a problem.
I think that in present times, white people are interested in educating black people; moreover, people are interested in educating other people regardless of race. Now, I don’t mean to say that there aren’t cases proving this otherwise, but from my experiences, I think that people just want to educate others. True, some people are better off than others when it comes to education, but I think in general, people don’t want to deprive others of education.
Another point that Baldwin proposes concludes his article: “And, after all, finally, in a country with standards so untrustworthy, a country that makes heroes of so many criminal mediocrities, a country unable to face why so many of the non-white are in prison, or on the needle, or standing, futureless, in the streets – it may very well be that both the child, and his elder, have concluded that they have nothing whatever to learn from the people of a country that has managed so little.” In my opinion, Baldwin is saying that America in general has so much to learn about its people and society. Why are there more non-whites in prison than whites? Clearly, it can’t just be that more non-whites commit more crimes; there has to be more to it than that.
The last point that I found very interesting in this article is, “To open your mouth in England is…to ‘put your business in the street’: You have confessed your parents, your youth, your school, your salary, your self-esteem, and, alas, your future.” This relates directly to our recent discussions in class on linguistic profiling. Whenever you speak, people will pass judgment on all these things, and possibly more, that Baldwin brings up; it’s part of human nature. People can listen to how you speak, like your accent, your speed, what you emphasize, and also what you say, your vocabulary, your thought processes. From paying attention to these things, it is very simple to profile people and make judgments, even though you could be dead wrong.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 06:05 PM | Comments (0)
Chapter 5: Some Basic Sociolinguistic Concepts
Comments:
-I agree with Michael Stubbs in that no matter how hard we try, we still judge people by the way they speak.
-It’s horrible to forbid people to speak their native language! Language is such a huge part of your culture and taking that away is absurd! I find different languages to be very interesting.
-I agree, “there are no single-style speakers.” I know I speak differently to my friends than I do with my family, etc.
-I never really thought about the concept “asymmetrical linguistic systems,” but I definitely agree. There are certainly many words that I know of, but do not use because I’m not quite sure exactly how to use them.
-I think that the teacher’s own language does affect each student because students are impressionable and for the most part, the teachers do most of the speaking and therefore the students hear their language most of the time.
Questions:
-Why in Britain does “the higher up the social class scale one goes, the less one encounters regional variation in speech” occur?
-Why is there not a standard English accent?
-Why are social judgments about language so taboo?
-How would Michael Stubbs feel about the “Ebonics debate?”
-Do teachers encourage or discourage children’s different dialects and/or languages?
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 11:38 AM | Comments (2)
Chapter 3: No Kinda Sense
Comments
-It’s so sad that Maya was treated so poorly in the White, private school.
-I never realized that some African Americans would be against teaching Ebonics in schools, but I can now see their points.
-I find it remarkable that Maya is able to code switch at her age; she is so close to puberty, I wonder if she had switched schools a year or two later if that would make it more difficult as her critical period would have passed.
-I never heard any teachers say something like “Say it right or don’t say it at all.” As far as I remember, teachers would either correct your mistakes or bring your attention to your mistakes, but never scolded you; that’s horrible.
-I think the whole idea surrounding basing a curriculum around hairdressing is a bit too much. I think it’s a good idea once in a while, but unless it’s a cosmetology school, I don’t think it should be used that often. Maybe once a month or so, in each class, there could be a special day designated to learn about cosmetology or other areas of interest.
Questions:
-What is the “collective shame” that the African Americans possess?
-Why weren’t African American linguists consulted for the “Ebonics debate?”
-What is the “affective filter?”
-What is Lisa Delpit’s position on the “Ebonics debate?”
-Why is the name of the chapter “No Kinda Sense?”
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 10:57 AM | Comments (5246)
November 28, 2005
Thesis
In my opinion, the research papers I read on gestures and thier role in the learning process jumped too fast to their conclusions based on minimal concrete information.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 11:12 AM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2005
The Title "Pygmalion"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmalion%28play%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmalion%28mythology%29
Through my research on the title “Pygmalion,” I have learned a lot about why Bernard Shaw chose to name his play as such. The name comes from an old Roman myth by Ovid in his book Metamorphoses. The character Pygmalion was a lonely sculptor who ends up carving a woman out of ivory. The statue comes to life after he prays to Venus, who is the goddess of beauty and love.
Bernard Shaw’s play, “Pygmalion” is about a linguistics professor who takes in a lower-class girl and tries to teach her proper language to pass her off as upper class. Professor Higgins “molds” Eliza and tries to change her. He wants to make her “perfect” just as Pygmalion creates the “perfect” woman out of ivory. Therefore the title “Pygmalion” refers to the character of Professor Higgins.
I think these articles are reliable because it’s a “.org” website, which are usually pretty good. Also, Wikipedia is a common, free encyclopedia so I would think that since it is so popular, it must have some good information on it. The site has also been updated recently, which is a good thing.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 10:38 PM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2005
Chapter 11
Pronunciation: Average I think it doesn’t take too long necessarily to change the pronunciations of words. It seems like a few people will start it and then it will spread to more and more people and each generation will begin to use it and then it will become generally accepted.
Syntax (order): Longest I think the syntax takes longer to change because it is a more significant change than pronunciation. I feel that this would be much harder to change as many of these rules are pretty much set in stone and when you first try to change something, people would question it and might not understand it as much.
Lexicon (Vocabulary): Shortest I think lexicon is the simplest to change because new words are always being created to accommodate the ever-changing world. However, words changing their meaning I think takes a little longer, relatively speaking.
First language acquisition relates to this chart because it the magnitudes I decided upon also show the order in which you acquire your first language. A lexicon of your language is first developed as you learn the words for the simple things, like “mama” and “dada.” However, it takes some practice in order to be able to pronounce the words correctly, instead of the babbling. Lastly, a child learns the rules of syntax and begins to put simple sentences or phrases together. Finally everything begins to come together and grammar begins to show up and the sentences soon become grammatically correct.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 05:41 PM | Comments (1)
November 15, 2005
MFA Assignment
1) While at the Museum of Fine Arts, I paid special attention to how Ansel Adams’ work was presented and how that aspect made me feel. I noticed that the exhibit had gray walls, all the photographs had the same black frames with white mats, and that the lighting was soft. This setup made me pay more attention to the photographs and really appreciate them. I also thought that since Ansel Adams only took black and white photographs, the gray walls really complemented the work. In art exhibits, I would say that you would want the walls to be neutral in order to highlight the work; you wouldn’t want the wall to be competing with the art.
2) I have many assumptions about the art in museums. First of all, if it is in the museum, I think that the work presented must be good; if it were bad, why would it be in an art museum? I know this is a common assumption, but I’m not saying that art not in museums is bad. I also think that each piece of art has a deeper meaning. I think that if artists were good enough to be in a museum, then they would put a lot of thought into the art that they are creating and would therefore put layers of meaning into their work.
3) For the landscape photograph, I chose “Lyell Fork Meadows, Yosemite National Park, 1921.” It shows trees with a river down the middle. The river has reflections in the water. I liked this particular photograph because to me it had the feeling of a portrait instead of a photograph; it had a soft feel to it and I really liked that. I think in this photograph, the peacefulness and the serenity of nature was important to Ansel Adams. I think he was trying to show people how gorgeous nature is and that it shouldn’t be tampered with, as nature is just so pure on its own.
4) For the portrait, I chose “Eagle Dance, Tesuque Pueblo, New Mexico 1929.” It shows the back of a Native American man dancing. He is wearing a costume that makes him look like an eagle. I found this photograph intriguing because it focuses on this man dancing, and yet the viewer cannot distinguish who the dancer is. Therefore, I think the man is representing his tribe and any tribe that does this particular dance. The man also casts a shadow on the ground that looks exactly like an eagle. I think that that is why Ansel Adams shot this particular photograph at this moment instead of another shot of the back of the dancer. This picture relates to Adams’s landscape portraits in that he captures different aspects of the dancer just like he captures many different aspects in his landscapes. In this particular photograph, he shows the dancer, his shadow, and the costume. In many of his landscape portraits, he captures nature and its natural beauty as well as the power and independence of nature.
5) I chose the photograph entitled “Saguaro Cactus, Sunrise, Arizona 1942” for the abstract picture. The only thing presented in this photograph is one cactus. It is shot at an angle that makes the cactus appear much larger than life. I found this to be abstract because Adams was portraying the cactus in a non-realistic sense. I think Adams was trying to show the viewer the importance of nature and that it is a huge part of life. This picture relates to Adams’s landscape portraits in that many of his landscapes present nature in a positive light. In this photograph, the cactus is clearly shown as positive; it is “larger than life” and it is basically the only thing in the picture.
6) It was difficult for me to find a favorite photograph. I really enjoyed many of the landscapes for their beauty. However, the photograph I chose was not the typical landscape picture; I chose “Westport, California 1936.” It shows an old, black building adjacent to a newer, white building. Off in the distance in-between the two buildings, there is a mountain. I liked this photograph for a few reasons. First of all, in the artistic sense, it was a really good example of perspective. The two building fronts were flat and shot straight on and then in the space between the buildings, you could see the sides of the buildings “merging” together. I also really liked this photograph because of the multiple layers of meaning that I perceived. At first glance, I thought about the concept of modern versus antique. The black building is old and rundown as opposed to the new white building directly next door. Also related to this concept, is that of stark opposites. Old versus new and black versus white. Being American, I also thought of the common concept of black skin versus white skin. I think it is prevalent in this case because the houses are painted black and white, and I think paint for a house is like skin for a person. I also liked the mountain shown in the background because the buildings frame it. I would definitely classify this piece as a “work of art” because it has so many meanings and it is definitely a conversation starter, all on top of being nice to look at!
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 03:15 PM | Comments (3)
November 13, 2005
Dialects
1) I have lived in Massachusetts all of my life and so have my parents. Both of my parents grew up in the surrounding towns of the town where I was raised. Therefore, we all definitely have eastern New England dialects. I think I speak fast, but I am definitely not as fast as others in the area. I definitely use the word "wicked" a whole lot. I have known nothing else. One of my friends that spent three years in Massachusetts adapted to using "wicked" and then she moved to Michigan and she told me that no one understood what she meant. And now when I go to visit her, she doesn't say it anymore. I find it so fascinating that we can adapt our language to our new surroundings over time. I spent six weeks in Germany, speaking German pretty much the whole time there. When I came back to the United States, it was weird to go back to speaking English the whole time again, and I was only abroad for six weeks!
2) I agree with the comment that social groups are a factor in different dialects. I know that in my case, I speak differently with different people. For example, with one of my friends, we have an inside joke that we call each other "man" and say "man" in basically every sentence we say to each other. With another friend, we basically do the same thing, except with "dude." In general though, I speak differently to my friends than I do with my parents or professors. With my friends, and sometimes with my parents, I speak more casually and I usually don't use any "big" words. In the classroom setting however, I try and speak a little more formally and intelligently. In addition, when I am using Instant Messenger, nothing really applies. I "speak" even more casually than in person, although I still care about spelling because that's who I am. However, normally I am just trying to get my message across, sometimes rather quickly, so I don't really care as much how it sounds, I just keep typing. Although, now that I think about it, if I don't know someone as well, even on Instant Messenger, I try to speak a little less casually than I would normally with my closer friends on Instant Messenger because you never know how someone will really interpret what you write. So I guess I "speak" many different dialects and it just depends on the situtation for when I use each dialect.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 02:12 PM | Comments (0)
November 10, 2005
Conversations
Over the past few days, I have been paying attention to my conversations with my roommate, who is from Long Island. Instead of trying to prolong my pauses, I tried to shorten them; otherwise I don't think I would get anything in! Through doing this, I realized that we had to talk over one another. For example, when she thought I was just about done talking, then she would start talking. But if I wasn't really done yet, I would have to speak up and talk over her enough so she would realize that my story was in fact not done yet.
I also had a class discussion in my history class today, which was a good way to see many different conversational styles. First of all, in this class, we set up ground rules that stated that we didn't have to raise our hands to speak, like in many classes. During the discussion I noticed that many people started to talk over one another, which I don't see as a good thing. I think that the people, like myself, who are used to "longer" pauses (or pauses at all!) don't really get the chance to talk. I am a big opponent of interruption, I absolutely hate being interrupted, and I therefore don't like interrupting other people. But those who just talk over one another don't really see "talking over" as interruption, although I do. Therefore, I really find it awkward to talk during these discussions because I can never really figure out when I can join the conversation, and it's really hard to force myself to "talk over" others in order to say what's on my mind.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 05:02 PM | Comments (2)
November 09, 2005
Evaluation
I enjoy that there aren't any tests or quizzes, as I find those to be much more stressful than papers. I also like that we have our writing assistant, Amy. I think she is very helpful and a very good resource. Perhaps my favorite thing about these classes together is that it is so laid back. It is very casual, but yet I still learn so much.
In some ways I like that we aren't graded, although sometimes I wish we were. I like to know where I stand in my classes so that I can try and fix whatever might not be working. On the other hand, all the feedback on my papers does help, I think.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 11:07 AM | Comments (0)
November 08, 2005
Slam!
This is my poem, called Slam! It was inspired by the word slam and a conversation with my friend. And because of the weird formatting, "--" indicates divisions between stanzas.
Making decisions,
Can be so hard,
What do you want to do?
Ah!
So much to choose from.
--
You talk it out,
Make pro/con lists,
But what do you want?
Ugh!
Only you can really know.
--
The time has come,
You must decide,
Door number one or two?
Slam!
You just missed your chance.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 03:08 PM | Comments (1)
November 02, 2005
Annie Leibovitz Photograph
The photograph I recieved is of Jerry Hall and Gabriel Jagger and it was taken in New York City. I didn't know who either of these people were, so I did a little research. Jerry Hall is a model and actress. She was very popular as a model in the 1970's and her most notable role as an actress was in The Graduate. She was married to Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones and they had four children together, including Gabriel Jagger, featured in this photograph.
Studium: In the photograph, Jerry Hall is shown sitting in a fancy, red chair. She is wearing a black dress with a fur coat. She is looking in the direction of the camera, but she is not smiling. She is also nursing her baby, Gabriel, who is in her lap. Gabriel is centered in the photograph and she is also nude. The scenery includes a less formal chair in the background as well as a small table with an unlit lamp on it. There is either a picture or a mirror behind the table with a fancy, gold frame. It gets cut off by the top of the picture, so it is hard to tell. Also, there is a drawn, red curtain off to the left behind Jerry. The wall and the rug are both red.
Punctum: Jerry's facial expression is very powerful, it's like she doesn't notice that she is nursing Gabriel, she only pays attention to the camera. It seems like she might even be a little angry. Maybe, given her background, she's in a hotel room taking care of her kids before she has to go out. By the expression on her face it sort of seems like she doesn't really care for her kids; it's like she's thinking that she has better things to do at that time than nurse her baby. She is very well dressed, so maybe she's going out right after she finishes. However, she might also be posing like this because she is a model and models usually give off that "pouty" look.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 06:38 PM | Comments (1)
October 30, 2005
Eliza
In speaking with Eliza, I noticed many things. First of all, whenever I mentioned any form of the word "you", Eliza would always respond with "we were discussing you, not me." There are also other key words and phrases that seem to prompt Eliza with other programmed responses. With more complex sentences, it seems that Eliza will respond with part of your sentence in the form of a question, or she will say "tell me more."
When Eliza came out in the 1960's, I can see how people believed that they were actually talking to a computer. It is hard to imagine though, as I have witnessed that technology is very advanced and always outdoing itself. However, it must have been quite the experience to "talk" to Eliza when the program first came out!
As others have mentioned, there are similar programs today on Instant Messenger, like SmarterChild. I have also discovered one for SantaClaus. I think this is a very interesting concept. Through "talking" with him, you can create a wish list, play games and create a shopping list. I wonder how kids react to "talking" to Santa Claus; it must be quite the experience.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 03:01 PM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2005
Pooch Cafe Analysis
The comic I have chosen to analyze is entitled “Pooch Café” by Paul Gilligan from Sunday, October 9th. In this comic series, the dogs can communicate with humans as well as other dogs, and from what I have seen, it seems that each comic displays and makes a joke out of something that is associated with dogs. In this particular comic, it is making fun of the concept that dogs fetch the newspaper for their owners. The main dog in the comic developed a device with a conveyor belt that brings the newspaper from the window of the house to the kitchen table in front of the human. Then once the paper arrives, the owner says “Somehow it’s not quite the same as you fetching it for me” and the dog replies, “You got yer paper, didn’t ya?” I thought this was very clever and I enjoyed it.
This comic is quite simple in its concept with very little wording. It uses mainly representation in its drawings with a little bit of symbolism, but no abstraction. The symbols include an arrow on a sign showing the paperboy where to put the paper, and also lines that indicate the newspaper moving along the conveyor belt. All the other elements in this comic display representation. For example representation is displayed with the house, window, conveyor belt, newspaper, kitchen table, coffee mugs as well as many other things.
Paul Gilligan uses the whole comic strip, I think, as metonymy for the concept of dogs fetching the paper for their owners. The first panel to the second is action to action as the paperboy sees where he is supposed to put the newspaper and the next panel shows the paper after he throws it. Each other panel transition is moment to moment as you see the newspaper moving along the conveyor belt until it reaches it final destiniation. In the first panel, the words are part of the image as they are on a sign. Most of the comic is picture specific as there are no text bubbles until the last panel. The last panel is interdependent though because the joke is in the wording. Although you probably could infer the meaning from the comic without the words, except it is much more powerful with the words. I also don’t think this comic has a deeper meaning; I think it is just commenting on the life of dogs and its purpose is just to make the reader laugh.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)
My thoughts on the review of Persepolis 2
I thought these reviews were both amazing. Using a comic as a way to review a graphic novel was so clever. I know if I saw this review, I would be drawn in to read it just because it is a comic. I think that reviewing Satrapi's book as a comic is also praising her and her work. I also enjoyed how Jennifer Camper reviewed Persepolis from a view different standpoints. First, from two Muslim women who are at first hesitant but then they realize that it is actually from an Iranian woman, and are quite pleased by that. She also shows two other women disucssing the book and remembering what happened. She also presents two teenagers talking about the graphical aspect of the book, which is also highly important. Camper also comments a few times on the lack of graphic novels in the United States as opposed to other countries. Many feel that graphic novels are just simple old comic strips that don't address anything of importance. However that is untrue, and Persepolis is a prime example of that.
Overall I thought that Jennifer Camper does a very good job of reviewing the book and presents it in a very good way. After reading a little bit about Persepolis 2 through the review, it makes me want to read it, and I think I will when I have some time to sit down and do so.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 05:39 PM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2005
Gestures
Like Rachel, I had trouble paying attention to people's gestures. I would try at the beginning of a class to pay attention to how the professor used gestures but within a few minutes I would forget because I would have to concentrate more on what was being said in the class. I also was trying to pay attention to my gesturing, but I never really caught myself. But I think I'm going to continue to try because I am curious how much I gesture and how I do it as opposed to others. However, over the past few days I have made some general observations.
First of all, I have really noticed that people still use many gestures even when talking on the phone. I think this is amazing. Consciously you know that the person on the other end can't see you, but you continue to gesture anyway. I think this shows just how much people gesture and how natural it is to gesture while speaking.
Also, the most common type of gesture I saw over the past few days was the deitic gesture. I saw many people pointing people in the right direction and showing them where to go or where they had been.
I also paid attention to the three stages of gesturing: preparation, stroke and retraction. I noticed that people had different places where they put their hands after retraction. Some people folded their hands, some left them hanging at their side, some put their hands in their pockets, or if they were sitting, they might have put them on their laps. I found this very interesting.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 10:27 AM | Comments (0)
October 05, 2005
"Seeing"
“Seeing is of course very much a matter of verbalization.” This quotation from Annie Dillard’s essay “Seeing” certainly gives a whole new perspective on the concept of seeing. Really seeing the world takes a reasonable amount of effort and thinking. Annie Dillard is saying that in order to truly see the world, one must actually bring it to one’s attention by verbalizing it, either aloud or in one’s mind. By doing so, one makes actual observations and is forced to take in the visual stimulus instead of just casually taking note of it. One common example is looking at a painting; one must really look at it, observe it and think about it in order to truly see it for what it is.
I agree with Annie Dillard in that in order to truly see things, one must consciously bring it to one’s attention through some form of verbalization. I know that in my personal experiences, I tend to just take things in instead of actually seeing them in this way, just because there is always so much to see. One can’t possibly take the time to stop and look and consciously think about everything that one sees, there’s just not enough time in the day to do that.
Seeing things for what they truly are and taking the time to observe them instead of just casually noticing them is exactly what we’ve been doing in class with the paintings. We look at the paintings and pictures and then we analyze what’s really in the picture and consciously think about it on the semantic level.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 10:51 PM | Comments (0)
October 01, 2005
Social Construction vs. Mimesis
This quotation is very interesting and intriguing. I never really thought about the world in this way and it’s definitely an interesting new perspective. I think that I agree with social construction view as opposed to mimesis. I think that so much of what we see and hear from every source in the world impacts how we interpret things. Reading the newspaper, watching TV, talking to friends, listening to music all impact what we think and how we perceive the world. Therefore our world is shaped by our experiences and since everyone experiences a different combination of things, people perceive the world differently. Mimesis, on the other hand, doesn’t take into account the way that culture shapes people and affects the way people see things.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 08:24 PM | Comments (0)
Chapter 3: Morphology
What are the advantages of having morphological modifications to words in a language? Does this make the language easier to learn, more flexible to innovation? How?
The advantages of having morphological modifications to words in a language are numerous and make a language easier to learn. Having morphemes allows the speaker to know more words in the language by learning rules that will change the meaning of the root word slightly. The speaker would only need to learn the root words and all of the possible affixes. For example, if you take the word “mistreatment” the speaker would need to learn the root “treat” and the affixes “mis-” and “-ment.” Then the speaker could apply these affixes to a new root to make another word such as “misalignment” and the speaker’s vocabulary can expand immensely.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 05:37 PM | Comments (0)
September 29, 2005
Response to Alfred Leslie Painting
This painting has many things going on. First of all there is an older style TV with a night scene on the screen. I'm not quite sure where the scene actually takes place. On top of the TV there is a rotary phone and a pair of sneakers, and possibly a plate, it's hard to tell. Beside the TV is a common folding chair and also on the other side, a broom and a pair of old jelly shoes. The whole painting seems to take place in a basement to me because it looks to me like the floor is concrete and it s dark which could mean that there aren't any windows.
I think that Leslie is trying to portray that this TV isn't used that often, since the chair is beside it and would have to be moved to see it and also it just seems it's being used more as a table rather than a TV. However, since there is a picture on the TV, I'm confused. I know it must mean something, but I'm not quite sure what. Maybe the night scene represents cold and darkness, much like the basement that I believe this scene to take place in. Also, all these objects seem to be old so maybe the painter is suggesting that when new technology arrives, people forget about the older technology and just put it in the basement. The TV and phone are obviously older technologies, and the sneakers seem worn and a little dingy as well.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 12:38 PM | Comments (1)
September 26, 2005
Genie
Hearing about case studies such as Genie's depresses me. I never understood why someone would want to abuse their child and I'm sure I'll never understand. I read more about her specific case on Wikipedia. I learned many new things about her case after reading this article such as her father was twenty years older than her mother, which shows, I think, that it was probably a little easier for the father to gain such control over the family. The mother, being so much younger and partially blind was probably made to feel so much inferior to her husband because of these factors. I also read about the movie that we found in class today, Mockingbird Don't Sing and I think it would be interesting to watch, especially after seeing the documentary.
With the knowledge I have about psychology (I took an AP course my senior year) and Genie's case, it is my guess and opinion that it is a combination of minor mental retardation and missing the critical period that inhibited Genie's language acquisition. I do believe that there is a critical period that one needs to meet in order to properly learn a language. However in Genie's case, I think it was the combination of the two things, since it was shown that she did have some mental retardation.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 07:17 PM | Comments (2)
September 25, 2005
Chapter 2
Question #3
Kana, the phonetic language, would eb more affectd by left brain damage and Kanji, the symbolic language would be more affected by right brain damage. The left brain deals more with the verbal aspects and therefore a phonetic language like Kana or English would be hard to read if there's damage. When reading a phonetic language, the brain actually still sounds out the words in order to comprehend the reading. The right brain is more visual and would help read a symbolic language like Kanji and therefore if damaged, it would be quite difficult to make sense of the symbols.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 03:01 PM | Comments (0)
September 21, 2005
Optical Illusion
Here's what I found: Optical Illusion #1 It took me a minute to figure out what was going on, but I found it highly amusing. I'm not quite sure how it works, but it must have something to do with how the inner and outer circles are composed of opposite facing parallelograms. Also, it only works if you stare at the center so it must also have something to do with your peripheral vision. If anyone has any more specific ideas on how this works, please share because I can't come up with a direct answer!
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 03:17 PM | Comments (1)
September 17, 2005
What is Language?
What is and what is not language? Why make a distinction?
My definition of language is a means of communication that both parties involved understand and can reciprocate in some way. In the case of the wolf in question number seven, I would say that this is an example of language because all of the wolfs would be able to understand and convey their emotions through the position of the tail. However, in question number eight, this is not language because the dog cannot talk back to the human and have the human understand. There is a distinction in what is language and what is not language because language is a very complicated thing.
You might say that you learned a new word today, but not I learned a new sentence today. Why?
These two statements are not equally probable. It is more likely to learn a new word than a new sentence because there are so many possibilities of sentences. Learning a new sentence will not apply as much as learning a new word would in specific situations. For example, if you learn a new word, then you can apply it in numerous situations, but learning a new sentence will not apply in as many situations. Therefore it is more logical to learn new words instead of new sentences and that is why it is more probable to learn new words.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 04:17 PM | Comments (2)
September 15, 2005
Ode to Paper
Paper, such an everyday thing that people don’t think about, but such an important tool to everyday life. Paper gives you a place to write down your innermost thoughts or just scribble down some notes. It is a palette for new ideas and a source of creativity. It is the beginning of a novel, a receipt, a prescription, a label, confetti as well as so many other things.
There exist so many varieties of paper: lined, white, colored and so much more. It is translucent, but yet still pure. Paper is so thin, that it can’t even be measured by normal means. It can come in a variety of shapes and sizes but the most commonly it is rectangular. Paper can easily be folded into various other objects as well, including the most beautiful swan through the art of origami.
Paper can feel so soft and smooth, but yet, when handled wrong, it can cut you and can really sting. It takes a lot of strength to pull apart a piece of paper, but at the same time it is so delicate and so easy to rip. Paper tastes bland as I have accidentally tasted it while eating candy buttons, as I’m sure many of us have experienced at least once in our lives. Also, at first, one might not notice the scent of paper, but it can smell like new ink or when it’s burning, it has a distinctive smell that reminds me of a campfire. I also love the feel of paper coming fresh out of the copier; it’s warm, but not too hot, almost like freshly baked cookies. Additionally, when paper is moved, it sounds like the rustling of leaves in the wind or like a thin sheet of metal flapping along in a workshop. It truly is a unique object that has been around for a very long time and serves an array of purposes.
-Jessica F
Posted by lcisfaria at 10:45 PM | Comments (1)
September 14, 2005
My Culture
As we all have noticed, it is so difficult to define one’s culture. I am not an exception. When it comes to nationalities, I am Italian, Irish, Welsh, Portuguese, and Finnish. However, I don’t think any of these really define who I am as a person. As other people have already said, I see myself as an American. However, I also identify myself as a sister, a daughter, a granddaughter, a dancer, an academic, a friend, a music lover, a designer as well as a plethora of other things.
I come from a predominantly Catholic middle class town with a strong school system that puts a strong emphasis on going to college. I come from a loving family with a mother, a father, an older brother and a large extended family. I come from a place where we have a parade to celebrate apples. I come from the typical suburban town where you know your neighbors and there isn’t a lot of violence or crime, not to say that it completely lacked this. I come from a place that almost every senior in high school has his or her own car, sometimes paid for by parents and sometimes paid for by the senior.
I would also define my culture by including my traditions. I celebrate Thanksgiving with the traditional meal of turkey with all the trimmings. I always make the same raspberry dessert to bring to my aunt and uncle’s house where we celebrate the holiday. I always celebrate Christmas at my house and I always make sure everyone is up at a reasonable time to open presents on my favorite holiday. I love the feeling of giving everyone a gift as opposed to birthdays where only one person gets gifts. Another tradition my family has is family dinners. In this fast paced world, it seems that the typical family dinners are dying out, but my family almost always ate dinner together and I thought it was a nice tradition.
-Jessica F.
Posted by lcisfaria at 01:31 PM | Comments (5)
September 13, 2005
Metaphors
On my 10th birthday, I Marc Summer’s show on Food Network one of my presents to find a box, with weights taped to the bottom to Atlas and pillar and a note. The note was from my brother and it was DaVinci to Robert Langdon for me to Columbus to America my present. The clues led me throughout the house and finally into the basement. Sherlock Holmes until finally I Columbus to America a box taped to the bottom of our foosball table. I Marc Summer’s show on Food Network the box thinking it was the actual present, but instead I Columbus to America a video case for lasagna to Garfield movie “Clue” but no video. The next DaVinci to Robert Langdon was that the video was somewhere in the room so Sherlock Holmes more but finally I TaTavia, LeToya and Farrah to Destiny’s Child because I Columbus to India the video and I Charlie Brown to football it since it was lasagna to Garfield. So my parents coal to diamond my brother to duck tour to Boston, and it was in the VCR. I was Red Sox 2004 to have the video but it was Harry Potter at Chamber of Secrets to even find it.
Posted by lcisfaria at 04:34 PM | Comments (1)
September 08, 2005
Ode to an Orange
This essay made me think about a common theme that no matter how many times people read it, I don't think it always sets in and that is, taking the time to appreciate life. In this fast-paced world today, so many people don't take the time and look at the little things in life. In this essay, the author appreciates the beauty and wonders of a such a simple thing as an orange and takes the time to describe just about everything about the fruit.
In my opinion, however, I don't think that this was the best example I have read about that shows this theme. I mean it did make me stop and think, but it didn't really have too much of an impact on me. My personal favorite that shows this theme is the play "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder and that did have a great impact on me.
As an added thought, I wonder how many oranges the author had to eat in order to come up with all the descriptions he used!
Posted by lcisfaria at 02:00 PM | Comments (2)
September 07, 2005
Jessica
"I just need to unwind in my time machine."
Posted by lcisfaria at 12:16 PM | Comments (0)
July 21, 2005
Jessica's Introduction
Valuable Visual Experience: Over the years I have come to realize just how important my family and friends are to me. Just about everyday I look at pictures of my family and friends, I have a lot of pictures in my room, and everytime I look at them, they make me feel better. When I look at the photographs, I remember the good times we've had and how I know that they will always be there for me.
Valuable Verbal Experience: The quote that I have chosen also relates to the importance of my family and friends. In the middle of eighth grade, I learned that I had to have major back surgery for scoliosis and I was not happy to hear this, to say the least. I became more scared each day as the date of surgery grew nearer and I didn't think anyone close to me knew even remotely how I felt. However, on two separate occasions my aunt, who is also my godmother, and my mother told me that if they could, they would rather have the surgery themselves than see me go through it. Hearing this gave me the strength and courage to go in for the surgery. It also helped me realize just how much people cared about me, which was hard to see as a confused middle school student.
Posted by lcisfaria at 11:58 AM | Comments (1)