November 25, 2005
Chapter 11 Language Evolution
In spoken language I believe, relatively speaking, lexicon would be changing fastest. We adapt words and create new ones constantly to describe newly created inventions and procedures, new generations coin new words to give voice to their experience of the world and the connotations of words change constantly, albeit subtly.
Changes in pronunciation may take longer and only be obvious to us, Fromkin says (504), as dialect differences. Fromkin also points out that a speaker’s pronunciation may change without their grammar changing. In other words, while in our lifetime our common use of language may change in the manner that we speak it, our formal understanding of the language does not necessarily alter.
I believe that syntax would take the longest to change because, like our formal understanding of language, it is linked to prescribed grammar and therefore follows certain rules.
Like adults babies learn words and not sentences. They are first able to comprehend the meaning of words and then they begin to try to use these words to communicate. Baby talk is the result of their struggle to correctly pronounce these words. Once they are able to use words they are able to begin stringing them together to form sentences, their use of syntax will be encouraged and regulated informally as they copy the manner in which adults use word order to convey meaning and formally through correction from adults and teachers.
~ Nanette
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November 24, 2005
Chapter 11 and Baby Talk
Changes in pronunciation, lexicon, and syntax occur throughout the time. As we read materials from hundreds and hundreds years ago we instantly notice differences in “our” language and “theirs”. In my opinion the pronunciation changes take the least amount of time due to many factors such as change in locations of speakers of certain languages and when they settle in their new location they may start to spread the “new” way of saying and pronouncing words.
Change in lexicon comes next in line. There are new words being added and some words getting illuminated in languages daily or monthly. You learn new word and you forget the old word. Also meanings of words change along time and people start using them differently under various circumstances. Such as before the inventions of magnificent calculators, the word calculate would have meant to do a calculation using slide rules. Nowadays, when you want to calculate something, the first thing that comes into your mind is a calculator.
The change in syntax comes last in line. Because it takes long time for speakers to learn and really start using it, the rules of sentence formation and words orders don’t change overnight but rather takes long time to build up in one’s mind.
I would assume that babies learn in order such as pronunciation, lexicon, and syntax. They start making sounds and eventually they learn pronunciation. Even though they don’t know the exact meaning of the word they imitate what people around them say. Next they start connecting the meanings of words with the pronunciations. Afterwards they learn to express themselves by using complete and understandable sentences.
Posted by lcisbold at 03:27 PM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2005
Chapter 11 Hypothesis
In my opinion it takes the least amount of time for the pronunciation of words to change, a little bit longer for the lexicon to change, and the longest for syntax to change. I think that the amount of time it takes for each of these things to change is based on whether or not they exist as rules. In forming words we never learn a set of rules(where to put our tongues, whether a vowel should be long or short, etc), but rather we just naturally pick up on how words should sound. This flexibility with which people learn words allows there to be a lot of variation, and as a result different pronunciations form. The same idea goes for words. There are no rules as to what can be a word and what can't be a word (it's not like certain letters cannot follow others), therefore there is always room for variation, and that's why new words are created and put into use. However, syntax is more structured. There are rules as to what order words must be put in a sentence, and we usually don't understand why things must go in this order, but we just accept it as the only way to do things. Therefore there is no room for variation...we learn the rule and stick to it.
These timing correlates to the acquisition of language in babies in that the things that take less time to change, take less time to be learned. For example, pronunciation of words, which can change the quickest, is always learnt the quickest by babies. Usually babies, once they learn a word, learn the phonetics of that word and don't mess up saying it. Although babies have limitted lexicons, the words that they do know they usually are able to use in the right context (for example a child usually doesn't say "I see a dog" when they mean "I see a car"). It is the forming of sentences, syntax, that children usually have the most difficult time learning. Often times they use all of the correct words and pronounce those words correctly, but they do not string them together in a way that forms a coherent sentence.
Posted by lcissullivan at 11:32 PM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2005
Time and Baby Talk
I think that the time of the three categories of pronunciation, syntax and lexicon vary within certain cultures. They also depend on what type of dialect a person may have or the language that they speak. I think that the time horizon for these categories within a particular language goes from lexicon, which takes the longest period of time so that the language has enough vocabulary for people to communicate with. Then would come pronunciation where the people speaking that language would develop a dialect for their particular lexicon, which would differ from another language. Then finally syntax would take place. However between pronunciation and syntax, syntax would take a longer period of time, because the development of word order occurs gradually in language.
Particularly in baby talk these categories would occur in the order of pronunciation, lexicon and then syntax. Babies usually learn words in any language by trying to pronounce them and forming words with their mouths by the example of other speakers around them. Secondly a lexicon is developed where the baby will use certain words in his/her vocabulary in order to be understood. Then finally the baby would learn the syntax of a language. At first the baby might say words out of order while learning syntax, but will then eventually develop their speech according to the rules of grammar in their language.
--Yasmin
Posted by lcisperez at 04:37 PM | Comments (0)
Baby Talk
It is intriguing how the chart that Nanette wanted us to fill out, comparing the length of time that a particular part of language would need to be changed like among lexicon, syntax, and pronunciation ties in directly with first language acquisition or baby talk. If you think about it, babies first learn words. They try to pronounce them, but more often than not, their pronunciation is inaccurate and sloppy. I find it hard, when I am babysitting a younger child, that I cannot understand what they are saying because of the jumbling of sounds that they are using to produce a certain word. The key here is that though they do not know how to articulate the word, they are still trying to do so. Then, when they master the pronunciation as they grow older, they can form sentences using syntax. In order to be a master of syntax, though, one has to learn and study it. This is exactly why changing syntax is so difficult. Everyone knows and uses the simple syntax because it is both innate and learned. Syntax rules allow people to speak to each other and understand. If English syntax is changed, the ability of everyone to communicate is destroyed. We need to keep consistency. From the example of babies, it is obvious that words can be changed easier because they are absorbed easier, and then pronunciation is the second aspect of language that these babies learn, which is a little harder to absorb. So, essentially, much of how language can be changed can be determined by first language acquisition, especially in babies. Very interesting! -Christina
Posted by lcisgancarz at 12:25 AM | Comments (1)