Language and the Self Keywords

a theory of learning behaviour in humans and animals, often through conditioning

a philosophical idea that man is born with ideas, knowledge, and beliefs; platonic innatism and Cartesian innatism are the two main forms; contradicts empiricism

the political policy of promoting and protecting the native and indigenous inhabitants over the immigrants

the philosophical theory that knowledge is based on experience derived from the senses; contradicts innatism

the idea that people’s perceptions of the world are relative to their spoken language

the theory that differences in languages and their structures determine how people think and interact with the world around them, making language a limiting factor

Benjamin Whorf and Edward Sapir, 1920s; combined they are known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and/or Whorfianism

the view that all language is based on the same underlying universal structure or laws

the view that thinking occurs in a mental language (often called Mentalese)

Jerry Fodor, 1975

a group of people sharing a common language

the degree of esteem attached by members of a speech community to certain languages, dialects, or features of a language variety

the speech habit of an individual; the words and phrases they choose; include accent and dialect

denotes to socioeconomic status, the dialect of a particular class or group

a particular form of language in its vocabulary and grammar which is peculiar to a specific region

a variety of speech used by a particular gender

there is more than one way of saying the same thing i.e pronunciation, word choice, or morphology and syntax

the main form of a language, can be thought of as formal speaking or writing

the form of a language that is dependent on the area where it is spoken, can be thought of as informal speaking or writing (including slang)

acknowledges diversity, includes people in a conversation using inclusive pronouns, allows people to connect despite having differing mother tongues

may not address certain groups, was used to separate the aristocracy from the peasants (namely England in 1066)

the sounds used in words

the way in which words are pronounced; an identifiable style of pronounciation, often related to a region or socioeconomic status

how people adjust their style of speech to be like others around them

parallel expressions used across the boundaries of individual speaking turns; usually ritualistic and formulaic socially

words, phrases, and non-verbal utterances used by a listener to give feedback to a speaker that the message is being followed and understood

language that is more complete and complex in lexis and syntax; used in more formal and less personal relationships

language which assumes a shared understanding amongst speakers, leading to limited lexis and syntax construction

Basil Bernstein (1971)

may be an indication of the fact that a speaker has little or nothing to say, or that they are playing for time or that they are just going through the social motions and care little for the purpose of this conversation

switching between different varieties and registers of language

communication by means of electronic devices

the specialised form of language between online users

when we make our language more similar to those around us

each speaker’s sense of their own linguistic image and worth

Erving Goffman

speaking until you’ve finished or until someone interrupts you

the assumption that speakers usually mean what they say and that hearers accept this when trying to work out the meaning

Paul Grice (cooperative principle)

‘please‘, ‘thank you‘

when we make our language more distinctly different from those around us

acts or words which seem to threaten the self-esteem of a speaker in a conversation

items which do not carry conventional meaning but which are inserted in speech to allow time to think or to hold a turn in conversation

don’t say too much or too little

keep to the point

speak in a clear, coherent, and orderly way

be truthful

Paul Grice (maxims)

words and phrases which soften or weaken the force with which something is said

slang/jokes that only make sense among those of the same speech community

language in conversation used for interpersonal reasons and/or socialising

the language peculiar to a particular trade, profession, or group

the relationship between language and culture; language that includes elements of grammar, vocabulary, and also past knowledge, local and cultural information, habits, and behaviours

the idea that language reflects the thoughts and ideas of a culture

strategies intended to avoid giving offense and imposing on others by showing respect

the conversational utterances that have no concrete purpose other than to establish or maintain personal relationships

avoiding offense to any group who may be seen as disadvantaged because of their race, gender, disability, or any social disadvantage

strategies that make the participant feel good about themselves

relationship, usually a harmonious one, established between a speaker and their audience

level of formality in speech with others

language used in private / between very close friends / families / couples

language used between friends

language which is used when casual is too informal/formal is too formal

language used when there is no personal relationship between the speaker and the hearer

language used is fixed for that specific context e.g ANZAC Day speeches

Martin Joos (1968)

the idea that we are all ‘performers‘ of many different types of speech, according to context

an individual’s separate existence from other people

an individual’s awareness of their own unique characteristics in relation to social groups around them

where a second speaker utters minimal responses like mmm or yeah, often the function of the utterances is to support rather than challenge

the point at which speakers move from one topic to another

language to get things done or to transmit content or information

names, nicknames, titles, terms of addresses used to create a personal relationship between speakers and encourage interaction