Skinners theory and child language

This list of 50 words does back up Skinner's theory as all of the words the child has learnt would most likely be rewarded with praise which shows positive reinforcement. For example, when the child says "cuddle" it is likely that they would be rewarded for saying the correct word with being cuddled, also saying "juice" would be rewarded with receiving the juice. This could prove Skinners theory as the child may have realised that those words are correct and therefore continues to use them as they know that this is the way to show what they want. 

All of the words that the child has learnt have probably been learnt through imitation; the child would listen to his carers saying specific words and being rewarded for it. For example, saying specific lexis like "please" is something that the child has learnt and associated with getting what they want. Politeness is harder concept to understand at a young age, therefore proving that the child knows words like "please" and "ta" from imitation and reinforcement. 

However, some words that the child has learnt would require more explanation and understanding that just simply imitation and reinforcement. This goes against Skinner's theory and shows that child language acquisition requires more depth than stated in this particular theory. For example, asking "wassat" requires a lot more knowledge and understanding as the child is asking a question, which is a concept more difficult to understand than simply imitating words that they have previously heard. 

Child Language Acquisition

What clues can you get from this list of 50 words on how a baby might acquire language?

This list of 50 words tells me that in the first year of a babies life the majority of words that they learn are naming words. The number of proper nouns that the child has learned gives an indication of the people that the child spends most of their time around, for example "mumma, dadda, grandad, nana". Also, the proper noun "Laa Laa" gives the impression that the child must watch the television programme the Teletubbies. The child has also learned many concrete nouns; these could be learned in many different situations and in different context. The words learned indicate the activities the child might do in the day, for example having a meal - "toast, marmite, jam, cup, bowl, biscuit". Furthermore, the child may recognise getting dressed as they can say "socks" and "shoes". These words could all have been learnt through routine, for example the child may always have toast for breakfast with either jam or marmite. 

The child has also learned a few words relating to actions or events. For example, "cuddle" and "jump". As the child is of a young age, the actions that they will be able to do will be limited and therefore the number of words they know in this section are of a smaller amount. The child can also say words which are personal/social. For example, "hello, bye-bye, please, ta". This symbolises routine; the child may be more familiar with these words as they probably recognise that they are said for greetings and to show politeness. As these words are likely to be used several time a day, they will be more familiar to the baby and therefore they would pick not only the word but the meaning more quickly.

Language and Gender

Peter Trudgill did research in the 1970's on Norwich speech. He wanted to find out why people's ways of speaking varied. One thing that he studied was the final consonant in words, for example walking, running, talking, etc. He found out that in Norwich, the pronunciation of these words is heard without the 'g'. For example, they say walkin', talkin', etc. 

However, Trudgill found that this pronunciation is not a unique thing and happens in more places that just Norwich. He states that "Nearly everywhere in the Eng-speaking world we find this alternation between higher-class/formal ng and lower class/informal n". 

From this study, Turdgill discovered that, in all social classes, correct pronunciation of words such as walking and talking are due to how careful the person is when speaking, he found that people in a higher social class can still pronounce it as walkin', too. However, he did find that this type of pronunciation was more common among the lower classes. 

He also found that this type on miss pronunciation occurs not only in social class division, but in gender, too. For example, he found that the non-standard pronunciation walkin' occurred a lot more in men's speech rather than in women's. This finding was true for all social classes. 

Robin Lackoff also did research on language and gender. She was one of the first linguists to look into the differences and social implications and men's and women's speech. She argued that language is fundamental to gender inequality and she believes this could contribute to the lack of women's power in two different areas - language used by women and language used about women. Lackoff believed that the language used by and about women gives people the impression that women are weaker and have less power and status than men. 

She stated that women's language was distinguished in several ways, for example: hedging, 'super' polite informs, hypercorrect grammar and pronunciation, tag questions, use of implication, sense of humour lacking, special lexicon, speaking less frequently, being apologetic, etc.  



Bibliography:

http://www.putlearningfirst.com/language/research/norwich.html

Pantene Advert

In this advert, women are portrayed to be very inferior in comparison to men. For example, in the advert, the man is labelled as 'dedicated' for staying up late and doing work, whereas the women is labelled 'selfish' for the same reasons. This advert shows people how women can be labelled very differently than a man would, reflecting the gender differences in society. It also gives people the impression that men are seen as a lot more worthy than women, this reflects the higher status and power that men have compared to women. 

Analysis - Power

Analysis of Martin Luther King "I have a dream" speech: http://www.archives.gov/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf

This speech begins with personal pronouns, for example 'I, you, our'. The use of personal pronouns makes the listener feel as though the speaker is speaking directly to them. This represents power and it makes the listener's feel as though they have to listen to the speaker. Power is shown through this piece as there is a clear dominant speaker, Martin Luther King; there is no turn taking and he has control over what is said throughout. This shows power as it is clear that the speaker has control over the speech and people respect the speaker so do not feel the need to speak. 

The use of the determiner 'my' in this speech shows power as Martin Luther King says 'my people' symbolising that he has power over the people; as if he owns and controls them. The use of the model verb 'we must' makes the listeners feel as though they have to do what they are being told to do. This shows power in the discourse as it seems as though people are willing to be told what to do and to take instructions from the speaker. The contraction 'cannot' shows power in the discourse in a similar way that the modal verbs do; it makes people feel as though they are obligated to follow the orders of the speaker.  

Repetition of the phrase 'I have a dream' is used throughout this speech. The use of repetition shows that Martin Luther King wants people to be able to recognise this quote. This shows power as the speaker wants to be recognised and respected by his listeners. 

Articles on the relationships between language and technology

Article 1 ‘I h8 txt msgs: How texting is wrecking our language’ by John Humphrys

In this article, John Humphrys tells readers how text messaging is ruining language. He describes his frustration towards the idea the way people text is influencing the way they speak in everyday life. He seems to be a man who likes to used proper grammatical sentences and good punctuation in all types of his writing, so he seems very disappointed that even he is taking on the lazy attitude towards our language. John Humphrys believes that the reason for our language being ruined is due to laziness; people who cannot be bothered to spend the few extra seconds to make texts/emails with proper language.

Article 2 ‘Cn u txt?’ by John Sutherland

In this article, John Sutherland is describing how text-talk became the new trend. He mentions how texting used to cost money per word, this could have been a reason for the way people abbreviate words in a text now. He writes “Abbreviation is the essence of texting”. He also shows a text conversation of how Romeo and Juliet would speak in text form. This shows how simple it is to write in abbreviated sentences. Jon Humprys does not show an opinion on this subject and does not say whether it is good or bad; he simply mentions that it is a popular way of texting.  

Technology Blog

The Guardian
Aimee Knight         
{Picture here}                                                                                                                              

Are people becoming Twitter obsessed?

Since 2006, when Twitter was founded, it has become a huge part of social networking. As quoted from a source: "There are more than 200 million active Twitter users. Eighty percent of all users access Twitter on mobile devices" - http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/did-you-know-some-facts-about-twitter-418143. With most people now owning smartphones that have Twitter apps, all you need is internet and you are ready to tweet.

 

 

There must be a downside, surely? People would ask. This is not true. You are limited to 140 characters per tweet, meaning that everyone's tweets are short and snappy - no one has the ability to waffle. There is a wide range of people to follow, ranging from friends or family to celebrities! Twitter is an easy way to keep up with the latest celebrity gossip, what's better then that? A wide range of celebrities use twitter, from Lady Gaga to Barack Obama. Justin Bieber is the most popular, with a staggering "44,418,729, as of 2200 GMT Thursday" as quoted from http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/did-you-know-some-facts-about-twitter-418143.

 

'You could be followed by strangers!' Some might say. Well, yes this is true. Twitter is a very popular social networking site with a huge number of active users. However, if you feel you want to keep your profile private from people you do not know, then you simply have to change your settings. It's as easy as that! This means that people have to ask to follow you, if you do not know them and do not want them to follow you, then you simply decline! Meaning that your tweets are safe and protected from people you do not know.

 

So the answer is, yes, maybe people are becoming twitter obsessed. But this is not necessarily a bad thing! So, if you do not have twitter yourself, then why don't you consider giving it a go?

 

 

Persuasive Travel Writing

   

Explore Paris

  

Are you looking for an unforgettable travel experience in an unforgettable place? Then look no further. Come and explore Paris and see what all the fuss is about.

Paris is a fabulous city, not only for its mind-blowing sights, amazing tours or Michelin Star Restaurants; but for the overall amazing experience. There is so much to do; you will never be bored. You can take a trip to Paris’ most famous attraction: the Eiffel Tower. It will be an experience you will never forget.

Considering visiting Paris? Then do not hesitate. Ring 0800 123 654 now to book your holiday, it will truly be the experience of a lifetime. Or explore www.exploreparis.co.uk today!