Transcript Third international and 39th Annual ELTAI Conference 8

LANGUAGES IN THE
CONTEMPORARY WORLD
Applied Linguistics
Lecture 3
March 2012
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Language and Languages
THOUGH LANGUAGES HAVE
COMMON PROPERTIES, IT IS
THE DIFFERENCES THAT
COUNT
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LANGUAGES ARE MUTUALLY
INCOMPREHENSIBLE:
- FAMILIAR SYMBOLS, BUT NOT
KNOWING WHAT THE WORDS MEAN
- NOT UNDERSTANDING THE WAY THE
WORDS COMBINE, CHANGE IN FORM
AND MEANING WITH DIFFERENT
CONTEXTS
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Simple Fact:
How speakers of
different languages
can communicate
each other.
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Two Possible Solutions
1. sets of speakers learn the
other ‘s language
2. employ a translator
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Attitudes to languages
- some sense of one’s own property
- allow other people learn their language
- have nothing to lose
* learn other languages, regard them as
‘theirs’
* feel others cannot identify with it as
they do
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* To them, their language remains familiar
and intrinsic
* To others, it remains foreign and
something apart.
(Of course it their right to determine what
counts as correct and acceptable)
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The issue of correctness between popular
and academic beliefs:
- some languages regarded as being less
complex than others
- some languages regarded as being more
beautiful
- all as carrying the spirit of a particular
nation or people
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For examples:
- Latin: more logical
- German: more efficient
- French: more romantic
- Indonesian?
(these views must be considered if we
want to mediate between the academic
and the popular perspective)
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THE LANGUAGES OF NATIONS
Two ways of comparing languages
- numbers of speakers
- geographical distribution
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World’s largest languages
Chinese
English
Hindi
Spanish
Arabic
(frequently used beyond their homelands)
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Smaller languages are limited to
restricted areas and specific ethnic
groups and are often vulnerable.
Constant changing nature of language is
influenced by historical and political
forces
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Powerful nations have frequently
asserted their unity by promoting one
single majority language in a standard
written form while simultaneously
suppressing or ignoring minority
languages
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All nations have substantial linguistic
groups within their borders, making
cross-linguistic communication an
intranational as well as an
international affair.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
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On a personal level
bilingual
or
multilingual
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Today, English as an International language
Since 1950s, English is applied as a international
language for the most of situations
The role of Lingua France of English is very clearly
The most power of such Lingua Franca may lead to
situations that many believe that acquiring of their
mother-tongue which do not have universal economic,
social scientific and political benefits and advantages
and they waste their time during acquiring and using
their mother tongue for themselves and their children
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And also many others who believe that
world with one universal language is
wonderful idea that due to unit peaceful
world
Eagerness, spirit and enthusiasm to acquire
such international language only plus lack of
motivation to acquire their mother tongue
during more than one generation lead to
death of one language as results of lack of
speakers
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Official language or languages in one country
Multi ligulas are as a usual
phenomenon which includes many
millions of people in different countries
There is not particular and exact
number among multi lingual people
and also the number of languages
Continue...
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Official language or languages
In countries which are called as monolingual
countries such as England, France, German
and U.S., there are many percentages of
speakers of other languages
For example, in U.S., 10% of people speak
languages other than English and in England;
more than one hundred languages are spoken
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There are different percentages of multi
lingual in different countries and also
there are different reasons for such multi
lingual situations
It is difficult to find balance in number of
speakers of different languages in one
country ,and the condition without social
contradiction
CONTINUE…
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In such multi lingual situations, in order to
balance linguistic condition of country,
internal changes of society and
government’s policies will be done
The governments’ policies will be done in
different ways such as a selection of one
or more native or non-native language or
languages for country as official language
or languages
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At least two below states may occur:
1.The acculturation condition among the speakers of
particular native languages through mandatory and
compulsory acquiring of the particular languages for
long time (at least more than one generation). In
such condition, the speakers do not have motivation
to acquire their mother tongue and they eager to
acquire official language only
2.Different percentages of influences and linguistic
borrowing on and in non-official languages by the
official language or languages during long time
(especially more than one generation). In heavy
influences and borrowing, even new language or
dialect will be created, or the language or dialect
will be forgotten
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Translation
Translation is transfer of concepts from one language to
another in both oral and written forms
Nowdays, because of importance of knowledge, sciences
and modern technology, translation plays a main role
The number of languages as source or target, or large
languages in translation and the topics and subjects for
translation are increasing during the time
Translation in both types, through human and specially
machine (because of lack of cultural and social background)
due to enter and transfer some strange and unknown values
to the target language from source language
CONTINUE…
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In reality, the languages are not used for symbols merely,
but they different ways of view to the world
Different cultures and languages families among source and
target languages make problems more in translation
Word for word translation and literal translation of text are
two main highways of entrance strange values to target
language
Strange values are not set and suitable to the speakers own
culture of target languages which are as new lexical items or
same words to target language words with new values to
target language
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Language contact
Language contact or contact vernaculars are contact of
speakers of different languages which dues to influences
and linguistic borrowing
Such contact is depend on different percentages of contact
of speakers, long time of contact, varieties of social
economic and political relationships, similarities of
languages and the other factors
Close contact and heavy influence and borrowing for long
time will due to death of some organ of language body
The most dramatic examples of new language are arising
out of contact situations are pidgins and after that Creole
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CONTINUE…
There are some main characteristics which are belonging to
pidgin languages contrast to natural languages:
1.The lexical items of pidgin languages are more limited than
natural languages, because pidgin languages have minimum
lexical items for communication in particular situations
2.Pidgin languages are found or created during two or three
generations contrast to natural languages, in this way,
natural languages has big treasure of cultural background.
3.Pidgin languages have simple structure contrast to natural
language, such simple structure due to many linguistic
ambiguous cases ,social and cultural ambiguous states
4.Normally, pidgin languages have less social values
5.The values of lexical items of pidgin languages can be
different from lexical items of natural languages which
pidgin languages are outcome of their contract
CONTINUE…
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To conclude:
*Language contact can due to finding new dialect or language
which partly or mostly different from varieties of languages
which are in contact
*Such new dialect or language will have new treasure of
cultural and social reflection
*For long time, through decreasing the number of speakers of
language which are in contact, the death of partly or
completely will occur and long traditional and big treasure
will be forgotten through less reflection in limited vehicle
(language)
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14. Motivated factors to learn other languages
There are some motivated factors that lead people to acquire other
than mother-tongue directly or indirectly, and partly or completely
14.1. International relationships
*As it was discussed before, for example, English has a main political,
academic and social role among the different countries to
communicate each others. For long and much power of such role of
English or any language, can due to such feeling that the speakers of
different language, believe that their mother-tongue do not have much
uses in the world and they will lose their motivation to use and also
teach their mother-tongue to their children as next generation
CONTINUE…
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14.2.The press
*Since four hundreds years ago, English is as a primary
medium of the press
*Today, 1/3 of the world’s press are in countries which
English has special importance in them and it is logically
that if we think that most of such press in English
*New York Times, Washington post, Wall Street journal and
Sunday Times have highest printed press in the world
*Since the end of 19th century, advertisements play primary
role, today, especially advertisements in English
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CONTINUE…
14.3.Television, Radio, Cinema and Music
*It is estimated that serial films in U.S and England channels are
watched more than 120 countries
*Regarding to BFI, in 1996, 80 percent of produced films in the world
are in English
*However, there are some governments’ policies against English in
France and German, but only 25 percent of Cinema’s income is for
non-English movies in such countries
*During the recent decades, English has distinctive role in songs
*549 from 557 famous music groups (99percent) act in English
language
*1156 from1219 famous singers (95percent) sing in English
CONTINUE…
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Nowdays, people believe in what they
watched and listen through television, radio,
cinema and music and they do as they had
watched and listen; in other words, television,
radio, cinema and music are people’s religion.
Primary medium of this religion is English. In
such way, English can affect the languages,
cultures and social treasure of different people
in different countries. For long time and much
moer, such effect can be dangerous because of
power of influence
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14.4. Abroad travel
*The people travel abroad for different reasons such as business and
study
*The main facility in abroad for communication is language which
should be as a international communicative language
*Living, immigration and traveling which are for long time, due to
acquire and use language in order to communicate with the majority in
abroad
*Such acquiring and using language will influence the native language of
the speakers and even their native language will be lost for long time
CONTINUE…
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14.5. Internet
*80% of registered information in Internet is in English which
includes different information of different companies,
organizations, universities, and so on
*However, there is not particular method to determine
particular official language in Internet, but if every body
wants to find answers for his questions in Internet , it is
necessary that he should know English
*It is estimated that in 2020, one milliard users will use
Internet and for such using, mainly, knowing of English is
necessary. The progress of knowing and using Internet
affect the languages of many speakers
*One sociologist stated that now days, finding of translation of
Destoevsky’s works in English in Internet is easier than
finding such works in Russian language in bookshops 33
15. Multi complex category of factors
**There are some factors which are called as a multi-complex
category here, because such factors are not distinctive
factors themselves and separate form the others mentioned
categories
15.1 .Political condition
The political aexation, military occupation, groups’
migration and the other political factors, due to new
linguistic outcomes. For example, as result of political
asylum, the people will learn language of foreign country
15.2. Religional factors
Sometimes shifting and acceptance of new religion or
triness to maintenance of own religion due to learn new
language partly or completely
CONTINUE…
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15.3. Cultural factors
**Interesting in other foreign or other than own cultural and
social groups can be important motivation to acquire new
language, and for long time, joining to such groups due to
communicate through such new language only
15.4. Natural catastrophe
Earthquakes, eruption, drough and the other natural
catastrophes can be reason for many groups’ migration to
areas and countries which different languages are spoken
there
15.5 .Educational, cultural, economical and social
factors
**Such factors, as mentioned before are as separate or
related factors to many factors which can act as main
reasons to acquire new language and lose mother tongue for
long time.
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16.Results
Language and culture go hand in hand, each interacting with
and shaping together
Language and culture are inter-linked to each others in
various ways
Language is an integral part of culture and the vehicle of
culture
Effects on every one of them, leads to affect the other as it
can to be called directly or indirectly
Globalization, through linguistic homogenization and
cultural homogenization, affects on language and culture as
modernization, translation, standardization and the others
CONTINUE…36
Globalization’s effects can be positive and negative effects
The homogenization of culture due to globalization process
results in the marginalization of indigenous cultures
However, globalization through cultural homogenization,
can be helpful in the progress and development of the
cultures; if ….
The members of one culture community should try to
maintain their positive aspects of culture and replace
negative aspects of their culture through positive aspects of
globalization
The members of one culture community should aware
about outcomes of globalization
CONTINUE…
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At the language level , globalization leads to growth of
many countries
The technological and advanced communicational facilities
make the world to shrink and pave way for homogenization
many who believe their mother tongue does not have
universal role , they waste their time to use their mother
tongue or teach it to their children
many others who believe such language (English) is as a
language that can make the world as a peaceful unit world
through understanding same language
CONTINUE…
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Some ideas as result of globalization and English or any
language with such effect can be dangerous for national,
local languages, specially endangered language which are
understood to be moribund languages
The industrialists, traders and their marketing techniques
play a major role in shaping the languages
It should be mentioned that, in fact the control over the
language is not in the hands of scholar or academic
institutions. It is shaped by the traders and marketing
agencies
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English in Globalization
English is as a language of communication and official
language in many countries
English is not own language of particular community or
country
Since 1945 (after second world war), English became a
lingua France
More than 2/3 of scientists in the world, write their books
and articles in English
3/4 of letters in the world are written in English
90 percent of all communications in Internet as international
network, is in English
CONTINUE…
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The education English programs of English radios are used
by more than 150 millions in the world
More than 500 millions of children in elementary schools
and more than 800 hundreds in secondary and high school
(without china) are familiar with English as a second or
foreign language
However, there are some governments’ policies against
English in countries such as France, German, Spain
There are three circles regarding to English first circle, such
as U.S and England, the second circle such as India, which
English has much dominance and it is applied as a second
language and the third circle ,such as china and Russia
which English has special importance as a international
language and for such countries is as first foreign language
CONTINUE…
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In 1994 , 1/3 of the press in the world, are printed in
countries which English has special importance
In 1995, 110 from 160 of linguistics journals(70 percent)
were printed in English
In 1995, there were 5000 radio station that 45 percent of
them were in countries that English has special role
It is estimated that English film serials in U.S. and England
are watched in more than 120 countries
In 1996, 80 percent of produced films were in English
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CONTINUE…
85 percent of incomes of world’s cinemas are for English
production of Hollywood
In countries such as German and France, although, there
are governments’ policies against English, but only, 25
percent of their cinemas incomes are for non-English
movies
In 1990, 549 from 557 of famous music groups act in
English
1156 from 1219 of famous singers, sing in English
language
In 1998, U.S. had the first percentage of income of tourism
(50 milliards dollars )
Around 80 percent of register of information in Internet, is
in English .The users of Internet in 1990 had been one
million and in 1993,Tthey became 20 millions and 40
millions in 1995. It is estimated that in 2020, Such numbers
will be one milliard
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Any question?
If not, end of lecture
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