revision lang cul 09

UNIT 1: NATURE, CULTURE, LANGUAGE True/False 1. Nature alone can reveal and preserve its beauty. 2. Thanks to culture, nature can be recognized with value and identity. 3. Thanks to language, the value and beauty of nature can be preserved with its identity. 4. A nature without culture is characterized with oblivion, anonymity and randomness. 5. Regarding the Linguistic Relativism, the proposal of the idea is that different people speak differently because they …………………………………. (in 2 or 3 words). 6. People think differently because their languages offer them different ways of expressing the world around them Explanation 1. How can people identify themselves as members of community? (in one line) ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 2. How can culture liberate people? (in one line) ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 3. How can culture constrain people? (in one line) ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 4. Regarding the topic, way and style of presenting information, please provide one example about the reactions of social groups based on differing values given to a speech act in different cultures. ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 5. Regarding the imagined communities, it is said that the city of London is inseparable, in the cultural imagination of its citizens, from Shakespeare and Dickens. Please provide one example about imagined communities as far as Vietnamese culture is concerned. 6. Which of the brief description fits each of the two versions (strong and weak) of Linguistic Relativism by Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Version Description - Lexicons will reflect aspects of the culture (cultural differences in semantic associations evoked by seemingly common concept) - Different ways of expressing ideas reflect different ways of perceiving the world - Language limits culture 1 - All concepts are culturally bound - Language dictates thought 7. Which version (strong/weak) of Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis about Linguistic Relativism do you think is likely to be accepted/rejected? ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 8. Provide one example to the comment: Linguistic structure tends to influence what people routinely think. ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… UNIT 2: MEANING AS SIGN 1. A word may arouse different images in the hearer’s or speaker’ mind depending in the cultural context or environment they are involved in, e.g. an Inuk (a member of a cultural community of Eskimo people), an African man, a Vietnamese. If you hear the word “bird”, you may have in your mind the image of an ostrich, a penguin or a sparrow. Please match the images of the word “bird” to each of the corresponding cultural environment below Image of bird Cultural setting 1. Sparrow A. African member 2. Penguin B. Vietnamese member 3. Ostrich C. Inuk member 2. A word may arouse different images in the hearer’s or speaker’ mind depending in the cultural context or environment they are involved in, e.g. an English man, an American man, a Vietnamese. If you hear the word “bus”, you may have in your mind the image of a double-decker bus, or a single- decker bus. Please match the images of the word “bus” to each of the corresponding cultural environment below Image of bus Cultural setting 1. double-decker bus A. American member 2. single-decker bus B. Vietnamese member 3. single-decker bus C. English member 2 3. A word may arouse different images in the hearer’s or speaker’ mind depending in the cultural context or environment they are involved in, e.g. an English man, an American man, a Vietnamese. If you hear the word “building”, you may have in your mind the image of a sky-scraper, or a normal house. Please match the images of the word “house” to each of the corresponding cultural environment below Image of bus Cultural setting 1. normal house A. American member 2. sky-scraper B. Vietnamese member 3. normal house C. English member 4. It is said that metaphor is a linguistic environment for words to carry cultural semantic meaning. Please provide one example to show the universal use of metaphor in English and Vietnamese. The English version has been done for you: Cultural setting Metaphor English Time is money Vietnamese ………………………………… 5. It is said that metaphor is a linguistic environment for words to carry cultural semantic meaning. Please provide one example to show the different use of metaphor in English and Vietnamese. The Vietnamese version has been done for you: Cultural setting Metaphor English ………………………………………. Vietnamese Xưa như trái đất 6. It is said that metaphor is a linguistic environment for words to carry cultural semantic meaning. Please provide one example to show the different use of metaphor in English and Vietnamese. The Vietnamese version has been done for you: Cultural setting Metaphor English ………………………………………. Vietnamese Lạnh như tiền UNIT 3: MEANING AS ACTION 1. Why speech act behaviors can be considered as a second nature to speakers? Provide one example for illustration. 3 2. Provide one example to show the difference on cultural expectation between the English speakers and the Vietnamese speakers. 3. Provide one example to show how the speakers use experience to filter perception and interpretation of the world 4. Provide one example to show how language users learn to - interpret signs - expect certain behaviors 5. Regarding this comment: “Despite the differences in definition interlocutors of different cultures are expected to enter verbal exchange in conformity to co-operative principles & maxim”. In this sense, the co-operative principles and maxims are mentioned with an emphasis more on universals or more on differences? 6. Provide examples to the practice of each of the principles or maxims. Principle English culture Vietnamese culture Quality Quantity Relevance/Relation Manner UNIT 4: SPOKEN LANGUGE, ORAL CULTURE 1. Please consider this comment and answer the following questions: “The technology of writing medium can help overcome the ephemeral and auditory nature of spoken language’ i) How is the word “ephemeral” interpreted? ii) How can the technology of writing medium can help overcome the ephemeral and auditory nature of spoken ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… i) ephemeral: existing only for a short time 4 ii) by translating it into more permanent, visible signs on a page. 2. Please list out 7 characteristics of orality: (briefly on 1 line for each character) 3. As we know, social deixis is the process by which language indexes speaker’s social status & status given to addressee. Different cultural communities may use different system of pronouns in languages as index of power and solidarity. For example Vous – tu (French); sie or due (German) Can you provide some lines about how personal pronouns are used in Vietnamese in indicating social status? …………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… Please list out 7 characteristics of orality. 7 characteristics: + transient rather than permanent + additive or rhapsodic vs. writing: hierarchical + aggregative: formulaic expressions, ready made chunks to maintain contacts (Phatic communication) + redundant/copious: frequent repetition, paraphrase + loosely structured grammatically & lexically sparse + people-centered vs. topic centered + context-dependent vs. context reduced 5. What is code-switching? Provide one example for illustration. Code-switching: verbal strategy by which bilingual or bidialectal speakers change linguistic code as a sign of cultural solidarity or distance & an act of identity 6. Examine the data below and answer the following questions. F: Có cà phê sữa Việt Nam không? (Have you got Vietnamese coffee with milk?) K: Dạ có, anh. Anh uống đá hay nóng? (Yes, we have. Would you like it hot or with ice?) 5 F: Iced đi. Trời lạnh uống iced cũng hay lắm. (With ice, please. Good to drink it with ice in cold weather.) J: Thôi, cho tui hot black đi. Có gì ăn giờ không chị? (Well, let me have hot black coffee, please. Have you got anything to eat now?) K Dạ có chị. Chị xem menu đi. (Yes, we have. Have a look at the menu, please.) (Extracted from Bao, Thai Duy (2005: 706) Proceedings of the International Conference on Critical Discourse Analysis: Theory into Research, November 2005). Italics: Vietnamese original. (text): English translation i) What linguistic and cultural phenomenon is happening with the mixture between Vietnamese and English in the conversation extract? ii) Why do you think this linguistic and cultural fact happen? 7. According to theory of politeness, what is face? How many types of face? What are they? 8. Please fill in the blanks with one of these words: maintain, threatened, defense, positive face, negative face (a) ………………….: the basic claim to territories, personal preserves, right to non-distraction- i.e. to freedom of action and freedom from imposition. (b) ………………….: the positive consistent self-image or “personality” (crucially including the desire that this self-image be appreciated and approved or claimed by interactants. Since face is so vulnerable, and since most participants will (c) ……………… their face and if (d) ……………………, it can be assumed that it is generally in everyone’s best interest to (e) ………………. each other’s face and to act in such a way that others are made aware that this is one’s intention. What is face? A person’s social need to both belong to a group and be independent of that group. Please fill in the blanks with one of these words: maintain, threatened, defense, positive face, negative face (a) Negative face: the basic claim to territories, personal preserves, right to non-distraction- i.e. to freedom of action and freedom from imposition. (b) Positive face: the positive consistent self-image or “personality” (crucially including the desire that this self-image be appreciated and approved or claimed by interactants. Since face is so vulnerable, and since most participants will (c) defense their face and if (d) threatened, it can be assumed that it is generally in everyone’s best interest to (e) maintain each other’s face and to act in such a way that others are made aware that this is one’s intention. 6 UNIT 5: PRINT LANGUAGE, LITERATE CULTURE 1. How can oral tradition be transformed into text tradition? (in 3 or 4 words) ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 2. Chinese scribal culture is characterized through reading the text only. 11. Please define the term “literacy”. 12. Fill in the blanks: Literacy is the cognitive and sociocultural ability to use the written or print medium according to the norms of interaction and interpretation of a given discourse community. 13. How do you understand this comment: “To be literate means not only to be able to write (encode) and decode (read) the written word, or to do exquisite text analyses; it is the capacity to understand and manipulate social and cultural meanings of print language in thoughts, feelings, & actions”. ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… How do you understand this comment: “A text cannot be given full interpretation if it is not viewed also as discourse”. Please provide one example for illustration. ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 1. Whites generally identify themselves by the color of their skin. 2. Chinese people identify themselves through the Chinese characters-writing system and the art of calligraphy. 3. What is footing? 4. How English speakers use address terms to signal the footing? Provide one example. 5. How Vietnamese speakers use address terms to signal the footing? Provide one example. A term to denote the stance we take up to the others presence in the way we manage the production or reception of utterances. The use of pronoun: switch from “everybody” to “we” to “you” and “I” (page 42) Mọi người/lớp yên lặng/chú ý. Hôm nay chúng ta nói về … Các bạn đã học về … 7 UNIT 6: LANGUAGE AND CUTURAL IDENTITY 1. Please provide one example regarding the connection between the language spoken by members of a social group and that group identity. ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 2. State some common ways to help define the identity? ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 3. State some common means to help a certain culture to survive? ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 4. When 2 Danes were asked “What’s your nationality?” they actually answered: “We speak Danish and came from Denmark”. 5. According to you, how do these Danes build their European identity? (in 3 or 4 words) ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 6. When an African-American man were asked “What’s your nationality?” he actually answered: “I’m black” 7. According to you, how do this African-American man build his African-American identity? (in 3 or 4 words) ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 10. Why do you think some immigrants use code-switching in their conversations? (in one line) ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 11. Why do you think some countries practice the linguistic nationism policy (national language as a replacement of variety of regional dialects & local practices)? (2 reasons. You don’t need to write the whole sentence) ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 8 . reflect different ways of perceiving the world - Language limits culture 1 - All concepts are culturally bound - Language dictates thought 7. Which version (strong/weak). maxims. Principle English culture Vietnamese culture Quality Quantity Relevance/Relation Manner UNIT 4: SPOKEN LANGUGE, ORAL CULTURE 1. Please consider