Inglese (prof. Sabatini) PDF

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corso di sociolinguistica inglese con F. Sabatini...

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Lingua inglese 12 CFU Sabatini 25/02/2019 Ricevimento: martedì dalle 14 alle 16. Lettorato propedeutico, si possono perdere massimo 6 lezioni, 12 ore. Esoneri: saranno sui contenuti del corso. In base al voto si porta un certo tipo di programma all’esame finale. Aprile/Maggio. Le relazioni, singolarmente o in coppia, contribuiscono all’esame finale. Se fai i due esoneri e la presentazione puoi non fare l’esame. Testi: Language, society and power: an introduction. Autori: Mooney, Annabelle and Betsy Evans, 2015, Routledge. Perché? Language, society and power? - Facciamo linguistica applicata alla società, alle dinamiche di potere che stabiliscono attraverso il linguaggio gerarchie, potere, sessismo, omofobia, nella società. La linguistica teorica si occupa della lingua in sé. Facciamo simile alla socio linguistica: influenza del linguaggio sulla società e viceversa. Distinzione tra discours and speech: discorso è il livello più alto del linguaggio. Inglese, lingua pragmatica, la più sintetica: ha a che fare con la filosofia inglese, la storia, l’esistenzialismo, l’empirismo. La lingua si porta dietro storia, filosofia, mondi, intrecci. Language and politics.

Spanglish Meaning of communication and miscommunication: Spanglish is a language spoken in some country, like California. The posters give us a message: what is persuasive or what appeals us? There are 3 people, a man and 3 women. A love triangle? A love relationship between 3 people, a man and 3 women: this is part of the topic. The two women are one Spanish and one is American: one more sensual and darker, one is blonde American. The idea of labelling people is wrong, not all American women aren’t like this. Is a generalisation. What is American culture? South and North are different, civil war. Stereotypes, we’re all affected, and is a problem: it’s a wall between us and others. Others dangers: is my point of view, is my cultural embedded vision. The danger of living stereotypes? Is impossible to reach equality if you have stereotypical images, and it produce discriminations. It can create distort images. Es di Colovati → He can’t bear when women discuss football stuff. Us-others We-they 26.02.2019 We apply the scientific study of language to the study of the society. Between language and society there is power, the linking between the two. Effective intercultural communication or ineffective. Spanglish is a mix of American and English culture: culture and languages influence each other. Linguistics tells us that to know a language is not enough, the communicative ability is very important, culture is important or communication fails.

Key concepts: danger of stereotypical representation: the are limitative. The difference between each other increases if there is a language barrier. We won’t study translation, but every now and then we’ll focus on expressions that can’t be properly translated: cultural embedded words (parole inestricabili dalla cultura). Es: Hangover, ho I postumi della sbornia. “I fell hangover or I have an hangover”. Non è proprio uguale hangover da postumo della sbornia, it’s different in the way we drink: hangover contains a whole culture that goes back to Shakespeare culture, is one of he most used word in English. Corporal linguistic gather all the words, and one of the most widly employed term is hangover. We don’t use hangover so often as English people. Subtitle of spanglish “every family could use a little translation”: the theme of the film is the integration of a Mexican mother and a Mexican daughter; the two go to California to work and live in an American family. - “use” is an idiomatic expression: the meaning is “farebbe comodo” and the translation can be “ad ogni famiglia farebbe comodo un po’ di traduzione”. Oppure non farebbe male. Use has multiple meanings depending on the register. ➔ Culture deeply influences language. English is very practical, USE, in Italian we’re more moralistic, farebbe comodo, non farebbe male, more moralistic. Language is difficult to describe! We’ll answer 3 wide questions: - What is language? - What is linguistic? - What is discourse analysis? What is language? Is a code, is a way to communicate. It’s not only verbal, made of words, but it’s also non-verbal: body communication, postures, gestures, clothing, facial expressions, sign language. Difference between significance and meaning: significato, but one is more formal that the other. Significance is more formal: it derives from Latin, it belongs to another culture and it has more prestige, Latin is more prestigious. The Latin derived forms are more formal. The other nonverbal communication is visual. It very important historical linguistic, not important is sociolinguistic because it’s not historical. Other nonverbal communication is silence. There is a sender and a receiver: we can talk to others or we can talk to our self → language is the vehicle to construct IDENTITY, and to codify our taught, are there no taught without language? We can also think thanks to images. Es del cheating. Three of languages: it starts all with Indo-European languages, the same roots. Etymology is the study of the languages, where they come from. Slut: puttana, but is very strong, not as for us. It has nothing to do with sexuality or meaning, slut didn’t have from Shakespeare the same meaning. If you study the past of languages you discover interesting things of the society. Language is: 1. A body of words and the systems for their use common to a people (=una popolazione) who are of the same community or nation, the same geographical area, or the same cultural tradition. 2. Communication by voice in the distinctively human manner, using arbitrary sounds in conventional ways with conventional meanings; speech. This is the best description of language for linguistics. - He doesn’t agree with the fact that is distinctively human, also animals can communicate, we’re political animals: for Aristotel logos is a combination of two meanings, ragione e parola, reason and word. This historical linguistic notion tells us that language and meaning had just one word: logos meant reason/mind and language and according to Aristotel is the difference between us and animals: we use words for abstract talks.

Arbitrary: cultural decided, artificial. It’s a list of sounds and graphic symbols that produce a signifier. The system of linguistic signs or symbols considered in the abstract (opposed to speech). Any system of formalized symbols, signs, sounds, gestures, or the like used or conceived as a means of communication thought, emotion, experience, etc. es sign language, is codified. Any set or system of such symbols as used in a more or less uniform fashion (=modo) by a number of people, who are thus enabled to communicate intelligibility with one another. The means of communication used by animals. Communication of meaning in ANY WAY: medium that is expressive, significant. A text is everything that communicates, it is a medium for communication, it has many expression. Es language of art, clothing, music. Everything merge together! -

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Federico Fellini: Italian filmmaker, he explored language in his films, his films revealed the past of Italy post war. ➔ “ a different language is a different vision of life”: the language influences your culture and vice versa. Languages influences our way to communicate. To know a language is not enough, we need to know the culture. Chomsky: ➔ “language is a process of FREE CREATION; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation.” Why is this important, free creation, and fixed principles? Why is freedom so important? We decide how to express ourselves, the use of words, of tone, of pitch (altezza, quanto fiato), the choice of words: inn sociolinguistics everything is about LINGUISTIC CHOICES. Language is used as a weapon, according to the choices we make the meaning is different: if we say you bitch to someone in the street is different if you say it to your friend. Why is communication so difficult? Not only you have a wide selection from which to choose, but also because the other person listening to you will interpret your message. Es. The most used word to indicate masses of immigrants by journalists: flood = a natural phenomenon, a violent unstoppable phenomenon. As a reader, I’m influenced by what I read. Linguistic choices are very important. 27.02.2019 To summarise: language is a vehicle for communication, but it has other purposes: it translates our thoughts. Language is something that is infinity and is our creation. We pointed out the most important concept: language choices, choices of words. Three research questions that comes from Noam Chomsky discourse: 1. How does influence this (la frase di Chomsky) our communication? 2. What is involved in communication besides verbal language? 3. How should we deal with culture-embedded language(s)? linguaggi che sono incorporati in maniera inestricabile nella cultura. We’re studying intercultural communication: gender, age, ethnicity, race, political opinion, culture, language. What’s the difference between multicultural, cross-cultural and intercultural communication? - Multicultural: when there is a multitude of ethnic groups who interact with one another. - Cross-cultural: when two cultures meet, but how?

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Intercultural communication: inter is deeper, continue exchange. Inter- come prefisso: international, interrelashion, inter is both ways, is an intensifier.

Multicultural

Cross-cultural

Intercultural

Multicultural: society that contains several cultural or ethnics groups. People live alongside one another, but eah cultural group does not necessarily have engaging interactions with each other. For example in a multicultural neighbourhood. Intercultural is never a one way relationship: there is a return of information. Who are the agents of communication? One talks and the other should reply, otherwise it isn’t a dialogue. Cross cultural: one is passive, one way communication. A comparison of different cultural, one type of exchange happens. In cross-cultural communication differences are understood and acknowledged, and can bring about individual change, but not collective transformations. In cross-cultural societies one culture is often considered “the norm” and the other cultures are compared or contrasted to the dominant culture. What is not like the norm is considered as different: differences creates hate and can scare many people.

Intercultural communication: describes communities in which there is a deep understanding and respect for all cultures. Intercultural communication focuses on the mutual exchange of ideas and cultural norms and the development of deep relationships. In an intercultural society, no one is left unchanged because everyone learns from one another and grows together. More collective society. It isn’t so easy, is very difficult, even in NY. There is a real lack of communication. The three terms are under the same roof, but they describe different rooms. For some people this type of communication it seems utopian, idealistic. Domanda possibile all’esame: è vero che una società interculturale è utopica? Interculturality: is the interaction of people from different cultural backgrounds using authentic language appropriately in a way that demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the cultures. It is the ability to experience the culture of another person and to be open minded, interested, and curious about that person and culture. An intercultural situation is one in which the cultural distance between participants is significant enough to have an effect on interaction that is noticeable to at least one of the parties. Some of the groups realise that something isn’t working: there is a misunderstanding. Silence is also a form of language and intercultural communication is also silent: is beyond verbal language, is something that can even be considered on an unconscious level! Hall (anthropologist): main elements of his paradigm for inter. Comm: 1. Systematic empirical study and the classification of nonverbal communication (defined as communication that does not involve the exchange of words)

2. Emphasis, especially in nonverbal communication, on the out-of-conscious level of informationexchange. People can offend others without realising it, this is on the unconscious level of information exchange. 3. A non-judgmental view toward and acceptance of cultural differences. 4. Participatory training methods in intercultural communication. What are the do’s and don’t’s of intercultural communication? The do’s - have respect, avoid judgements, to be open minded, to appreciate differences, never taking for granted that someone appreciates you. - Avoid assumptions, jokes which are misunderstood. - Use symbols, diagrams, pictures. - Avoid using slang and idioms, choosing words that will convey only the most specific denotative meaning. Avoid it because it’s a high level of communication, start with a simple communication. Connotation is different from denotative: denotative is the first meaning, connotation it refers to something else. - Investigate their culture’s perception. - Take cultural and local differences into account. - Say what you do and do what you say. - Make sure that your communication is in line with the audience; use understandable language. The don’t’s - Use the same approach world-wide. - Considering traditional knowledge and praticices as backward. - Letting cultural differences become a source of conflict that hinder (minano) the process or work. - Fail to ignore culturally-dependent enabling and counteracting forces. (fail to ignore forces that are culturally dependent that can be use to enable and improve communication or vice-versa). - Fail to take language barriers into account. Some misunderstanding. The thumb’s: something is good. Is considered rude in some Asian and Islamic countries, it means the middle finger. Segno di peace in England is fuck off. Raising you hand means stop: in Asian culture is used to ask permit to speak. North Americans view direct eye contact as a sign of honesty. Asians view direct eye contact as a form of disrespect. Shake hands hard in England is uncommon, is too intrusive: they shake hands just by softly touching. Nodding vs shaking head. Nodding is scientifically proved, biological foundation for language. Head movement is used to communicate. In Bulgaria and Greece our response pattern is reversed (nodding means no, shaking head means yes).

04.04.2019 Comments below the youtube video we saw: - Some Asian people were offended. - We tend to generalize 4 main issues in relation to intercultural discourse: 1. Intercultural competence (the ability to do something successfully, efficiently and effectively) 2. Achieving understanding (comprehension, sympathetic awareness or tolerance, empathy → sympathy is when you can identify with the other’s feelings, be aware of the other person’s word) 3. Understanding the sense of identity

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Believe Values Relations Sex-gender Nationality Citizenship Taste Jobs Age Identity is what makes us different from everybody else. When we talk with someone else, we have to take value the differences, the fact that the other persons are different. 4. Managing rapport Rapport is a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned are in sync with each other, understand each other’s feelings or ideas, and communicate smoothly (fluida, scorrevole). The word stems from the old French verb rapporter which means literally carry something back; and in the sense of how people relate to each other means that what one person sends out the other send back. ➔ Me towards the other person and vice-versa; me towards the world and vice-versa. There should be a communicative balance. The participants engage in reciprocal behaviours such as posture mirroring or in increased coordination in their verbal and nonverbal interactions. Techniques that are generally beneficial in building rapport: - Maching your body language (posture, gesture, …) - Indicating attentiveness through maintaining eye contact. That is not always true: as we said last times in some Asian country the eye contact means impoliteness. This book is written by a western author for sure. In conversation, some verbal behaviours associated with increased rapport are: - The use of positivity (trying to accept the other’s identity, positive face management -> gestione della faccia) - Sharing personal information of gradually increasing intimacy (or “self-disclosure”), and referring to shared interests or experiences. Condividere info personali che vadano gradualmente ad aumentare l’intimità, o la mancata chiusura, l’apertura del nostro se, riferendosi a nostri interessi condividi o esperienze. In this case if you over open yourself that means that you’re rude, and it’s uncommon. We have to be open, but being careful of the extent, how much should we be open. - Commonality: the technique of deliberately finding something in common with a person or a customer in order to build a sense of camaderie and trust (trying to achieve trust) by sharing personal details or self-disclosing personal preferences or information, interlocutors can build commonality and thus increase rapport. Condivisione, comunione, confidenza, comunanza. - Face management: riuscire a gestire la nostra faccia. Face-negatiation theory is primarily based on the research of Brown and Levinson. In this theory “face” is a methaphor for self-image, which originates from two Chinese conceptualizations: lien and mien-tzu. ➔ Lien is the internal moral face that involves shame, integrity, an honour issues. The face we perceive of our self. ➔ Mien-tzu, on the other hand is the external social face that involves social recognition, position, authority, influence and power. The face we want to give the others of us. Avoid stereotypes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUO59EMI3eo cultural diversity examples avoid stereotypes while communicating. Write: verbal, body language, and how they try to communicate. Why rapport hasn’t been achieved. Offensive: generalize. The most offensive thing is asking where you from, slowly, and asking where are your people from just because she looks different as him. Pregiudizio: lei non sembra fisicamente Americana. Il fatto di dare per scontato che le piaccia la cucina koreana e anche il gesto che va, magari vuol dire tutt’altro per lei, magari non vuol dire niente. Alla fine neanche lui è americano. Lei si comporta esattamente come lui, lui le dice che è weird. Pregiudizi sul cibo e sui modi di fare. Rapport hasn’t been achieved because. Discorso sul video: she was born in San Diego, but she has Asian origins, this is the “difference”. He’s friendly, expansive and the beginning: he’s confident, shown by his body movement, he’s sure to be funny. He’s confidence turns into patronizing (paternalistico), there is an asymmetrical relations. She’s sarcastic, she answers that in San Diego they speaks good English. Your people: it creates a distance, americans vs your people. “just” American: as if she were something else. Regular American How would you react? How does she react? sarcasm, irony. Before he bows, like they do in Korea, thinking that she bows. Then he talks about Korean food. Then she asks him where he come from.. finally she explodes, she lists stereotypical images (Jack the ripper, bloody hell, fish and chips, double double toil and trouble, mind the gap). Miscommunication especially because they share the same origin!! 05.03.2019 What is language? David Crystal “language, a system of conventional (already described, gestures, posture,…), spoken, manual, body, or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of social group and participants in its cultural, express themselves. The functions of language include communication, the expression of identity, play, imaginative expression, and emotional release.” Participation and in-groupness. In linguistics there are several definition: 1. Henry sweet: ...