Topic Language Introduction Aim How is language an

Topic: Language Introduction • Aim: How is language an essential element of culture? The Seris (Sonora MX) have more than 50 terms for kinship relationships, such as between these two cousins, many specific to the gender and birth order of the relative. A woman uses a different word for • Do Now: List 5 words that you know in a different language in your notebook, along with how you know each of these words (who taught you? )

Discussion: How many of you… • Speak another language fluently? • Understand but don’t speak another language? • Can write fluently in another language? • Actually think in a different language at times? • Why would someone want to speak another language?

What is Language? • A mutually agreed upon system of symbolic communication – Has a spoken expression – Usually has a written expression

Geographers’ Perspective on Language • “Language is the essence of culture, and culture is the epoxy of society. ” Harm de. Blij • Possibly the most important medium by which culture is transmitted • Languages structure the perceptions of their speakers • Attitudes, understandings, and responses are partly determined by the words available. • “How Language Influences Emotion” • Languages are a hallmark of cultural

Going by native speakers (people who speak it as a first language), what are the top 10 spoken languages (by number of speakers) in the world today? (If you know why, even better!)

World’s Top 10 Languages (via Ethnologue) 1. Mandarin Chinese 2. Spanish 3. English 4. Hindi 5. Arabic 6. Portuguese 7. Bengali 8. Russian 9. Japanese 10. Lahnda 848 Million 399 Million 335 Million 260 Million 242 Million 203 Million 189 Million 166 Million 128 Million 89 Million

Cool infographic!

World Languages • 7000+ languages spoken today, not including dialects • 1500+ in Sub-Saharan Africa alone • 400+ in New Guinea alone • 100+ in Europe • However, this diversity is diminishing: – 2000+ threatened or endangered languages – As many as 1/2

Language distribution indicates: • • History and conquest Isolation or integration of cultures Migration of peoples Economic domination of certain cultures Influence of wealth and technology Political divisions (country boundaries) Physical geography barriers (mountains, deserts, etc. )

How Language Influences Culture • Character and sounds of a culture • Visual landscapes of signs – script, letters, ideograms

How Language Indicates Cultural Values • • • class structure gender differences in vocabulary environmentally specific vocabulary formal and informal relationships technology of a culture