Anthropological Approaches to the Study of Language Systems

Anthropological Approaches* to *The* Study of Language S*ystems Language: The arbitrary vocal symbols human beings use to encode and communicate about their experience of the world and of one another. Linguistics: the scientific study of language Linguistic anthropologists study how language is formed and how it works, the history and development of language and the relationships between language and other aspects of culture Throughout time a change in language through modern technology All human beings have language it varies in terms of its nature and all language is equally sophisticated and complex All human beings have the capacity to learn language Children who are isolate and not socialized till the age of 6 cannot learn language (feral children) Communicative competence Linguistic Anthropology Focuses on the mechanics of language, including: Phonology (phonetics): the general study of the sounds used in speech by means of an internationally recognized system of symbols to represent the various phonetic sounds of speech. Syntax: the study of the manner in which minimum units of meaning (morphemes) are put together into phrases or sentences. Or, what English speakers call grammar. Historical Linguistics Studies the relationships of languages to one another and reconstructs how languages change over time. Includes an analysis of how the phonology of language changes over time (dialects, pidgins, creoles, and new languages). Includes an examinations of potential universals in linguistic principles of classification (are there universal classifications for colours?) 12 different languages before European contact, why is that important? Because that means that there were people living in the North America for a very long time. It was so diverse! Specialized field that studies the relationship between language and