Human Language: Origins, Structure, and Meaning
The Origins of Language
Divine Source
The divine source theory posits that language is a gift from a deity. It suggests that a supernatural being gave language to humanity as a means of communication or as a fundamental aspect of human nature and consciousness.
Natural Sound Source
The natural sound source theory proposes that early human ancestors developed communication systems by mimicking sounds from their environment.
Social Interaction Source
The social interaction source theory suggests that as
Read MoreEssential ESL Teaching Terms and Classroom Activities
Key Terms for ESL Instruction
For Special Attention
Syllabus: A short-term plan for a semester, term, or course.
Content: The theme, topic, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, etc., focuses of a lesson.
As many… as (one) can: The maximum number that one can manage.
Language skills: Usually listening, speaking, reading, writing; sometimes also grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation.
As much as possible: The maximum amount that one can manage.
Teacher’s room: Special room where teachers relax, talk, work,
Read MoreUnderstanding Child Language Development: From Crying to Speech
Understanding Child Language Development
What is Psycholinguistics?
Psycholinguistics is the study of language and speech as a window into the nature and structure of the human mind.
What is Developmental Psycholinguistics?
Developmental psycholinguistics examines how speech emerges over time and how children construct the complex structures of their mother tongue.
Crying: An Automatic, Iconic, and Symbolic Response
Crying is an automatic response to noxious stimuli, triggered by the autonomic nervous
Read MoreEffective Language Teaching Methods: A Comprehensive Analysis
Community Language Learning
Community Language Learning is a classic example of an affectively based method, based on Charles Curran’s (1972) Counseling-Learning model of education. Learners in a classroom are regarded not as a class but as a group in need of therapy and counseling. Success depends on the translation expertise of the counselor. However, the counselor-teacher could become too non-directive. Supportive but assertive direction from the counselor could strengthen the method.
- Theory of
Grammar: Understanding and Teaching Effectively
What is Grammar?
- Language users’ subconscious internal system
- Linguists’ attempt to codify or describe that system
- Sounds of language – Phonology
- Structure and form of words – Morphology
- Arrangement of words into larger units – Syntax
- Meanings of language – Semantics
- Functions of language and its use in context – Pragmatics
“Grammar is the business of taking a language to pieces, to see how it works.” – David Crystal
Grammar is the system of a language. People sometimes describe grammar as the “rules” of
Read MoreIntonation in English: Statements, Questions, and Tonality
C2 Statements: Default Tone and Finality
C2 statements typically have a default tone that conveys confidence and finality, indicating a complete thought.
Statements: Non-Fall Intonation
Statements with a non-fall intonation (\/) have not reached the end of the message. These incomplete statements may imply something without explicitly stating it. They can also imply contrast, express reservation, indicate a statement is true under certain conditions, be tactful or polite, sound tentative when correcting
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