New words. Do you love them or hate them?

When you hear a new word in your language, do you have a reaction? Are you intrigued or offended by additions to language? Several readers of last week's blog chose the origin of words as an interesting subject, so this week I'll explore the topic of new words. (For language nerds, 'neologism' is the technical term for a new word.)    

What is a word really?  Although the definition of the word 'word' seems like a no-brainer, it is not a clear cut concept. We can visualize a written word in our minds, with the letters close together and a space before and after.  But in spoken language, words are often not separated by pauses.  If you have studied a foreign language, you may have experienced frustration because the oral stream of language is not neatly marked. How did I know, for instance, that in French 'Comma ta lei vu' (sic) was really 'Comment allez-vous?"  

Small children just learning their first language have a similar problem.  "Let's go bye-bye" probably sounds like one big word to them. As a matter of fact, in Swahili, the romantic sentence "I will love you" is 'nitakupenda', with a whole English phrase appearing as a word (to us, at least) in that language.

But we all have a working definition of 'word' at least. (We'll leave it to  linguists to provide an iron clad definition.) What is of more interest to me is the effect that new words have on speakers of that language.  I myself am delighted by new words.  It's a challenge to figure out how the word was formed.  Then it's intriguing to follow a new word to see if it is being widely used and by whom.

Take the new word 'selfie'.  It was named as the 2013 Word of the Year by the publishers of Oxford English Dictionary.  Click below for definition and more information about 'selfie'.  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/18/word-of-the-year-2013_n_4296009.html

'Selfie' was formed by adding the suffix -ie to 'self''.  It sounds familiar, like 'hippie' and 'yuppie'.   Since I first became aware of  'selfie', I have heard it numerous times on  radio and TV.  I haven't encountered it yet in personal conversation, probably because my friends and acquaintances (myself included) are still trying to figure out how to take any type of picture using these new-fangled devices.  The Pope appearing recently in a 'selfie' probably did much to promote the new word.  I  recently heard a talk show host make a joke that people were now talking about 'ussies', cell phone pictures of more than one person.  

Do you see 'selfie' and similar new words adding to the richness of the language or depleting it?  I would love to hear your opinions on this important matter!   

It's not your grandmother's grammar!

Grammar!

A vaguely unpleasant word for most people,  I would imagine. Disturbing images come to mind. Fill-in-the-blank worksheets.  A strict high school English teacher.  A heartfelt written essay returned bleeding red ink.  A momentary doubt as to whether to use 'lay' or 'lie'. Do I say, "It is I." or "It's me"? And all those rules in grammar books!  Even if a person could memorize them, applying them in the right circumstances would take more time than we have in today's rush-rush world.

But a few of you out there may have already joined the ranks of the Grammar Police.  To this enforcement agency, it is a matter of pride to study traditional usage rules, and, more especially, to use them to correct everyone who doesn't follow them.  Isn't the world "going to hell in a hand basket" if  a preposition ends up at the end of a sentence or an infinitive gets split?  Maybe not.

It may surprise you to know that in Linguistics, the scientific study of language, the type of grammar described above is of minimal importance.  It is labeled as "prescriptive grammar".   This traditional view of grammar "right vs. wrong" belongs to the world of copy editors, English instructors, and overzealous parents (not to mention a few acquaintances who want to prove that they are smarter than you are).

I would like to introduce you  to a much more challenging view of grammar, known as "descriptive grammar". As the name implies, linguists describe the language that real people produce in real circumstances and use it as material to explore what may be happening in the human brain.

Take for instance the sentence "I ain't goin' to do nothing for nobody." Did you just take out your red pen for correction?  Yes, those of us who have gone through the American educational system know that 'ain't' is not acceptable in polite society, 'going' needs a 'g' at the end, and that "doing nothing for nobody" means that you are really going to do something for someone because two negatives equal a positive (in mathematics at least).  So a prescriptivist merely labels the sentence as WRONG.  A descriptivist, however, looks more analitically at the sentence.

The much maligned 'ain't'' is a modified contraction of "I am not". After all, there is nothing unacceptable about "he isn't" or "we aren't.  Do some speakers prefer 'ain't' because it is a natural extension of the subconscious (in the brain)  rule that allows us to combine a form of the verb 'to be' with a negative word? Do some speakers pile up negative words ('not,' 'nothing,' 'nobody') for emphasis?  Speakers of Spanish and Portuguese string negative words in sentences without compunction.  (No voy a hacer nada para nadie.  Eu não vou fazer nada para ninguém.)

So the next time you hear a grammar "error," it may be an opportunity for some deeper thinking.  A linguist's view of grammar opens up a whole world of discovery of the workings of the human brain.  It  is definitely not your grandmother's grammar!







 

Does the term "Linguistics" scare you?

Linguistics.  Are you scared?  If so, you are not alone in the world.  The majority of people who ask what I do in life give me very strange looks when I say that I am interested in and teach courses in Linguistics.  A few are brave enough to ask, "What's that?"  Most just proceed to a more approachable topic.

Several weeks ago, I submitted an application to teach at a lifelong learning institute sponsored by our local university (under 50 years of age need not apply).  The first draft of the course description read like a watered-down version of a university introductory course in Linguistics (the science of language) that I taught for some years. It was stiff and contained unusual (some would say 'nerdy') words like 'syntax', 'morphology', 'phonology', and 'pragmatics'.  With an unusual flash of intuition, I realized that very few normal people out in the world would enroll in this course.

So I changed my approach.  Almost everyone in the world has the capability to communicate using language. The delivery method of language varies, but language still has to be  formulated in the brain.

Here are some questions that I imagine most people will want to know about language:

1. How did language begin?
2. Are we the only living beings that use language?
3. How are we able to find two different meanings in a sentence like "She texted her boyfriend with an iPhone."
4. Should we reject all new words that come into a language? 
5. Why do I have trouble making some sounds in other languages?
6. Is slang to be avoided at all costs?
7. Why do people speak with an accent different from mine?
8. Are certain areas in the brain essential for language?
9. "Can you pass the salt?"  A question or a request?
10. Can adults acquire a second language, or is it all downhill after age 14?

Which is these questions interested you most?  (You can just respond with the number).  I'm still in the planning stages for the new course, now called "Exploring Language", so your opinion is very valuable.

How about Joining the Slow Reading Movement?

Living more slowly has been getting some good press nowadays.  Slow Food is a movement to combat the fast food craze.  Slow Eating is supposed to do great things for your health.  Norway is experimenting with Slow Television. with a new nine hour broadcast about knitting. How about adding Slow Reading to the list of movements?  Foreign languages can encourage you to become a convert.

Do you read too fast in your native language?  I do.  The years I have spent attending classes and working in education have encouraged me to "skim and scan" almost every piece of written material I pick up.  My husband Wayne voices his annoyance when I finish the morning paper before he even reads the sports page.  He says I don't pay enough attention to detail, and I must admit he is right.  For me, it's hit the main idea and move on to the next article.

Reading in another language though.  Now that is a different experience. I have always known that I like to read in other languages, but I never analyzed why.  A few days ago I downloaded Au Bonheur des Dames by Émile Zola ( for free!) on my Kindle Reader. I have become addicted to the Masterpiece Theater production by PBS, "The Paradise." which is based on that novel. Since my French language ability is still in the recovery stage, I had no idea that I would be able to read the 19th century French novel.  But I can! Slowly!  And I am enjoying the reading because I have to concentrate and think about the meaning of the words.

The reading skill in foreign languages has a checkered past.  Before World War I, most foreign language education programs were based on producing students who could read and write in the new language (much like Latin had been taught for years).  In the second half of the 20th century, the primary goal of studying a foreign language became communication, with a heavy emphasis on being able to understand and speak the language.  And I heartily support that goal.  One of my great thrills in life is having a conversation with a native speaker of another language in that person's language.

But let's look at foreign language skills in a more practical manner.  Take my interest in French, for example. Realistically,  I'm probably not going to encounter enough native French speakers at this stage of my like to truly develop French speaking ability.  So should I give up on French study?  Not if I have a new goal, which is being able to read in French.  I can spend lots of happy hours immersed in French articles or literature.  

Here's what I am now reminding myself about reading in other languages.

• Be sure to read something I'm truly interested. Travel stories, yes; sports scores, not so much.
• Develop Stephen Krashen's "tolerance for ambiguity."  I'm not going to understand everything.
• Find a quiet place to read so that I can concentrate.  Foreign language reading takes a little more concentration.
• Do the reading in small doses.  Like about fifteen minutes.

Now I'm not feeling quite as guilty about not chatting up strangers in French on our recent trip to Canada. I'll keep telling myself that at least I can read Émile Zola in the original. 

"Bonjour"" doesn't always mean just "hello"

Quintessential Canada

Two weeks in Canada!    My mind is still whirling, thinking about the hospitable people that we met, the beautiful locales, and the language experiences that kept my brain well entertained.

If you have been following this blog, you may know that I had been trying to breathe some life into my knowledge of the French language before visiting Quebec and Nova Scotia.  My study of French has stretched over a lifetime, but it has been spotty and irregular, and never put to the acid test - actually communicating with a French speaking person.  So you may be asking the logical question, "Well, did you use any French on your trip?"

The answer is Yes and No. I understood quite a bit of French, but I spoke very little.  But isn't that what the language learning experts say we should do-spend a long period comprehending before we speak?   And my introverted personality feels very comfortable with that philosophy.

Stephen Krashen, noted language acquisition expert, describes a phenomenon that he labeled the "din in the head."  It is the sensation when you are comprehending enough input in the new language that you start to hear it in your own mind.  Beginning with the conversations of passengers lining up for the flight from Dallas-Ft. Worth to Montreal, I felt a change in atmosphere from monolingual English to bilingual English-French. Upon arrival, the Montreal Airport was a model of bilingualism, with announcements, signs, and conversations in two languages.  So many French learning opportunities, there for the asking.  Before long, the "din in my head" in French began.

Welcome/Bienvenue to Halifax

It was fascinating to see official bilingualism at work in Canada.  People who deal with tourists have a quick way of determining which language, French or English, you want to speak. They greet you in two languages ("Bonjour, Good morning") , and the one you respond in is what they use.

I always have to remind myself in foreign countries that I can't treat tourist situations like my own personal classroom. Those busy making a living are focused on getting their jobs done, not listening to my attempts to use their language or giving me a free grammar lesson. But how I longed to at least utter a few memorized phrases in French before I left Canada.  Surely I could say "Bonjour," "Merci beaucoup," or "De rien" to indicate that I am a language lover.  I must have been carrying that thought around in my subconscious.

It was 4:30 am and very dark on the train between Halifax, Nova Scotia and Quebec City.  The sleeping car attendant had given us specific instructions the night before.  He would wake us by knocking lightly on our door.  If we knocked back, he would know we were awake.  Our special stop at Charny was scheduled for 5:20 am. I responded confidently to the polite tapping on the door.

Early morning ablutions were a bit hectic (in a sleeper with a tiny bathroom- see below) when there was another knock on the door.

The train all purpose bathroom

Hey, wait a minute, my foggy brain said.  There wasn't supposed to be a second knock. Murder on the Orient Express came to mind.  Should I open the door?  I made a split second decision to do so.  

The polite sleeping car attendant said "Bonjour, Good Morning." I made the fatal mistake of answering "Bonjour," which meant I was given rapid fire very important instructions IN FRENCH that our train was arriving early and that we needed to proceed to an exit several cars down .  I caught the gist, but not the details. My husband Wayne would kill me if I didn't get the information right!  I had to eat humble pie and request the information in English.

But I am not deterred.  We have bilingual Canadian friends visiting us in El Paso in several months. I had better get to work on that French MOOC that I am halfway through.  À bientôt!

Oops!  Better know some basic French at this stop sign!

Siri goes cosmopolitan

Maybe Siri has always been cosmopolitan, but I just recently found out that the wise Siri not only knows all, but knows it in various languages as well.  In case you haven't met her, Siri is the virtual, personal, digital assistant available on Apple devices.

My family is the proud owner of a latest generation iPad (a present from my technology-talented son who said he wanted to  "keep the old folks in the technology loop").  The iPad has been in the family about 18 months now, and we are still trying to develop a friendly relationship with it.

Before I discovered the oral language talents of Siri, I learned that to write in a foreign language was a piece of cake on the iPad.  The keyboard is already set up with diacritical markings for various languages, like accent marks in Spanish.  If I need to write the Spanish surname Gómez, for example, the 'o' with an acute accent can be located by holding down the 'o' key and then tapping on one of nine 'o' choices with different markings. For the English writer who wants to throw in an occasional word in a foreign language, Apple has made it super easy to spell correctly.

Now you can use your iPad to complain that a linguistic term is recherché, brag about your new recipe for pâté de fois gras, or describe your vacation in São Paulo with complete confidence that you are showing the world you are a literate person.

Up to this point, I have not used Siri very often.  My husband Wayne talks to her all of the time, although  he gets really annoyed when she doesn't understand his Texas accent  Maybe me not using Siri is a gender thing.  Did I hear that the new iPhone 5S has a choice of male or female voices?   That brings us some interesting possibilities.

Recently I read that Siri speaks and understands several different languages.  My mind started whirling. How could I use Siri's cosmopolitan outlook not especially to get information but as part of my foreign language learning hobby?

Step 1 was to see which languages Siri knows.  I went to Settings, General, Siri, and Language to find the answer.  Nineteen languages are listed, some of which are dialects of the same language.  I was pleased to find, in addition to my native language English,  that Siri is conversant in French, which I have been brushing up on, and Spanish, which was my first foreign language. I didn't find Portuguese, which I used to teach. Too bad, because Portuguese is really fun to speak.

Map of Spanish-speaking countries

What caught my eye was that Spanish was listed with three dialects, Mexico, Spain, and United States.  I understood the separation of Mexican Spanish and Peninsular Spanish, but I didn't know that there were enough common identifying features of Spanish spoken in the US to warrant a separate setting.  Spanish in the US differs considerably from location to location.  Spanish spoken in New York City, for example, may differ considerably from that spoken in Los Angeles. And New Mexican Spanish may differ considerably from Spanish spoken in Colorado.  How did the Apple software engineers decide on which features to include in the Spanish-United States setting?

I also notice that Siri speaks French from Canada and French from France.  I'm not sophisticated enough in that language to hear the difference in the two dialects.  As a matter of fact, if I can get Siri to understand anything I ask in French, I will feel quite accomplished.  I hope she isn't secretly smiling at my unauthentic French 'r'.

Now I am intrigued with Siri and her language ability.  I'm going to try some simple experiments that I will be writing about in coming weeks.  Do you have a story about Siri and languages? Please share.

PLEASE NOTE:  Language Lover's Blog is going on vacation and will return on October 28.  See you then!

Exploring "The Not to Do List for Successful Language Learners" Tip No. 1

I'm a sucker for articles about language learning.  My secret hope is to find some trick to learn a foreign language that doesn't require blood, sweat and tears (not to mention huge chunks of my time, moving to a foreign country, or hiring a live-in foreign national, which my husband would probably applaud if she were young and beautiful). 

So when I saw the following article, I read it immediately instead of relegating it to the read sometime in the future folder. Maybe you would like to take a look at this easy to read article, "The Not to Do List for Successful Language Learners"  by John Fotheringham before we get started.   http://l2mastery.com/blog/linguistics-and-education/methods/not-to-do-list.

First of all, I gave a big fist pump and yelled "Yes!" when I read the article.  Now I want to explore why we are not already following the common sense advice listed, either in language courses or as independent learners. Let's take a memory trip back to your and my attempts at learning a foreign language, using the 10 tips in the article.


1. Do NOT spend more than 5% of your study time on grammar, translation, vocabulary lists or any other overt information about the language.

5%? Not much time to learn all those rules and exceptions to the rule!   The big controversial topic here is grammar.  Translation and extensive bilingual vocabulary lists have pretty much passed out of use (I hope). But the language profession has been waffling for decades about how useful grammar instruction is for learners whose main goal is to speak the language.

What is so seductive about studying the grammar of a language?  I must admit  I am one of those weird persons who likes to know how languages work.  Using my current online French course as an example, am I fascinated by the fact that French has two helping verbs to form the past tense (passé composé), and that each verb has specific rules for its use?  I am, and it gives me great satisfaction to learn those rules and complete a grammar exercise (answers at the bottom of the page upside down) and select all the right answers. I can mark an A+ on my paper. And my ego gets a little boost.  Are you one of those types of language learners also? 

Here is the crux of the matter.  When I am face to face with a fast-talking French Canadian later this year, will I be able to use the correct French past tense form in a timely manner?  Probably not!  "Why not?", you may ask, "Didn't you make an A+ on the grammar exercise about forming past tense verbs in French?"  Well, yes, I did, and I can explain to you (if you have patience and time to listen) that avoir is the helping verb used with most verbs to say a phrase like 'I have read', but that when I use a verb of motion, or a reflexive verb (I'll spare you the digression needed  to explain what a reflexive verb is) être is the only possible correct grammatical choice.   

By the time all of that grammar information filters through my brain, I might be able  to eventually croak out a correct 'Je suis arrivée au Canada hier.' (I arrived in Canada yesterday.) The French speaker would have to live up to the reputation of Canadian politeness not to experience some frustration with the snail's pace of our conversation.  He/she might even regret having asked me the innocent question, "When did you arrive in Canada?"

If you are still with me in this discussion, you may be wondering, "If grammar study and exercises aren't the solution,  then how can I learn to use the two French past tense helping verbs well enough to carry on a decent conversation?"  I would recommend the following:

(1) Listen to French past tense conversations until I notice that two different helping verbs are used.

(2) Hypothesize about the characteristics of verbs that use être or avoir as helping verbs.

(3) Check my hypotheses by listening and reading in French.

(4) Participate in many simple conversations in French about past tense events. 

(5) Realize that I am going to make errors (no A+s here). 

(5) Now check the grammar rules if I want to.  They will make a lot more sense  at this point.

Summary:  Learn grammar by using the language, not by learning about the language.

I'm off the soapbox for today. Thoughts and opinions  are sincerely appreciated.  We'll look at some more tips next week.