Mukhametkerim Dana

Group:303
Seminar 8
Tutorial 8
1 Give your understanding of a Linguistic Picture of the World. What is the
difference between a Conceptual and Linguistic Picture of the World?

Language picture of the world, originating as a metaphor, is now one of the

basic concepts of linguistics. Language picture of the world is the way of
worldview people through the prism language . Man perceives the world
and himself with their language, which reflects the whole socio-historical
experience. This experience applies not only national and universal, and the
national experience, which brings specific features in each separate
language. Through their own language, media adopt a specific linguistic
picture of the world, which generates a person a certain attitude to the
world around him. Also language picture of the world sets human standards
of behavior which define man's relation to the world and an integral system
of views of native speakers. Thus, we can say that language not only conveys
information, it saves, but creates an internal organization that is subject to
transfer. Faced with the linguistic picture of the world of foreign language,
we are thus confronted with its culture, national mentality, specific way of
thinking of native speakers. So the question arises, which bears primary:
language picture of the world and national mentality and character of the
speakers of the language picture of the world? Cultural and community
traditions, historical events, external conditions of existence (geography,
climate, natural) community and originated form the basis of the national
character and mentality.

2. What factors create a national picture of the world? What language best
fits your language personality Does bilingualism and multilingualism
trigger a changed personality? Do you think that English is on the way to
being the global language?
Our own personalities change because we notice how people react to us
when we speak different languages. After all, identity is “your sense of self,
but also how you feel others are perceiving you and how that impacts on
how you can project who you are,” says Carolyn McKinney, a professor of
language and literacy studies at the University of Cape Town. And so you
might see yourself as a confident, poised professional when speaking your
native English in front of a crowd and watching the audience hang on your
every word—and then feel like a blundering goofball when conducting a
meeting in beginner German.
“The minute you speak to someone you’re engaging in an identity
negotiation,” says Bonny Norton, a professor of language and literacy
education at British Columbia University. “‘Who are you? Where are you?
How do I relate to you? How do you see me?’ So when someone says their
personality changes, what they’re saying is: ‘When I talk to other people my
personality changes.'”
It may also be that the context in which you learn a second language is
essential to your sense of self in that tongue. In other words, if you’re
learning to speak Mandarin while living in China, the firsthand observations
you make about the people and culture during that period will be built into
your sense of identity as a Mandarin speaker. If you’re learning Mandarin in
a classroom in the US, you’ll likely incorporate your instructor’s beliefs and
associations with Chinese culture along with your own—even if those beliefs
are based on stereotypes.
And if you learn a language without any kind of context, it may not impact
your personality much at all. “It is arguable,” Jill Hadfield, a professor of
language studies at Unitec Institute of Technology in New Zealand, writes in
an email, “that if all you use a language for is to translate or fill blanks in
decontextualized sentences such as ‘The pen of my aunt is on the table,’ you
will not develop a [second-language] identity.”
For people learning a language associated with a culture they admire, that’s
all the more reason to immerse yourself in it—whether that means taking a
trip abroad, watching movies in your chosen tongue, finding a native
speaker who can help you learn about their country’s traditions, or all of the
above. When you learn a new language, you’re not just memorizing
vocabulary and grammar rules—you also have a chance to tap into new
parts of your identity.
3. What is the role of lexis and grammar in forming of the language
personality?

The lexical approach is based on the assumption that the most important
personality traits are encoded as words in natural languages and that the
analysis of the structure of those words may lead to a scientifically
acceptable personality model.
The lexical hypothesis is a concept in personality psychology and
psychometrics that proposes the personality traits and differences that are
the most important and relevant to people eventually become a part of
their language.
In linguistics, lexis (in Greek λέξις = word) describes the storage of language
in our mental lexicon as prefabricated patterns (lexical units) that can be
recalled and sorted into meaningful speech and writing. Recent research in
corpus linguistics suggests that the long-held dichotomy between grammar
and vocabulary does not exist. Lexis as a concept differs from the traditional
paradigm of grammar in that it defines probable language use, not possible
language usage. This notion contrasts starkly with the Chomskian
proposition of a “Universal Grammar” as the prime mover for language;
grammar still plays an integral role in lexis, of course, but it is the result of
accumulated lexis, not its generator

4. Is the Concept- unit of Language, Speech or Mentality?

The study of the concept in modern linguistics is of the paramount

importance. However, any attempt to comprehend the nature of the
concept is associated with a number of the most diverse points of view. The
intensive research of it in the field of cognitive linguistics has demonstrated
a great disparity in the understanding of the term “concept”. Discrepancies
cause ambiguity and terminological confusion (Gruzberg 184).
Thus the term “concept” is an umbrella term for several scientific directions:
first of all for cognitive psychology and cognitive linguistics, dealing with
thinking and cognition, storing and transforming information, as well as for
cultural linguistics, which is still defining and refining the boundaries of the
theory formed by the postulates and basic categories. We can assume that
as in mathematics, the concept in cognitive science is the basic axiomatic
category which is undetectable, intuitively understanding; the hyperonym of
the notion, ideas, frame, script, gestalt etc. (Лихачев 1997).
According to the Russian scientist J. Stepanov, “concepts are just phrases,
fragments of conversation <...>, but they are subtle phrases that force our
minds create such content, as if it has been familiar for us for a long time”.
Concept can be understood as bunch of culture in the consciousness of
people; it is something in the form of which the culture enters the mental
world. And, moreover, people through the concept enter the culture and
affect it. Concepts are not only contemplated, they are experienced. They
are the subject of emotions, likes and dislikes, and sometimes collisions. The
concept is also a discrete unit of the collective consciousness, which is
stored in the national memory of native speakers in verbally determinate
form. As a cognitive unit of meaning, a concept is an abstract idea or a
mental symbol sometimes defined as a “unit of knowledge”, built from
other units which act as a concept’s characteristic. A concept is typically
associated with a corresponding representation in a language such as a
single meaning of a term (Dillon 2000 51-71).
In linguistics, the concept, in contrast to a word, has a more complicated
structure. The content of the concept is divided into linguistic meaning and
cultural sense. That is why it is often called a unit of knowledge, an abstract
idea or a mental symbol (Britannica 2008).

5. How concept-constants of the English/American culture are connected

with the mentality of British/American people?

1. Americans expect to take individual responsibility for tasks in the

workplace and as such, tend to feel the pressure to perform more than a
British worker. British companies place more emphasis on teamwork and
collective responsibility. British people sometimes see Americans as very
driven and stressed, while American may view Brits as sloppy, with a poorer
work ethic.
2. Because the British prefer understatement and generally dislike
confrontation, they may be viewed by American colleagues as passive-
aggressive, for example, using sarcasm in email correspondence rather than
facing the issue. Situations like this need to be addressed with sensitivity by
both parties.
3. Salaries are generally higher in the USA but insecurities in the workplace
are greater. With minimal sick pay, holiday pay or maternity leave
allowance, American workers feel a far greater sense of having to be in the
office for fear of being thought lazy or lacking in commitment. Many
Americans do not take their full allowance of annual leave for fear of losing
their jobs. The UK’s employment laws, on the other hand, tend to favor the
employee, rather than the employer. Employment law is clearer. There is no
regional variation in issues like LGBT rights, whereas in the USA, these are
different views from state to state.
4. Americans are far more overtly patriotic than Brits. Flags are flown
outside homes; advertising campaigns reflect the great American dream and
consumers respond positively to American products. The British view flag-
flying as a political statement, unless there is a royal occasion to celebrate.
They will make self-deprecating remarks and be openly critical of their
country, while Americans are more likely to feel uncomfortable mocking
their homeland.
5. Americans are much more direct communicators, which is in part related
to their work ethic of getting things done as quickly as possible in order to
maximize profit. The British employ more complex communication
techniques, often saying the opposite of what they really mean, sometimes
in jest. “That’s quite a good idea”, for example, generally means the person
thinks it’s a terrible idea. British people will use humor to diffuse an
awkward situation, which Americans can find confusing. Having said that,
Americans can also give mixed messages; ‘Let’s do lunch’ generally means
somebody is not overly keen on seeing you again.
6. Brits may quietly pride themselves on their love of understatement but in
the USA, this can be seen as a disadvantage. Failing to show enthusiasm and
excitement at, say, a job interview, or during a colleague’s presentation can
make you come across as cold and uninterested. This works both ways, of
course; Brits can see their American colleagues as phony and over-
emotional. In some business situations, each culture can benefit from
adjusting behavior.

7. While any British person would rightly argue that there are big cultural
differences between north and south, in the USA, regional cultural nuances
are far more pronounced. A person from Alabama may have different values
from a person from Boston, or San Francisco. Anybody hoping to sell a
product in the USA needs to understand that the market is extremely
fragmented.
8. Despite the ongoing Brexit debate, British people tend to take a broader
world view of issues. Many Brits see themselves as ‘European’, while
Americans focus much more intently on domestic policy and issues. British
visitors can find this strange when they visit America.
9. Attitudes either side of the Atlantic may be related to corporate culture
rather than national culture and it’s here where Britain and America seem
much closer. While you could assume many British or American people in
business would exhibit ‘typical’ national characteristics, the reality is more
complex. For a start, both the USA and Britain are cultural melting pots in
themselves, with many different nationalities and faiths in the workplace.
Second, employees of, say, investment banks or tech companies or the
entertainment business may be more influenced by their workplace culture
than their national stereotype.
10. Finally, for all their famous love of privacy, the British do value
workplace relationships and there is nowhere more popular for celebrating
these than the pub, after work. Any visitor to Britain, regardless of their
origin, would do well to take advantage of this first-class opportunity for
relationship building. While an after work drinking culture exists to an extent
in the USA, it is nowhere near as strong.

Tutorial task:
1 Constitute an associative glossary with the word «House> in English
language picture of the world.
2 How does language influence our perception of the world? How do new
languages emerge? How do children learn to use language appropriately?

While language perception is driven by expectations, Lupyan and Clark point

out that language also creates expectations that influence our perception of
the world more generally. This is because we don't just use language to
communicate with others, we use it to think to ourselves.
New languages are constantly emerging, as existing languages diverge into
different forms. To explain this fascinating process, we need to understand
how languages change and how they emerge in children. In this pioneering
study, David Lightfoot explains how languages come into being, arguing that
children are the driving force. He explores how new systems arise, how they
are acquired by children, and how adults and children play different,
complementary roles in language change. Lightfoot makes an important
distinction between ‘external language’ (language as it exists in the world),
and ‘internal language’ (language as represented in an individual's brain). By
examining the interplay between the two, he shows how children are ‘cue-
based’ learners, who scan their external linguistic environment for new
structures, making sense of the world outside in order to build their internal
language. Engaging and original, this book offers an interesting account of
language acquisition, variation and change.
Language acquisition is a product of active, repetitive, and complex learning.
The child's brain is learning and changing more during language acquisition
in the first six years of life than during any other cognitive ability he is
working to acquire. ... Adults help children learn language primarily by
talking with them.

3 What factors determine language choice in bi- and multilingual

communities?
The characterized differences between communities such as power, size,
wealth, prestige, and vitality are significant factors which often make
speakers adjust their language- choice patterns during their life time and/ or
from one generation to the next, along with the speakers' attitudes towards
their languages.

4 How far does language contribute to the formation of our personalities?

Language is such a power concept because it has the ability to completely
shape one’s personal Identity. The usage of words and phrases significantly
impacts individuals’ thoughts and character/personal identity. Language is
an extremely powerful tool that aids in building new relationships and
experiences. When one speaks to another, the attitude, tonality, and
posture plays a major role in the impression about an individual. A formal
language with clean presentation and a stiff posture provides a firm,
respectful impression on an individual. On the other hand, a more colloquial
language and informal presentation reduce the respectful impression and
provoke a friendly impression. Language does not just include words and
phrases, rather presentation and posture.
Body language is also a part of language, which helps other people in the
society identify an individual from others. In order to maintain respectful
social standards in the society, a person is responsible in developing a self-
identity that is unique from the others. Language is a key for everyone, a key
that would aid in conforming to new society and new people.
One of the major elements of language that initiates the development of
self-identity would be the dialect. Dialect usually involves forms or accents
that help identify a certain ethnic, religious, or social groups. Certain words
of the same language maybe emphasized and pronounced differently, which
can possibly aid in the development of personal identity. From the dialect,
an individual may use presentation and posture as an additional element to
keenly shape his/her identity. The dialect, grammatical nuances, and the
usage of certain words and phrases impact one’s thoughts and actions in a
extremely subtle manner; therefore, language and communication can
impact society, culture, as well as personal identity.

5 What ways does language make us human? What is the concept? How is
it created? What are the logical acts of the understanding by which
concepts are generated as their form?
Language is one of the oldest topics in human history, fascinating everyone
from ancient philosophers to modern computer programmers. This is
because language helps make us human. Although other animals
communicate with one another, we are the only species to use complex
speech and to record our messages through writing. This newly invigorated
field, known as the neurobiology of language, helps scientists:
Gain important insights into the brain regions responsible for language
comprehension.
Learn about underlying brain mechanisms that may cause speech and
language disorders.
Understand the “cocktail party effect,” the ability to focus on specific voices
against background noise.
Researchers began to identify the brain regions associated with language in
the last 200 years by studying people who developed speech problems after
they sustained brain injuries. Such studies led to the discovery that two
parts of the brain — known as Broca's and Wernicke's areas — were vital to
understanding speech and writing. But progress was slow, because studying
speech in healthy people was difficult and no reliable animal models could
provide useful clues.
That has changed in the last 20 years. The development of scanning
methods has allowed researchers to examine the brains of healthy, awake
people. Functional magnetic resonance imaging shows which brain areas are
active at any given time, while diffusion tensor imaging lets scientists trace
how regions of the brain are connected.
Recent imaging studies reveal that understanding speech requires multiple
brain areas. Speech comprehension spans a large, complex network
involving at least five regions of the brain and numerous interconnecting
fibers. Research suggests this process is more complicated and requires
more brainpower than previously thought.
New techniques have been essential for greater insight into speech
disorders, such as stuttering. Stuttering affects about one in 20 children,
although about 80 percent eventually grow out of it. Once thought to be
purely a stress response, the condition has now been linked to abnormalities
in brain connections. Stuttering can also be inherited, and scientists have
identified at least three genes that may contribute to the condition.
More recently, researchers found people who stutter show unusual brain
activity when listening to sentences, reading silently, and reading silently
while someone else is reading aloud. Such findings may mean stuttering is
likely not caused by a problem with the physical process of speech but with
something else, such as planning what to say.
In another study, scientists found that adults who stutter had abnormal
brain connections, including fewer links between regions for planning and
executing actions. Additionally, women who stutter showed different
patterns of brain connections than men. This difference may explain why
more men suffer from chronic stuttering, even though approximately equal
numbers of boys and girls initially develop the condition.
But brain imaging studies can only go so far. They lack the resolution to
investigate individual brain cells. That is why language researchers have
turned to one useful animal to model human speech: birds. Songbirds learn
to sing much like humans learn to speak. They have another similarity, as
any early riser knows: put many of them in a small space and they get noisy
as they try to be heard over one another.
This type of overlapping cacophony baffles computers and hearing aids, but
healthy humans and birds show a remarkable ability to focus on the voice
they want to hear. Researchers recently discovered that songbirds have
brain cells that “turn on” in response to particular song notes but not
random sounds — whether those notes are present with noise or not. The
ability to deal with the cocktail party effect appears to be an essential part
of how the brain processes incoming sound.
Many questions remain about how language processing works in the brain.
The human brain reshapes itself over time, so whether the changes seen
were present early in life or developed over many years is still unclear,
particularly in those who stutter. On a larger level, scientists puzzle over why
language has become such an important part of our lives, but not the lives
of closely related species, such as chimpanzees.