College of Education

ENG104 (LANGUAGE, CULTURE & SOCIETY)

2nd Sem. 2020-2021
Emmanuel D. Dayalo, EdD - Course Facilitator

Activity 1

Directions: Answer the following questions by stating facts comprehensively.

1. Why should we study language?

Language is essential to human life. It is use to for communication and interactions within
the members of the society. It is done by speaking or language with the use of words and
structured and conventional system. People used language in their daily lives. In expressing
feeling, asking questions that seeks answers and acquiring the wants and needs. The
importance of studying language is that it allows a person to convey language, outlook the
validity of an information or understand the concept of the world. Through studying
language, people, learn to think, speak and write what is needed. It helps to understand the
logic of words and grammar of the language. The meaning of sound, construction of
sentence, widening of vocabulary and understanding the concept of language are all found
because we study language. Also, when we study language, it improves our mental
intelligence and capacity to think deeper beyond the text.
2. How can language and culture be adequately described?
Language and culture are mostly intertwined. Language is often use in the community
wherein people interaction and shares ideas. Whilst, culture is the foundation of the society
or nation, the identity that seeks to be told. They are both inevitable to stick together.
Language mirrored the culture, as well as culture mirrored the language. A certain
language is the point of a particular group of people. Like Hangul in Korean people or
Latin in Roman people. When the interaction happens with other language, it means that
cultures also intervene that speaks the language. One cannot understand one’s culture
without access in its language directly.
3. Do other animals, such as chimpanzees using American sign language, show
linguistic capacities?
In some studies, prove that animals also have their own language. Animals can
comprehensive what humans say but humans cannot learn from animal language. They do
communications through gestures and sounds. It is their primary form of communication.
There are researchers of today who teaches human language using signs and arbitrary
symbolic system in some animals such as apes and chimpanzees. Scientists believe that
humans evolve from apes and that people are just hybrid monkey that can talk, speak and
write language. However, I believe that animals are much more intelligent than humans.
They could only restore their communication in sounds and gestures, still they understand
each other’s messages, but when it comes to humans even how hard you spell word and
context for them, they would not comprehensive the thoughts completely and that is where
miscommunication fell in. Recently, a study shown that a monkey can display humanlike
abilities.

BORBON, SHAINAH MARIE D. – BSED ENGLISH 1B

 4. How did language originate? How did it contribute to human evolution and the
development of culture?
Language where first found through sounds, which is also the most basic unit. The series
grunts, moan, groans and hums were the beginning of an evolutionary adaptation that
became language later on. Then, through human language evolution civilization began to
develop. From tools for hunting to technology-making of the internet followed. It had been
said that the art of conversation may have been arisen in early human evolution, through
sharing thoughts, ideas and the easy method of explaining on how to make stone tools. It is
a skill that was very crucial for the amazing success of linage and still in-used of today
generations. Language allows us to communicate and gave a substantial advantage to
human beings for survival instinct. It is needed by the society to grow, improve, develop
and evolve.
5. How can language be classified in order to show the relationship among them?
According to Britannica, there are two kinds of language classification practiced in
linguistics, the genetic and typological. The genetic classification is grouping the language
into families according to their degree of diachronic relatedness. Languages are grouped by
its diachronic relatedness or based on phenomena that can change the subject. In other
words, languages are grouped based on how history molded and developed them, which
descended from a certain ancestor being grouped into the same family. For instance, within
the Filipino family has its subfamilies like Waray, Hiligayno or Cebuano. The typological
classification, on the other hand, group languages into types according to their structural
characteristics. In this classification, there are no limit to variety of ways in which language
are grouped typologically.
6. What is the relationship between language and thought?
Language depends on thoughts and thoughts varies in language. The main purpose of
language is to transfer one’s thoughts to another. By which, the sender has an opinion on
how government runs the country in such it will be delivered via language converted form
thought, afterwards the receiver will process the given thought but had different opinion in
mind, then onwards the exchange of thoughts was conveyed through language. Linguists
explained that the bits of information that enter into one’s mind, from another, cause a
person to form a new own thought with profound effect with own understanding and
knowledge and subsequent behavior.

BORBON, SHAINAH MARIE D. – BSED ENGLISH 1B

 7. Make a graphical presentation about Modern Myths Concerning Languages
(ZOOM IN FOR BETTER VIEWING)
8. Discuss and differentiate
the following:
Anthropology, Linguistics
and Linguistic
Anthropology.
F i r s t , l i n g u i s t i
language or group of
language that the aims
to understand the general
aspect of language as a human
phenomenon. Linguists
investigate how people
acquire language, how that
knowledge interaction in
the mind, how does
language vary across the
regions and how the language
was modified. They study the
language from its most
basic elements to the most
complicated context
language may have.
Second, anthropology is the
study of humans’ past events and
present times that builds up
knowledge from social
sciences, biological sciences,
humanities and natural
sciences. It digs how humans
evolve from the early
civilization until the
present ways of life. Lastly,
linguistic anthropology
studies humans through the
language they use. It
studies how language affect
human lives, culture and how
they use it in the community. It also explores how language shaped communication. Thus,
linguistics takes care of language, anthropology loves humans and linguistic anthropology
combines human and language.

College of Education
ENG104 (LANGUAGE, CULTURE & SOCIETY)
2nd Sem. 2020-2021
Dr. Emmanuel D. Dayalo - Course Facilitator

Activity 2

1. Make a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting Society and Culture.

BORBON, SHAINAH MARIE D. – BSED ENGLISH 1B
 2. How Linguistic Anthropology is important in the Society and Culture?
Linguistic Anthropology explain the language and its importance in understanding human
history, culture and biology. It is the study of way how people negotiate, contest and
reproduce cultural forms and social relations through their own languages. It focuses on
the ways which language provides knowledge and understanding into the evolution of
culture and human society. The importance of linguistic anthropology is that it develops
and improve the culture of the people together with the nature of the society. Language and
human are both society and culture. Humans make culture and was shaped by the society
and language makes society and shapes cultures. Through linguistic anthropology, people
were able to understand the society and culture wherein it gives them insights to improve
and develop for the better purpose in their lives.

3. Make any graphic presentation about the different methods of linguistic

anthropology.
(ZOOM IN FOR BETTER VIEWING)

BORBON, SHAINAH MARIE D. – BSED ENGLISH 1B

 4. How are the data being collected in conducting linguistic anthropology researches?
Linguistic anthropologists plan, conduct and direct research in order to collect data. The
methods used are all base on how the approach will be. and those methods involve group of
individuals or certain people of people with the same interest. Linguistic anthropologist
uses interviews to collect information, either individual or group interview which focus on
the group, consultants, and observations to obtain data. Some techniques were field
research, closed group symposium or one-on-one interview. Many acquire empirical
evidence through observations or communications.
5. How are the data being analyzed in conducting linguistic anthropology researches?

BORBON, SHAINAH MARIE D. – BSED ENGLISH 1B

Linguistic anthropologists assume that the human language faculty is a both cognitive and
social achievement which provides the intellectual tools for thinking and acting in the
world. All of the studies were done by detailed documentation of what the research
participant says as they engage in a daily basis of social activities. Data analysis happens
within the reach of the researchers on the specific response of the research participant.
Linguistic anthropology researches involved study of language as a cultural resource and
speaking as a cultural practice. Computer programs may be used to help in recording and
analyzing the findings.
6. Define comprehensively the following: participant observation, fieldwork, consultant,
informant, informer, and consultant.
 Participant Observation – is a research method in which researchers study a certain
group of individuals by interacting with them in the social activities. This is known
as the most effective method for linguistic anthropology. Participant observation
concede researcher to be engage in the activities of the members of the community.
Thus, the study would have accurate data and credible facts since the firsthand
perspective is a reliable source of the researchers.
 Fieldwork – is the gathering of anthropological and sociological data by interviews
and observations of subjects in the field or outside the traditional location. It is a
process of collecting information by firsthand observation outside a laboratory,
library or workplace about people, cultures and natural environment. Fieldwork
also involves interplay of observational eyes and mindful background knowledge. It
also enables researchers to explore scientific theories with the interaction in real
world.
 Consultant – a person who is an expert in a particular field and provides expert
opinions, analysis and recommendations based on their own expertise. They are also
the fixers, strategy provider and objective troubleshooters. Consultant provider the
needs in which a client was unable to fulfill.
 Informant – a person who gives privileged information about a certain topic. In
linguistic, they are the native speakers or member of the society who acts as a
linguistic reference for a speech community being studied.
 Informer – a person who provides information in secret. One who relays
confidential data to someone. Informers and informant have similarities but unlike
informants who give general facts to another person, informers are the person who
delivers a piece of information that should be kept hidden.
7. What are the features of participant observation and how it is important in the conduct
of anthropology researches?
Participant observation is defined as the qualitative research in which the researchers
interact with the participants. The method where the conducting group actively engaged
themselves in the activities of the research participants. It is an interesting way of obtaining
information by experience it firsthand. Most anthropology researchers use participant
observation often in which they experience, see and understand how participants uses,
create and acquire new skills. They also join the group for firsthand perspectives on certain
activities of the members. The researchers are active participants in an activity while
observing it. The importance of participant observation in anthropology research is that it
provides the most accurate data for the research for it is acquire firsthand and as for
anthropology which studies social concept of the people firsthand circumstances is a must.
8. What are the stages in conducting Field Researches?
Field Research is the qualitative way of collecting and gathering facts of specific topic that
aims to observe, interact and understand people in their natural behaviors. Here are some
basic stages of conducting Field Research:
BORBON, SHAINAH MARIE D. – BSED ENGLISH 1B
 1. Build the Right Team. It is important to have the comfort and understanding
between people involved in the research. The role of the researchers and the
ancillary team members is important in which the tasks would be done accurately
and no issues to carry it out with defined relevant milestones to achieve.
2. Recruiting People for the Study. The success of every research project depends on the
people that the studying being conducted on. That is why researchers derive people
who are subjected by using sampling method.
3. Data Collection Methodology. Every data which are being collected will vary the
study that method or ways to acquire it is important. Data collection methods for
field research are varied. It could be through surveys, interviews, case studies and
observations.
4. Site Visit. Field research is conducted outside of the traditional location and in the
actual environment of the subjective individual. A site visit is importance for the
study to be successful.
5. Data Analysis. All data gathered together will be analyzed to validate the premise in
which the study was conducted and decide what will be the result of the research,
the most crucial stage of field study. Here, the study will be determined if it’s a
success or a failure.
6. Communicating Results. Once everything is settled, it is important to communicate
the stakeholder to take actions according to the data analysis. It is like report to the
leader the results of the research so that it could be actioned upon.

BORBON, SHAINAH MARIE D. – BSED ENGLISH 1B