English in Use Introduction PDF

English in Use An Introduction Dr Thorsten Brato Department of English and American Studies VL Introduction to English Linguistics: English in Use  Today’s lecture 1 Organisational matters 2 Towards ‘English in Use’ 3 English in Use 2 ...

English in Use An Introduction Dr Thorsten Brato Department of English and American Studies VL Introduction to English Linguistics: English in Use  Today’s lecture 1 Organisational matters 2 Towards ‘English in Use’ 3 English in Use 2  1 Organisational matters GRIPS GRIPS is the UR e-learning system elearning.ur.de Search for 68019 or use the QR code On GRIPS, you will find (among other things) Lecture slides Additional material Quizzes FAQ Discussion Forum … 3  1 Organisational matters Aims of the lecture Having completed this lecture, students will be able to identify and describe different theoretical aspects of pragmatics and apply their knowledge to examples from the English language, characterise cohesion and coherence and thematic progression in texts, describe the basics of language variation and change, both socially and regionally and identify the major varieties of English around the world in speech and text examples, interpret basic results from corpus linguistics and carry out simple corpus-linguistic analyses, describe the features and elements of modern dictionaries, recount some of the basic notions in language acquisition. 4  1 Organisational matters Tentative syllabus 2 21/10 Pragmatics (1) 4 04/11 Text Linguistics 6 18/11 Sociolinguistics (2) 14/10 28/10 11/11 1 Introduction 3 Pragmatics (2) 5 Sociolinguistics (1) 5  1 Organisational matters Tentative syllabus 8 02/12 Corpus Linguistics 10 16/12 Lexicography 12 20/01 Language (1) Acquisition (2) 25/11 09/12 13/01 7 Sociolinguistics (3) 9 Corpus Linguistics 11 Language (2) Acquisition (1) 6  1 Organisational matters Tentative syllabus 14 03/02“ Joker” session 27/01 10/02, 1 pm 13 End-of-term recap 15 Final exam (Audimax) 7  1 Organisational matters Your questions To ask questions throughout the lecture, please use the discussion forum on GRIPS I will try to keep track of the questions coming in and either Answer them directly Towards the end of the lecture In a following lecture In the forum (or a combination thereof) 8  1 Organisational matters Quizzes For each topic there are quiz questions In class and on GRIPS Resembling those in the final exam Questions follow Metzger & Nüesch’s (2004) levels of competence: Reproduction Comprehension and Application Problem Solving See GRIPS note for further details. 9  2 Towards ‘English in Use The historical evolution of linguistics Traditional language studies Historical comparative language studies (Antiquity – Middle Ages – 17th century) (18th 19th century) Classical languages Mechanistic physics  Linguistics as a set Rhetoric of laws Prescriptivism Darwin’s theory of evolution  Linguistics as a natural science Language families Proto-languages 10  2 Towards ‘English in Use The Indo-European language family Indo-European languages Germanic languages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-European_languages#/media/File: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_languages#/media/File: Indo-European_Language_Family_Branches_in_Eurasia.png Europe_germanic-languages_2.PNG 11  2 Towards ‘English in Use Structuralism (20th century) Ferdinand de Saussure Aim: Description of the functions 1916: Cours de linguistique of a specific language and its générale structures Descriptive Structural levels Phonology Synchronic Morphology Primacy of the spoken language Syntax Language as a system of Semantics structures 12  2 Towards ‘English in Use Generative Grammar (1950s-) Noam Chomsky 1957: Syntactic Structures Competence vs. Performance Generative rules Deep vs. Surface Structure Transformational Rules Innateness Hypothesis Universal Grammar 13  2 Towards ‘English in Use Language usage (1960s-) Major change in the approach to studying language(s) From language system to language usage From sentence to text From text to context From form to social function From "core linguistics" to ‘hyphenated linguistics’ Focus on different ‘areas’ and applications of linguistics in ‘real life’ 14  2 Towards ‘English in Use Language usage (1960s-) Major change in the approach to studying language(s) From language system to language usage From sentence to text From text to context From form to social function From "core linguistics" to ‘hyphenated linguistics’ Focus on different ‘areas’ and applications of linguistics in ‘real life’ 15  3 English in Use Linguistics in everyday life  Activity 1 Where do you encounter linguistics in your everyday life? pingo.coactum.de  424277 16  3 English in Use What linguists do Trester (2022) suggests eight career  Training in linguistics is training to think paths for linguists she refers to as creatively, associatively, and in systems. We BRIGHTEN: linguists see beneath the surface, we see Business solutions to puzzles, we see patterns in chaos, we Research are not afraid of ambiguity – all of which can (and should) be brought to bear on the challenges and Innovation needs of our world. We can and should find wide Government application of our powerful analytical skills, Healthcare systems-thinking and problem-solving. communication Technology Interview with Anna Marie Trester, ‘The Career Linguist’, 15 Education May 2017, Superlingo, cited in Burridge & Stebbins (2020: 36) Non-profit 17  3 English in Use Language teaching Knowledge of the inner workings of English (e.g., grammar, pronunciation) is essential to teach the language successfully Communicative competence When to speak, when to interrupt, how to speak, etc. Awareness of different discourse styles More effective teaching and pupil engagement Different linguistic and cultural backgrounds Teachers should know about, accents, dialects and standard language Typical career paths English teacher at school or for adults 18  3 English in Use Non-standard varieties in the classroom  People used to think that anything except the standard was incorrect or broken or showed stupidity or anything like that, and although that still does occur … in Australia a lot of teachers think that Aboriginal kids just are too lazy to learn and speak standard English, and it’s quite disgraceful that the awareness about the variety of language that you say is changing among the general population hasn’t changed enough amongst the educational profession and you still get teachers making these amazing value judgements against their students. They talk about kids having careless habits rather than speaking a different dialect, whereas if they spoke a different language, teachers would be a lot more tolerant. (Interview with Jeff Siegel) (cited in Burridge & Stebbins 2020 41f.) 19  3 English in Use Communication The linguist can be an ‘interpreter’ between groups – even if everyone speaks the same language Intercultural communication Major differences between how different cultures address problems or which implicatures they draw Language awareness and language skills More effective writing Typical career paths Author Technical writer Translator Copy-editor Lexicographer Source: https://twitter.com/itchyfeetcomic/status/671018605052608512 20  3 English in Use Forensic Linguistics Legal language (Legalese) Language and crime Highly technical vocabulary, difficult syntax Forensic phonetics, e.g. accent identification and discrimination Plain English Movement Stylistic analyses of e.g. blackmail letters Providing linguistic training to judges or lawyers, and the police Identifying plagiarism Unequal treatment of dialect or second Trademark infringement language speakers How can a lawyer’s questioning influence witness stories? Investigative interviewing 21  3 English in Use Forensic Linguistics  Activity 2 Have a look at this ransom note [also on GRIPS] and try to identify linguistic peculiarities that could help identify the writer. Write your comments in PINGO. (McMenamin & Choi 2002) 22  3 English in Use Computers and technology Computational linguistics combines linguistics and computer science Develop algorithms and models to understand and process human language Real-world applications Machine translation Speech recognition Career opportunities in areas such as natural language processing (NLP), data science and artificial intelligence (AI) 23  3 English in Use Computers and technology Human-computer interaction has become part of our everyday lives Virtual assistants Word prediction when writing text messages Machine Translation Large- anguage models 24  3 English in Use Computers and technology Typical applications a linguist is needed for Natural language processing (NLP) Speech recognition Machine translation Large-scale corpora Improving hearing aids and cochlear implants https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Scheme_of_speech_recognition_system.png 25  3 English in Use Linguistic Background of ChatGPT Natural Language Processing (NLP): ChatGPT is built on NLP technology, which involves computational understanding and generation of human language. Corpus-based Learning: Large amounts of text data (corpora) were used to train ChatGPT, helping it understand grammar, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics in various languages. Language Models: ChatGPT relies on transformer models (like GPT-4) to predict and generate language sequences, drawing on probabilistic models to understand context and meaning. Statistical Language Representation: Through word embeddings and vector spaces, ChatGPT can capture complex relationships between words and concepts, reflecting linguistic phenomena like polysemy and synonymy.  This slide was generated by ChatGPT 4o on 06 October 2024. 26  3 English in Use Linguists' Role in the ChatGPT Project Data Curation and Annotation: Linguists assist in selecting, annotating, and organizing the language data used to train ChatGPT, ensuring a diverse and representative sample of language varieties. Error Analysis and Model Evaluation: Linguists identify errors in ChatGPT's language use, from syntactic mistakes to pragmatic inconsistencies, guiding the refinement of the model. Improving Multilingual Capabilities: By providing insights into language-specific grammar and usage, linguists contribute to enhancing ChatGPT’s multilingual and cross-linguistic performance. Ethical Considerations: Linguists help address issues like bias, ambiguity, and sociolinguistic sensitivity in the AI’s outputs, promoting fair and context-appropriate language use.  This slide was generated by ChatGPT 4o on 06 October 2024. 27  3 English in Use Gemini: Linguistic Foundations Language(s) Involved: [Specify the languages used in the Gemini project. Were there any specific dialects or registers considered? e.g., English, Russian, Specific technical jargon]. Include a brief explanation of why these languages were chosen. Communication Challenges: [Describe the communication challenges faced by the project. This might include technical terminology, cultural differences in communication styles, or the need for clear and concise instructions in high-pressure situations]. Translation and Interpretation: [Discuss the role of translation and interpretation in the project. Were there specific translation technologies used? What were the challenges in ensuring accurate and consistent translation?]. Linguistic Analysis: [Mention any linguistic analysis techniques employed. This might include corpus linguistics, discourse analysis, or other relevant methodologies]. Example: [Include a concise example illustrating a linguistic challenge and its solution. For instance, a specific technical term that needed careful translation or a communication breakdown that was resolved through linguistic intervention]. Image: [Include a relevant image, perhaps a map showing communication links, a photo related to the languages involved, or a graphic representing communication flow].  This slide was generated by Gemini 1.5-Flash 4o on 06 October 2024. 28  3 English in Use The Linguist's Contribution to Gemini Language Training: [Describe the linguists' role in providing language training to project personnel. What methods were used? What languages were taught?]. Translation and Interpretation Services: [Highlight the linguists' direct involvement in translating and interpreting documents, communications, and conversations]. Development of Communication Protocols: [Explain how linguists helped develop clear and effective communication protocols to minimize misunderstandings and improve efficiency]. Cultural Sensitivity Training: [Discuss the linguists' role in providing cultural sensitivity training to ensure effective cross-cultural communication]. Linguistic Problem Solving: [Describe how linguists addressed specific linguistic challenges encountered during the project. Provide concrete examples of how their expertise contributed to the project's success]. Data Analysis: [If applicable, mention how linguists analyzed communication data to identify patterns, improve communication strategies, or assess the effectiveness of training programs]. Image: [Include a photo of linguists working on the project, a chart showing the impact of linguistic interventions, or a graphic representing the communication flow improved by linguists' contributions].  This slide was generated by Gemini 1.5-Flash 4o on 06 October 2024. 29  3 English in Use Health sciences Speech therapy Working with people whose language faculty is somehow different Children not being able to produce certain sounds Post-stroke disorders like aphasia (not being able to produce or comprehend language) Improving doctor-patient communication Different discourse styles The power of words and phrasing in breaking bad news 30  3 English in Use Health sciences  An Australian community sample of depressed adolescents showed that they used poor pragmatic skills in daily communication compared with their non-depressed peers; these problems included difficulty with initiating, continuing and terminating conversations. They also reported difficulty with managing topic change and extending topics and described the use of stereotypic language as being easier than extending a topic of conversation, as it gave the impression that the speaker was being understood and it required less energy than adding to a topic. Maintaining eye-contact is also a difficult task for depressed youth. Clearly, such research leaves us to contemplate some of the issues that may arise for such youth regarding future employment and training opportunities. (cited in Burridge & Stebbins (2020: 48) 31  3 English in Use Advertising and marketing Advertisers want ‘pleasing’ words Crafted sounds much more valuable than made or manufactured Brand names should be meaningful, catchy, distinctive, memorable, easy to say and legally protectable “Just the right assemblage of consonants and vowels can create a certain impression or atmosphere, and send out a subtle signal to buyers looking for the product that suits their image” […] Clorox versus Chanel – which is going to be the hard-working laundry detergent and which the new fragrance? (Burridge & Stebbins 2020: 46) Products sold globally may require linguistic adaptations Advertisement campaigns need to fit the market linguistically to avoid confusion or embarrassment For some reason the Mist-Stick curling iron wouldn’t quite make it on the German market 32  3 English in Use Creative arts Language is central in many creative arts jobs Authors, playwrights, poets, translators Dialect coach, coaching actors to perform and accent or dialect not their own Creation of artificial languages J.R.R. Tolkien (a professor of philology) invented Elvish for his books Mark Okrand (a grammarian) invented Klingon for Star Trek Francis Nolan (a phonetician) constructed the fragments of Parseltongue for Harry Potter 33   Keywords Areas of linguistics Artificial language Communicative competence Corpus Descriptive Forensic linguistics Intercultural communication Language family Legalese Natural language processing Prescriptive/Prescriptivism Speech therapy Structuralism Universal Grammar 36   References Burridge, Kate & Tonya N. Stebbins. 2020. For the Love of Language: An Introduction to Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. McMenamin, Gerald R. & Dongdoo Choi. 2002. Forensic Linguistics: Advances in Forensic Stylistics. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Metzger, Christoph & Charlotte Nüesch. 2004. Fair prüfen: Ein Qualitätsleitfaden für Prüfende an Hochschulen. St. Gallen: IWP. Trester, Anna M. 2022. Employing Linguistics: Thinking and Talking about Careers for Linguists. London: Bloomsbury. 37