《新编简明英语语言学教程》PPT课件.ppt杨丽华.ppt

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf, proclaimed that the structure of the language people habitually use influences the ways they think and behave, i.e. different languages offer people different ways of expressing the world around, they think and speak differently, this is also known as linguistic relativity. Sapir and Whorf believe that language filters people’s perception and the way they categorize experiences. This interdependence of language and thought is now known as Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. Strong version weak version Strong version believes that the language patterns determine people’s thinking and behavior; Weak version holds that the former influence the latter. ----The study of the linguistic relativity or SWH has shed two important insights: There is nowadays a recognition that language, as code, reflects cultural preoccupations and constrains the way people think. More than in Whorf’s days, however, we recognize how important context is in complementing the meanings encoded in the language. Linguistic evidence of cultural differences Denotative meaning ---- a meaning that can be found in a dictionary. Connotative meaning ---- a meaning or idea suggested by a word or thing in addition to the formal meaning or nature of the word or thing. Iconic meaning ---- the image or icon invoked in mind by a word. For example, “rose”. Some cultural differences in language use Greetings and terms of address Thanks and compliments Color words Privacy and taboos Rounding off numbers Words and cultural-specific connotations Cultural-related idioms, proverbs and metaphor The significance of cultural teaching and learning Learning a foreign language is inseparable from learning its culture. We need to learn enough about the language’s culture so that we can communicate in the target language properly to achieve not only the linguistic competence but also the pragmatic or communicative competence as well. Cultural overlap Cultural overlap