Speech in class lecture Chapter 4 & 5

Unique Adaptations in Language

• Personal Language Development

  • Childhood speech variations are often unique to individuals.

  • Example: The speaker's brother struggled with producing the "l" sound, referring to "Luby's" as "Luby's" instead.

  • Adaptations reflect a natural evolution in language acquisition and personal speech development.

  • Over time, with practice, individuals can improve their pronunciation, changing how they express themselves.

Characteristics of Language

Arbitrariness of Language

• Language is arbitrary—there's no direct connection between words and their meanings.

  • Words gain meaning only through social and contextual agreement.

Abstract Nature of Language

• Language can be abstract and interpreted in many ways.

  • Example: Referring to a pet can vary in specificity, leading to different interpretations.

    • The statement "I'm going to feed my pet" is abstract compared to stating a specific animal (e.g., "my truck-sized parrot").

    • The lack of clarity can complicate understanding, especially across different listeners.

Evolution of Language

• Language is dynamic and constantly evolves over time.

  • This evolution occurs through a process known as dialect leveling.

    • Dialect leveling occurs when different language varieties converge, often influenced by social interactions and cultural mixing.

  • Example of generational change: Gen Z's adoption of slang and terms from African American Vernacular English (AAVE).

  • Many terms popularized by Gen Z have been in use for a long time, showing language's historical roots interwoven with contemporary trends.

Visualization of Language Specificity

• Language specificity can range from vague to precise.

  • Example: The term "music" is broad and abstract.

    • Narrowing down to "songs" makes it slightly more concrete.

    • Further specifications can lead to a very clear reference, such as naming a specific song (e.g., a national anthem).

• The progression from vague to specific illustrates the capacity for linguistic precision in communication, demonstrating the flexibility of language systems.