Linguistic Anthropology Lecture Notes

Making the Transition and Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology

• This lecture transitions into Linguistic Anthropology (Week 4.2, Wednesday).
• The first half of the semester introduced Anthropology as a discipline and anthropological fieldwork.
• Discussed questions of cultural universals and particulars.
• Overviewed aspects of economic anthropology, anthropology of religion, medical anthropology.
• The lecture addresses the question: Why linguistic anthropology? What is cultural about language?

Language and Culture

• Language has abstract, cognitive, and biological dimensions.
• Reducing language solely to these dimensions misses the richness and complexity of human existence.
• Examples given:
  • T A ’ R O O F I N I R A N
  • K A R I B U I N S W A H I L I
  • BACK-CHANNELING
  • PERSONAL SPACE
• The central question is: WHY LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY?

Linguistic Competence vs. Communicative Competence

• There is a significant difference between linguistic competence and communicative competence.
• Language is more than just grammar rules and vocabulary lists; it exists in its spoken form between people.
• Reference to Agar: Language inside and beyond the circle. (Pronouns in German)
• Lippi-Green's thought experiment is mentioned.
  * Language use and its differences are tools for identity formation.
  * Language use and its differences are grounds for discrimination and the workings of power.

Language as a Social and Cultural Resource

• Language is inherently social.
  • It exists only when spoken and used among people.
• Language is a cultural resource.
  • People can do things with it (e.g., end classes, marry people).
  • People use it to present themselves as particular kinds of people.
• Language is socially embedded and culturally influenced.

What is Linguistic Anthropology

• The relationship between culture and language.
• The relationship between language and thought.

Three Sets of Questions in Linguistic Anthropology

• Language:
  • Is language uniquely human?
  • What does it mean to speak a language?
  • Does it impact the way people see the world?
• Language and Social Interaction:
  • How do we learn a language?
  • How do we learn to communicate appropriately?
  • How are interactions socially and culturally shaped?
• Language and Power, Language and Ideologies:
  • How is language enmeshed with cultural values and social power?
  • How do differences or inequalities (e.g., gender, race) get created, reproduced, or challenged through language?

Key Terms

• Linguistic competence
• Communicative competence
• Lippi-Green’s thought experiment
• Language as inherently social
• Language as a cultural resource