The three readings for this week were very informative and opened my eyes to so many aspects of language learning that I had never examined or thought of before.
How the Brain Handles Language made me realize how involved even speaking a simple sentence in the native language is, let alone becoming comfortable speaking in the target language. So many steps, outlined in the neurolinguistic models, are run through by the brain to speak just one short, common sentence. I also thought it was interesting how language is typically processed by the brain in an analytical nature, rather than a creative one. It is theorized that each part of language is processed separately by the brain, a theory known as localization, and that was also really intriguing. Speaking is separate from listening comprehension, and so on. By understanding just how complicated language really is within the brain, I am better able to conceptualize how my own language learning is accomplished and understand why it can be so frustrating at times -- it is difficult to coordinate so many parts of the brain at once.
How to Investigate Language Structure really made me more aware of the layers of languages. While I was subconsciously aware of all of the different "levels," like syntax, semantics, grammar, and phonology, I had never really thought about them separately or realized how much they were connected and played a role in language learning. It is so easy to change one tiny thing about a sentence (its vocabulary, tone, etc.) and completely change the meaning. Knowing all the complexities of language will help me in trying to master my target language.
How We Mean made me really think philosophically about what "meaning" is. Like the reading said, "meaning" has so many meanings. And we often think the meaning we grew up with, like what is expressed in our own language, is the only way things can be expressed. Multilingual people definitely have a more cosmopolitan and diverse view of the world -- there are so many things in one language that cannot be expressed in others. Even with the rudimentary Farsi I know, I can think of many words that do not correspond to others in English directly. Meaning is dependent on experience, and without diverse experiences, we cannot open ourselves up to other meanings that may be possible.
I really enjoyed the part about monosemic and polysemic words -- while some words are monosemic and only have one meaning, many words are polysemic, and their meaning is entirely dependent upon the context. Constructing sentences is key to language learning -- learning words in isolation is often fruitless. I will definitely keep this in mind as I learn Farsi.
Comments
Thanks Jamaica!
It's not that these words have no meaning in English, but that they don't have a direct corresponding word in English. For example, the word خاله (khaleh) means mother's sister in Farsi, and the word عمه (ameh) means father's sister. But when they're translated to English, they both mean "aunt" -- but their subtle meanings are completely lost.
This is a great post! Language is truly analytical isn't it? Also, what are some words in Farsi that have no meaning in English?