List of key terms
- A “proto” language
- Observer’s paradox
- The ‘standard language myth’
- Negative prestige
- Logographic writing system
- Abjads, abugida, and alphabet
- Low vs high intensity contact
- Copula absence
- Signifying and talking Trash
- Superstratum and substratum
- Additive bilingualism and subtractive bilingualism
List of important questions
- How many languages are actively spoken?
- What is a language family tree? What do the leaves, the branches, and the trunks refer to?
- Can you name three major language families and one language that belongs to each family?
- How do linguists decide if two languages belong to the same family?
- Briefly describe the history of the English language. What are some of the major milestones of the development of the English language?
- What are some major differences between spoken and written language?
- Explain why texting can be considered “fingered speech.”
- What is the difference between languages and dialects? How do linguists define them, and how are they defined in reality?
- What are factors that facilitate language change?
- What is diglossia? Illustrate the idea by an example.
- What is the difference between a pidgin and a creole?
- What is code-switching? Why do people code-switch?
- In a multilingual society, what are factors that affect people’s code choice?
- What are different types of language planning? Illustrate each type with an example.
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of language planning? Discuss examples from two countries.
- Should the US adopt English as an official language? Why and why not? Provide examples to support your arguments.
