Blog #9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9oIvsk7cvw

        ^^ Everyone, go take a look at this YouTube video. First, I must say that I picked this video because I absolutely love Meryl Streep and Ellen...This video is just so goofy and fun. But on the dialects aspect, it is so funny how people view other accents. Yes, maybe a lot of people from those certain countries speak with a tone like that or say some of those phrases. But does everyone? No. Just as we watched in that "American Tongues" video in class the other day, we watched those people from Boston all with different accents and ways of saying things. People just assume that all those people have that rough accent.
        It really does amaze me, though, how even though not everyone speaks the same accent in a certain place, people are able to guess where the accent is from in seconds. Back to the YouTube video, they both had the ability to listen to the accents and just know where it came from! How did we get so good at this? How is it so easy for us since not everyone from certain places speak the same? I just think it is absolutely amazing how society has become so aware of where certain dialects are from just by hearing a sentence. Being aware of the different types of speaking can give us a whole lot of knowledge and background of exactly where the roots of that person came from. What a cool and unique thing!

Blog #8

How do we acquire language? Is it embedded into our DNA as humans from the time we are born? Or maybe we entirely learn from the people around us?

http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/linguistics/learn.jsp

  

     ^^ Visiting this website supports my view in the debate of how humans acquire language. I personally believe, yes, maybe language is somewhat embedded into our DNA, but I more firmly believe that language comes with experience. Growing up with speaking parents obviously teaches children to do the same. Speaking and communicating with others comes with watching your family members and friends throughout the years, and acquiring the same grammar and rules. Plus, language comes with continuous practice.
           The best explanation as to why I think language predominantly comes from experience is from learning about the "Wild Boy" that we saw in one of the movies from class. This boy had lived the majority of his life naked in the forest. He had no communication or contact with any other humans and had to survive in the forest by himself until one day he came crawling out onto human land. He obviously did not know how to speak. Why was this the case? He had never personally experienced or heard the language. He had no examples from any family; he had no guide. Never was language apart of his life.
           As people tried to work with him and help him develop his language, they could only do so much. He could say simple words and understand them, but was never able to put full sentences together. How is it that somebody who supposedly has language "embedded" into their DNA not able to learn and speak language like anybody else? It was because he never had a hands-on experience learning from other humans just like the rest of us had.