Cognitive Anthropology and Second Language Learning

Anthropology and second Language Learning
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Second Language acquisition refers to a process by which human being acquires skills to perceive and comprehend language and develop the ability to construct sentences and communicate. Many scholars in linguistics consider language acquisition as one of the most important human traits because other animals apart from human being do not communicate by use of language. In most of the times when the terms language acquisition are used, mainly it means a process of acquiring either first or second language. Most children try to acquire the first language while adults try to acquire the second language.
The capability of acquiring language mainly depends on or is determined by a number of language acquisition tools such as syntax and morphology as well as a wide knowledge in vocabularies. In addition, language can also be vocalized; such as when one is giving a speech. It is also good to note that the ability of human capacity is highly determined by the brain.
Though the capacity to acquire knowledge can be finite one can comprehend a number of sentences when being spoken or when it is based on syntactic principles. Studies indicate that every human being as three mechanisms that assists in language acquisition. These mechanisms are relativization, complementation, and the coordination. On the other hand, there are two principles that guide one to acquire language; first is through speech perception and the second one is speech acquisition.

A child develops an evolving system which assists in language acquisition, and it is built on steps as the child grows.
Anthropological approach in second language acquisition
The importance of anthropological approaches in the process of language acquisition cannot be underestimated as it plays a big role in both acquiring and teaching the language. Anthropologists argue that culture is important in the acquisition of any second language and should be included in the language classroom. Anthropologists further argue that before one begins to study a second language should be able to effectively study the culture of the people living in the respective geographical location and know how they interact and live with each other.
On the other hand, the anthropological theory of cultural relativism is considered critical in the second language classroom because it assists in creating a judgment on free atmospheres. It is good to note that in the classroom setting both teacher and second language student should become proletarian anthropologists by exploring and testing their own cultures and that of others.
In addition, the second language classroom should be neutral ground between the ones’ culture and the culture associated with the studies language. This allows free interactions as well the discussion on the patterns and attitudes of the cultural backgrounds.
By effectively discussing various effects and patterns of different cultures within the classroom contexts, helps in dealing away with many challenges related to second language acquisition in both classroom and non-classroom settings. The effectiveness of the anthropological approach to the teaching of language provides the student with a good platform to acquire communicative and linguistic capabilities and bring interesting and important contents that helps one to effectively practice the linguistic structures.
The teaching of culture can be as well integrated into all learning aspects related to either teaching or learning subjects. In most cases, suggestions for different tips of language acquisition are provided. Moreover, the likelihood applying this approach in the teaching of the second language provided. It is important to note that anthropological approaches if well practiced by both teacher and student in second language teaching and learning can create a great deal whereby they become partners in both sharing of each ones’ culture. However, this can be possible through the use of anthropological literature as well as their own languages.
Over the past, there has been a theory in relation to the study of second language and the ones’ ability to easily acquire the language. The development of these theories came up with various interests and has been used as points of references especially in language classes. The first anthropological theories were developed from the times of dunes of Egypt A at the beginning of 7th Century BC. These theories believed that acquisition of language was inborn and when birth isolates a child from a linguistic approach one develops a language that would have been born with (Carter and Nunan, 1997).
The same experiment was developed in 15th century by King James VA from Scotland after he learned that children from India were speaking a good Hebrew and desired to know whether language is something inborn or it is acquired through speeches from adults. In his experiment, he came to realize that the acquisition of language is facilitated by effective listening and therefore he concluded that it is difficult for a child to develop language alone.
In his experiment also he ordered for a house to be built along two infants where he stations a nurse who was mute to take care of them. He noted that the children had difficulties in learning anything since there had no speeches between nurse and children. This experiment was considered good because it helped in proving the Akbar’s hypothesis that the process of learning any language can be done by the acquisition of that language and not just through acquisition or absence of exposure.
However, in the modern times, linguistics is trying all possible to abolish the codes that govern learning acquisition as well as teaching. Several theories have been developed in the past years such as the cognitive theory, by Jean Piaget’s, the behaviorist theory and Chomsky’s theory. The Krashen’s hypothesis is one of the emerging theories of second learning which has paved insights on how the minds work in both acquiring and speaking of the second language. Language and culture-Linguistic relativity
What language says about people and society?
The hypothesis of Sapir and Whorf has brought many changes in a manner in which scholars view language and society. Researchers over the recent times have tried as much to give the hypothesis as much concern as possible. Though research has been easy to develop, the problem has been to come up with variables that can accurately test the validity of the hypothesis.
Most of the anthropologists have come to conclude that culture determines language and thoughts of a particular society. However, from the examples given by Words studies as well as other researchers it is good to conclude that culture effectively affects thoughts and culture. In the determination of linguistic relativity, the question has been on whether the language creates any effects to one’s thinking (John, 1997).
Studies that have been carried before have concluded that language affects cultures and thoughts. The support on how language influences culture can also be studied in the concept of codability in which is the ability of one to translate words and phrases from other languages. In support of this statement, one can argue that one speaks two languages, there are some ideas that are easily said in one of the languages compared to the other one.
In many instances, there are languages that explain one’s thoughts, emotions as well as perceptions and in other languages can take one a paragraph or two to explain. The idea of codability which gives the second language learner to code language or a phrase from one phrase to another shows the nature by which language influences culture because in one language the speaker can be in a good position to acquire lexical categories as compared to the other one. The other language, on the other hand, limits another in coding the same lexical categories.
Both linguistic and anthropologists have been developing interests regarding the Sapir hypothesis. The Sapir hypothesis continues to look on the implications of the idea that culture influences the language and the way in which people perceive reality. Since there has been no perfect research to prove this hypothesis, researchers are still struggling to find out on how Sapir hypothesis affects the culture and language acquisition.
How language affects one’s perceptions
In relation to Sapir and Whorf hypothesis language does not have any words or grammatical creations that refer to a language concept of a particular time. The hypothesis further explains that in many ways language shows a reality in many ways as compared to what many languages show at the time. Therefore perception on ones’ language can only be expressed if one is well recognizable with a language. Therefore, it is good to note that language highly influences ones’ perceptions.
However, Sapir-wolf hypothesis remains as one of the most divisive topics in many years since most of the scholars feel that Sapir and Whorf failed to show the relationship between language and perceptions while others believe that perceptions are actually dependent on language use.
Additionally, researchers have been finding difficulties to set variables that are valid and do not come out under criticism as that of Sapir and wolf. However, despite this has presented difficulties to the researchers, they have been still looking for the ways to prove Sapir-Wolf hypothesis.
One of the famous arguments from Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is the concept of color across languages. The hypothesis further argues that if a language categories color at the expense of another one, various groups should view it differently. In the study conducted in the early 1970s, a group of researchers evaluated the perception created by the English language on color in the tribes of Papua in Guinea whereby a sample of 160 colors was asked to categorize them.
The Papua had fewer categories, and they had difficulties in differentiating various English colors such as white, blue and green. However, they were able to draw various categories of colors in their language where English was also perceived to be in a category of the color yellow. Additionally, the fluent English speakers were able to match colors easily by the use of their own languages.
The study found that the Papua speakers were able to match colors in their own language as compared to other languages across the blue and white categories. Therefore, it is good to note that a show of perception of the color from both groups involved in the study was dependent on language categorization and this supported the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.
Difficulties Chinese face in learning English
In regard to pronunciation, the big challenge Chinese face is that English does not have tonal language. Another difficult Chinese face in learning the English language is in terms of fluency as many do not have the ability to influence ideas. But it is also good to note that in regard to English, Chinese have a good grammar as compared to other foreign languages such as Germany and Italian.
To the learners who love studying the language, it is important to know the difference between phoneme and grapheme. Most of the people who love learning language, it means knowing how to communicate between one another as well as knowing one’s culture. However, there are other categories of people who like to step on a surface; in a manner that learning language requires to attain language in a deeper level and other related mechanisms of language.
Linguistics as a science to study language is an area that clearly defines a way of language learning. Linguists help learners to identify mechanisms and structures in which language can be acquired. Looking at the structures, every language is constituted of sentences that are made of words. Therefore, there is an importance to study two important phenomena used in the study of linguistics.
Phoneme
Phoneme in linguistic means a sound rather, scholars define it as a small contrastive unit found in the sound system of language. Phones do not possess any meaning, but mostly they combine to create huge and meaningful units like morphemes. Morphemes are defined as the smallest unit of a grammatical unit of language. Phones represent themselves as a change to the phoneme and could represent a different meaning.
For instance, the word ‘boy’ can be written phonetically as / bɔɪ/ and if changed to phoneme it can be written as /b/. The letter‘t’ for instance, denotes ‘toy’ where the phonemic transcription can be /tɔɪ/) which presents something totally different. The importance of phones in the sound system is hence achieved (McKay, 2002).
It is good to note that every language has a number of phonemes whereby the English language consists of more than 44 phonemes that are represented by a numerous spelling alternatives. In English written formats, phonemes are always presented as for example; //b/, /e/, /d/. Moreover, the IPA represents the ciphers of phones which are contained in different languages spoken around the world.
Differences between Phonemes and Graphemes in learning Chinese
Phonebes Graphemes
Phonebes represents the smallest units of sounds Grapheme is the smallest unit in a written language.
Mostly represents sounds Mostly represents alphabetical letters and numerical digits
When they change cause effects on meaning of the word When they change, they completely alter the meaning of the word
Phoebes carry typical characteristics In most of the times, they do not reflect a similar number of phonemes in which a single grapheme can be represented two or more phonemes or either alternatively two graphemes can represent a single phoneme.
Phonemes are always not visible at all In most of the cases are always visible
Taking into consideration such differences and specific characteristics it is clear that phonemes and graphemes are two distinctive fundamentals in a language and the major difference is that phonemes represent sound while graphemes represent written words.
Chinglish- Chinese cultural values
The China English refers to English spoken by Chinese or other speakers and contains and contains both linguistic and cultural background. For the fact that English has developed to become the global language, it has created homogenic effects to other existing languages. China has localized the English language through developing Chinglish into Chinese English. This diversity has maintained high intelligence in the context that involves cultural characteristics. In a view that other world languages are emerging, English speakers need to learn other languages for a number of reasons. First one is able to boost a brain and create deep connections. Trying to learn other languages enables one to learn the cultures of other language groups and one is able to integrate with people from different nationalities.References
Carter. R. & D. Nunan. (2001). The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
John A. Lucy (1997). Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 26, pp. 291-312 Published by: Annual Reviews Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2952524 Accessed: 07-11-2016 12:4
McKay, S. L. (2002). Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals and Approaches. Oxford: Oxford University Press.