THE MODEL
This thesis is based on the work of Anne-Marie Houdebine-Gravaud, the French linguist who conceptualize the model of Imaginaire Linguistique. It emerged during the 1970’s to study of phonological variations in French, as researchers observed difficulties and inhibitions among speakers regarding their relationship with both their language and the linguistic practices of the others. Thus, The primary interest of the research was the meta-linguistic function of language and the speakers’ capacity of distantiation allowing for recursion in the discourse (Houdebine-Gravaud 2002: 9-10).
1. A Model in Constant Evolution
An Expanding Scope of Applicability
A summary of the expansion of Houdebine’s model is an arduous task, which will
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Indeed, if forums belong to written communication, there is no denying of the similarities they share with oral communication, which is especially true for recent social networks such as Facebook and YouTube (see chapter 2). This inclusion of social network as a source of attitudes is particularly enthralling in the frame of linguistic imaginary because of the blend of potential for attitudinal variations among speakers, the constructed projection of the self to an audience, and the wide set of possibilities offered by online communities to modulate one’s attitudes.
2. The Linguistic Imaginary – Questions of Terminology
This section aims at providing the readers with the theoretical framework necessary to understand the later analysis. It discusses the terminology by explaining the motivations behind the choice of specific terms and their meaning. The two justifications for the attention given to the clarification of both the denomination and the definition of each concept is (1) the fact that the model was developed in French with its cultural connotations and antecedents, and (2) the polysemy of most the terms both in French and in English which necessitates a clear description to avoid confusion.
2.1. Linguistic
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Houdebine identifies two objective norms: the systemic and the statistical norms.
Systemic Norms
These norms are arguments relative to the language as a system, that is as a code structured at different levels (semantic, morphological, grammatical, etc.) (Remysen 2011: 55). Houdebine adds that in order to determine them, one needs to perform a clinical study of productions of one or two idiolects (2002: 20).
Statistical Norms
As indicated by their denomination, these norms are arguments relative to the frequency of use of a word (Remysen 2011: 55). It is laying the structure of the language as a co-occurrence of usage thanks to survey analysis realized on a group of speakers. By doing so, it becomes possible to bring to light convergent, divergent, and peripheral behaviors (Houdebine 2002: 20).
2.2.3. Subjective
In his essay “The World of Doublespeak,” William Lutz define doublespeak as “a blanket term for language which makes the bad seem good, the negative appear positive, the unpleasant attractive, or at least tolerable” (2013). Lutz goes on to claim “It is language which avoids, shifts, or denies responsibility” (2013). He explains the purpose of doublespeak is to “mislead, distort, deceive, inflate” (2103). Based on many of his examples, such as wording an airplane as an airplane that has had “uncontrolled contact with the ground,” or referring to a city slum as the resident of the “fiscal underachievers,” I feel he may overstate his own definition of doublespeak. While, the play on words in these examples does attempt to deceive the read and
A sense of belonging comes from a sense of identity and that is shaped by one’s personal, social, cultural and historical context. Belonging is also dependant on connections made with ones surrounding, which enhances or limits their sense of inclusion. Tony Birch’s “Refuge of Sinners” from his shortstory collection “The promise” and Peter Skrzynecki’s poem memoirs “St Patrick's College and Felkis Skrzynecki” consider an individual's surrounding to be important, as seen with the use of their language features and contextual background. An individual’s sense of belonging relies on those around him or her.
Gregor’s initial reaction to his transformation shows his preoccupation with work. His confusion over his radical transformation does not last long, quickly becoming concerned with work and disregarding that he woke up physically transformed into a monstrous vermin. Immediately after realizing he had transformed, Gregor explains, “Well, I haven’t given up hope completely; once I’ve gotten the money together to pay off my parents’ debt to [the boss] that will probably take another five to six years… But for the time being I’d better get up, since my train leaves at five” (4). The quick transition of Gregor’s thoughts from the initial shock to his economic duties reveals his ironic nonchalant attitude towards his nonsensical transformation and
“So many words were still unknown that when the butcher and the lady at the drugstore said something to me, exotic polysyllabic sounds would bloom in the midst of their sentences. Often, the speech of people in public seemed to be very loud, booming with confidence. The man behind the counter would literally ask, ‘What can I do for you?’ But by being firm and so clear, the sound of his voice said that he was a gringo; he belonged in the public society”(12). Rodriguez describes the way English sounds to him creating an image that the language was very complex to in his perspective.
While at a public speaking, Tan realized that she was using all these large words that her audience understood but her mother did not. “I was saying things like, “The intersection of memory upon imagination” and “There is an aspect of my fiction that relates to thus–and-thus…the forms of English I did not use at home with my mother” (Tan 58). Tan’s mother was in the room while Tan was giving the speech and that was when she realized that language could be a powerful tool that can connect each other in different ways. The English language can also bring people together who speak English but not in such a common way. “We were talking about the price of new and used furniture and I heard myself saying this: “Not waste money that way” (Tan 58).
In society today we hope that individuals will take the time to support you rather than go against you, but that isn’t always the case in our society. Social media nowadays effects the way many individuals go about their friendships. Many individual try to paint this picture that their life is perfect but in reality it is far from it. “Social media is harmless if we are careful to remember that simple fact. It’s powerless if we neglect the inclination to compare and criticize our own lives through the falsified images we too are guilty of creating” (Herrick).
Abstract In Tweet Like an Egyptian, Kevin Clarke discussed how the internet have promoted a new way of communication and how it has positively influenced many people around the world. An internet-generated power is now on the rise and the society looks forward to its positive results. In the I’m so Totally, Digitally, Close to You that was authored by Clive Thompson, the advantages and disadvantages of using Facebook and other social media are discussed, and it was claimed that social media is beneficial for the creation and maintenance of relationships. The article In What College Mean to the Other America written by Mike Rose reflected on the fact that there are marginalized groups in the United States and that the government should act in support of their needs for better and accessible education.
Rhetorical Precis #4: “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan Amy Tan’s purpose in her article “Mother Tongue” is to show the influence of her mother’s style of english. She also relates this to a more broad topic of the idea that there are many different types of english that people speak that are tailored to whoever they are speaking to. She begins this piece by stating plainly that she is not an english scholar. Instead of decreasing her credibility it actually increases it and paints this piece as a more personal set of observations rather than a bland overview of the entire language.
“A bird the size of a chicken, with scarlet feathers and long legs, was perched precariously, Its wings hung down loosely, and as we watched, a feather dropped away and floated slowly down through the green leaves.” In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” a bird that was out of it's environment fell from a tree and died. The bird is a symbol for Doodle and the bird represents him. When the bird dies it foreshadows Doodle's death. Hurst uses figurative language and symbolism to create a gloomy tone in his short story by using symbolism and figurative language.
Throughout generations cultural traditions have been passed down, alongside these traditions came language. The language of ancestors, which soon began to be molded by the tongue of newer generations, was inherited. Though language is an everlasting changing part of the world, it is a representation of one’s identity, not only in a cultural way but from an environmental standpoint as well. One’s identity is revealed through language from an environmental point of view because the world that one is surrounded with can cause them to have their own definitions of words, an accent, etc. With newer generations, comes newer forms of languages.
Piedad Molina Professor Ana Hernandez LIT 2480 October 7, 2015 Culture is the set of traditions, beliefs, and values, which are characteristic of a certain population. Each country or region has different parameters to determine their culture. The predominant values in the population, the language spoken, religious beliefs, and the way they dress; all these manners influence in the creation of a culture and what is autonomous of its region. Within a country we can find different cultures or ethnicities, social status, education and region make a population differ from another. The exchange of cultural ideas, beliefs, and values with the youngest members of the community make it possible for a culture to survive and to keep the legacy.
In her document “ The Fakebook Generation,” later to be published in the New York Times on October 6, 2007, Alice Mathias enters the topic of the most used social networking service worldwide, Facebook. Mathias debates on Facebook’s claim of being a forum for “genuine personal and professional connections” and tries to influence her readers to ask themselves if the website really promotes human relationships. The author illustrates in her document the power and impact Facebook had on the population by convincing to be “a place of human connectivity,” but states her idea of Facebook missing its real reason of enriching human connectivity. Mathias goes on how Facebook became more as an “online community theater” than a functional service tool. She provided examples like people who announce relationships with Chinese food in their status in order to make others laugh instead of providing useful updates.
References O'Keeffe, G.S., Clarke-Pearson, K. (2011). The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families. The American Academy of Pediatrics. Retrieved October 16, 2015 from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/4/800.short In this article, O'Keeffe, M.D. and Clarke-Pearson, M.D. weigh the positives and negatives of social media against each other.
This research study article “Dialect Awareness and Lexical Comprehension of Mainstream American English in African American English-Speaking Children” written and conducted by Jan Edwards, Megan Gross, Jianshen Chen, Maryellen C. MacDonald, David Kaplan, Megan Brown, and Mark S. Seidenberg examines the sociocultural conditions of AAE. The writers hypothesize that children who speak AAE have trouble comprehending words that are not commonly present in the dialect. The purpose of the study is to promote dialectal awareness and dialectal comprehension. The article’s research team is from the University of Wisconsin Madison, which holds one off the nations top Speech Language Pathology programs.
Another socially defined term is ethnicity, which is based on one’s cultural characteristics like language, religion, and traditions. Some attempt to