For May 26…

Final paper, worth 10% of your overall grade, due 11:59pm on Sunday, 26 May:

In this class, we explored a number of topics from the broad field of linguistics. Your final paper is a reflection paper with two main prompts, both of which should be answered. (1) Which of these topics did you find most interesting or significant? How did learning about it in class change your perspective on your own language(s), or language in general? (2) What topic or topics did you wish we had covered more extensively in class? What question(s) did you have about language at the start of class that you would like to have explored further?

Your paper should be at least 200 words long. Please email it to me as a .pdf or .docx attachment.

Blog post #4

I talked with my mom about how English has changed from when she was growing up from how I grew up speaking and she explained to me when she went to school punctation, and the sounds of long and short vowels were drilled into her mind throughout her journey in school. She also said that when she was growing up when you encountered someone older than you like someone’s mom or an elderly person you addressed them as Mrs./ Mr./ Sir/ Mam.  I also noticed that me and my mom pronounce a lot of words differently. For example: forest, mountain, sausage, dog, coffee. My mom’s accent is also much heavier than mine, she is born and raised in Staten Island but has a strong Brooklyn accent. She also mentioned how our generation of adults/ children have dirty mouths, cursing is more a part of people’s vocabulary. My mom would say “you’re full of baloney” and “I would say your full of shit”, maybe she’s just weird but my mom doesn’t curse lol. We also refer to things with different names for instance she calls the thing you change the channel with on the tv a clicker and I call it a remote, she calls the thing people put on their eyes to see eyeglasses and I just call them glasses. Grammar has also changed throughout the years like all the abbreviations she isn’t familiar. I’ll be texting her and I’ll say something like g2g or ttyl and she’ll have no idea what I’m trying to say. Sometimes my mom will question herself if she’s pronouncing something differently after she hears me pronounce it.

Blog Post 4

After sitting down with my Aunt on Mother’s Day after we had finished eating, I went on to ask her some of the main differences between the modern day “gen z language” compared to her language growing up in the 70s. The main thing she pointed out was how this current generation relies on abbreviations and emojis to coast through conversations. Back in her day language and communication was a lot more intimate, and actually occurred in person. People would have to meet up at school, parks, or on bikes to make and keep solid friends all on the same page with language. There was no “pu, wya, wtw, and 👋🏼” to communicate and everyone’s language was on the same page. Nowadays if you’re not in the loop for a second you might be missing out on what new stuff your goddaughter or niece will be sending you. A story that she told me our family can laugh about now but wasn’t funny at the time was when my great grandmother had passed away when I was 8 and my aunt sent “She will forever be missed, lol” to my grandma. My grandma was obviously furious at first and asked my aunt why she is trying to be funny during this terrible time. My aunt said “what do you mean? All I sent was lol, lots of love”. Shortly after my grandmother had to fill her in that “lol” means laughing out loud. Obviously my Aunt had felt terrible but while she was telling me the story yesterday she was absolutely cracking up and it’s a memory for the ages. Although, this is a prime example of modern day communication maybe being too confusing or fast for elder people at times, and that not everyone is going to be on the same page as past generations. I feel like everyone is trying their best, but with the modern day pace and search for that new abbreviation, unfortunate in the moment miscommunications like this can occur.

blog post 3

  • Proposition: I have one cat
  • Truth value: True.
  • Truth conditions: In order for this to be true, I need one cat.
  • Entailment: “I have a cat” entails “I have at least one cat.”
  • Proposition: I am 6’4.
  • Truth value: False.
  • Truth conditions: I would have to be 6 foot 4
  • Entailment: “I am 6 foot 4” entails “I am at least 6 foot.”
  • Proposition: The universe is infinite.
  • Truth value: Unknown.
  • Truth conditions: For this to be true, the universe would have to never end
  • Entailment: “The universe is infinite” would entail “The Universe never ends.”

Blog Post 3

1. Proposition: I have a pet cat.

Truth value: True

Truth conditions: For this to be true, I would need to have a pet cat.

Entailment: “I have a cat” entails that I have a pet cat with me at home.

2. Proposition: There is a sound wave frequency coming from deep in unreachable space.

Truth value: True.

Truth conditions: In order for this to be true, there would have to be a frequency of sound waves coming from some unknown location in deep unreachable space.

Entailment: “There is a sound wave frequency coming from deep in unreachable space” entails that there sound waves that are detectable coming from deep unreachable space.

3. Proposition: I have a fear of heights.

Truth value: True

Truth conditions: For this to be true, I would have to be afraid to be in high places.

Entailment: “I have a fear of heights” entails that I have a fear of being in high places.

blog post 3

Proposition-I have a dog

Truth value-True

Truth Conditions-For this to be factual I would have to own a dog that resides in my home.
Entailment-“I have a dog” entails you own an animal and have a

Proposition 2-I have 6 legs

Truth value-False

Truth Conditions-I would need 6 legs connected to my body

Entailment-“I have 6 legs” goes on to show I have more than the standard 2 legs.

Proposition 3-There is a lock ness monster that lives in the Amazon River.

Truth value-Unknown

Truth conditions-For this to be true, there must be a large mythical monster that calls the Amazon its home

Entailment-“There is a lock ness monster that lives in the Amazon” would entail a mythical monster not only lives but would call the Amazon River its home.



Blog post 3

Proposition: I am 22 years old

truth value: True

truth condition : in order for this to be true I need to be living for 22 years

entailment: “I am 22 years old” entails “I have been living for 22 years”

Proposition: I’m in nursing school

truth value: false

truth condition : in order for this to be true I need to be studying and going to nursing school

entailment: “I’m in nursing school” entails “ I’m enrolled in nursing classes”

proposition: I eat 3 meals everyday

truth value : unknown

truth condition: for this to be true I need to eat 3 times a day

entailment: “I eat 3 meals everyday” entails “ I eat breakfast, lunch and diner”

discussion 5

The particular thing that surprised me the most from the reading was when the author said to picture a bird, to which I imagined a small bird like a finch. The author then stated a bird like an ostrich and penguin are still technically birds, however I did not think of those. This is because the average person would imagine the average bird rather than an outlier bird. I was surprised to think of that when it was brought to my attention as I thought I wouldn’t have been so “basic” haha.

discussion 5

The particular thing that surprised me the most from the reading was when the author said to picture a bird, to which I imagined a small bird like a finch. The author then stated a bird like an ostrich and penguin are still technically birds, however I did not think of those. This is because the average person would imagine the average bird rather than an outlier bird. I was surprised to think of that when it was brought to my attention as I believed perhaps I wouldn’t be so basic haha.

For March 19th

Study! The midterm will be on Tuesday, March 19th.

The midterm review is in our slides.

  • Open book – handwritten notes, printed notes, printed textbook – but not open laptop or phone.
  • Bring looseleaf and a pen or pencil.
  • 10 points in total, 1 point per question.
    • Two sections, multiple choice and short answer.
    • There will be more questions than you need to answer (just like on the quizzes).
  • Self-timed, up to 8:10pm (class’s end time). You can leave once you’ve turned it in.