Language classes, Monday

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Good morning.

There seems to be some questions regarding the in-class presentations. I expect every student to do one. It should be between three and five minutes long, regarding some aspect of history or culture of any of the languages you are studying. For the first presentation you may do it in English or your native tongue. Visuals are encouraged: let me know if you will need a VCR or projector. If you need ideas, see me during office hours or lab.

I will have a sign-up sheet and more instructions at my office.

And, yarr.

Comments

Re: 10:00 - 11:30 MWF Indo-European

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

*nods* Very good.

It's safe to assume that abstract concepts existed in the spoken language long before there was a written way to express them. Oral histories and minstrels kept the tales going--the earliest writings are a transcription of sung tales. The Iliad, for example: the version that we read today is just one of the hundreds of sung versions in circulation in Homer's time. It was written down, however, because the written language had evolved enough to capture the intricacies of the poetry--and as the culture changed, people began to fear their oral traditions would be lost.

Language and a culture's perception of the world are intertwined. You don't need a word for something if it doesn't exist for you.

Thoughts? Particularly for those of you who speak other languages? Are there words you've learned for concepts that just don't exist in your native tongue?

Re: 10:00 - 11:30 MWF Indo-European

[janet_fraiser]

*does not actually speak another language fluently, and so decides to shut up for a while and listen*

*really wishes Daniel were here*