Week 1 : The origins and the importance of language(s)
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Mens & MaatschappijMiddelbare schoolvwoLeerjaar 3
This lesson contains 30 slides, with interactive quizzes, text slides and 3 videos.
Items in this lesson
Language and communication
Week 1 : The origins and the importance of language(s)
Slide 1 - Slide
This term, I expect to learn about ..
Slide 2 - Open question
This week ..
.. you will learn about the origins of language
.. you will learn about the importance of language
Slide 3 - Slide
1. The origins of language
Slide 4 - Slide
What do you know
about the origins of
language?
Slide 5 - Mind map
Different explanations ..
Video:
Write down write down 3 things that you find interesting/that surprise you/you would like to know more about
Slide 6 - Slide
Slide 7 - Video
Other explanations ..
You now have 10 minutes to search for other explanations
Slide 8 - Slide
What did you write down?
Slide 9 - Slide
Different explanations
Chomsky + a lot of archeologists
90000 years ago: language started with 1 individual (Prometheus). From him, it spread to all other people. From them, a lot of different languages developed.
Slide 10 - Slide
Different explanations
Charles Darwin
Language started at 1 point and then developed through a lot of different modifications (evolution)
Slide 11 - Slide
Different explanations
A lot of biologists
Language started 40 millions of years ago from gestures (apes) that developed slowly into spoken languages (humans)
Slide 12 - Slide
Which explanation do you find the most likely / acceptable / believable ?
1 individual > rest of the people > differences
1 starting point > mutations > differences
gestures (apes) > slow evolution > spoken languages
Slide 13 - Poll
Option 3
40 million years ago: apes could make "grasp" gestures > same brain area as language in the human brain.
Slide 14 - Slide
Option 3
Apes in the wild make gestures that are "language like"
Slide 15 - Slide
Option 3
But, then, around 7 million years ago: "bipedalism" > free hands > possibility of combining gestures > "mime" and
using sounds
Slide 16 - Slide
Option 3
Around 2 million years ago: fully bipedal > development + use of "tools" with both hands > simplified gestures and further development of speech
Slide 17 - Slide
Option 3
90000 years ago: people spread over the world and adapted their language to the geography, culture and religion > different languages.
Slide 18 - Slide
Option 3
Nowadays: many different languages
Reading & writing gives language a memory
(Re)new(ed) development of signs and symbols
Slide 19 - Slide
Slide 20 - Video
Do animals have language(s)?
Slide 21 - Mind map
Research time!
Think of examples of animal communication. Try to find as many examples as possible!
Slide 22 - Slide
Slide 23 - Slide
Animals : geniuses?
Slide 24 - Slide
Bees
The Waggle dance is used when the food source occurs further than 150m away from the hive, and describes both distance and direction. The length of each 'waggle' directly correlates to the distance of the food source, with longer waggles describing longer distances. The direction of the food source is shown by the orientation of the bee during this dance. The angle of the target flowers relative to the position of the sun at that current time is demonstrated by the relative to vertical angle the bee performs the dance at.
Slide 25 - Slide
After seeing this, do you think we can say that animals have language(s)?
YES
NO
Slide 26 - Poll
Slide 27 - Video
The answer is.. no..
Slide 28 - Slide
What are the differences between animal communication and "real" languages?