Category: applied linguistics
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Frequency is everything
Within the mind we tend to think of things as universal or generic without relating it to the wider world. We say things like, “the sun rises from the east”, without seeing it in context that which it occurs. We probably even have a perfect literally unclouded image of a singular sunrise that represents all…
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Assistant Language Teachers in Japan getting the raw end of the deal
Being an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Japan used to be a prestigious job. It was government funded with high infrastructure and support. But since the mid-2000s the government had started to source for teachers from the private sector. During its heyday an ALT would earn a minimum 300,000 yen (USD2,639 as of writing) as the basic minimum…
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Mental processing speed has gene link
A recent study has found that the gene CADM2 affects people’s ability to process information in later age. In other words some people are naturally born to be quick thinkers. This idea potentially has implications on learning and why some people are slower at the task. In my opinion both nature and nurture are mechanisms…
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Are dialects worth learning?
If you want to learn and to know a language and culture better, then yes. Dialects are really subcultures. So learning them means you understand a subgroup of people better. And contrast that with the main culture and you will understand the people and overall language a whole lot better. It is a win-win situation for your learning.
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Grammar: one word, two systems (morphology and syntax)
This is a post comes from an answer I gave to a question on Quora. It sums up my definition of grammar so well I felt it was worth reproducing it for you here. Question: Are there any explanations of grammar available that don’t use technical words? Words are words, technical or not. Here is how…
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The system of a language
When a Japanese says he can’t understand why English will differentiate between singular and plural but won’t differentiate between older and younger sister (like the Japanese language) then I could say the same thing about Japanese not differentiating between singular and plural. Circular argument. A language must “decide” on what to emphasise due to language…
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20,000 English teachers for Japan by 2019
The Japanese government is planning to increase the number of Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) to 20,000 by 2019. Although the acronym stands for any language by and large English is the only language that is taught in schools in Japan. Outsourcing has been the trend of late but this may mark the return of government-based…
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My doubts about formal grammar
There is something very similar to the chicken-or-the-egg question about formal grammar in which meaning is ignored and only the formal properties of the string is discussed. But would that string exist without production of meaning, without the communicative desire to impart something in an instance of existence? This is also like asking what is…
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Five or Seven Sentence Patterns?
While the seven sentence pattern description is the norm in English linguistics today there still persists the use of five sentence description in some non-English speaking countries like Japan which teach English as a foreign language. Essentially the seven sentence pattern is a five sentence pattern with the extra two pattern as extensions of SVA…
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Loanwords and the growth and change of a language
We have truly come to understand that language is usage in the last thirty years. So when someone says that they disapprove of loanwords coming into their language they are really not understanding this point. They are coming from the Old School which thinks grammar (and vocabulary) is perscriptive, not descriptive. English is itself a…
ghoti 