 It is taught in schools and to non-native learners.

     Idiolect is the language system of an individual. It is one’s particular way of speaking and/or writing.

     Register – situational variety

     Register is a speech variety which changes according to the situation where language is used. Usually it is shared by a group of people, such as lawyers, doctors, stamp collectors, etc.

     To know how to use a register means to know how to use language appropriately.

     Register is analyzed on three dimensions: field, mode and tenor. Field is concerned with why and about what we communicate; mode is related to how we communicate; tenor is about with whom we communicate.

     Formality

     Frozen

     Formal

     Consultative

     Casual

     Intimate

     Language in contact

     Throughout history no natural language is pure or free from the influence of other languages. Due to trade, war, colonization and other causes languages may come into contact. When this occurs, mixed codes may come into being, which are called pidgins and creoles.

     The term pidgin is the label for the code used by people who speak different languages. A pidgin is not the native language of any group.

     A creole is a mixed language which has become the mother tongue of a speech community.

     Bilingualism and multilingualism are normal in many parts of the world today.

     Bilingualism gives rise to code-switching and code-mixing. The former refers to the fact that a speaker changes from one language to the other in different situations or when talking about different topics. The latter refers to the change from one language to the other language within the same utterance.

     Taboos and euphemisms

     Taboo refers to a prohibition on the use of, mention of, or association with particular objects, actions, or persons. Euphemism is an expression that substitutes one which may be seen as offensive or disturbing to the addressee.

     Taboo and euphemism are actually two sides of the same coin.

     What is taboo or not taboo depends on the context.

     A brief introduction to a hot topic nowadays: language and culture

     What is culture?

     Nature is material, while culture is spiritual.

     Linguistic relativity

     Language is part of culture, a carrier of culture.

     Language is a product of our social life.

     Language is the principal mean by which culture is passed down.

     Language reflects the way of thinking. Mental activities depend on linguistic activity.

     Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (relationship between language and culture)

     Determinism

     Language determines our way of thinking.

     Relativism (linguistic relativity)

     Competence

     Linguistic competence: grammaticality, presented by Chomsky

     Communicative competence: four components

     Grammaticality

     Acceptability

     Appropriateness

     Effectiveness

    Chapter 9 Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

     What is SLA?

     What is language acquisition?

     The natural process of children’s language development.

     It is different from language learning.

     Four stages of language acquisition

     Babbling – holophrastic – two-word – telegraphic

     What is second language acquisition (SLA)?

     SLA is learning a language in F2 (the language being learnt) language environment.