This week we are looking at Language and 
Communication and how it affects culture.
We will gain an understanding of:
 Nonhuman Communication
Nonverbal Human communication
The Origins of Language
Descriptive Linguistics
The Processes of Linguistic Divergence
Relationships between Language and Culture
And the Ethnography of Speaking (Social 
status, Gender differences and Multilingnalism.
Read Chapter 5 in your textbook.
Your Conformity and Conflict articles are #5 and 
#6
Article 5, Shakespeare in the Bush by Laura 
Bohannan, is a great article that illustrates the 
concept of naive realism, the idea that members 
of one group believe that everyone else sees the 
world the way they do, and shows how this 
belief leads to cross cultural misunderstanding.
Article 6 Whorf Revisited: You Are What You 
Speak by Guy Deutscher, is based on Benjamin 
Lee Whorf work from the 1940’s, which you will 
be familiar with if you have completed your 
Chapter 5 readings. 
Deutscher argues that although language cannot 
prevent speakers from learning other ways to 
perceive the world, 
it can shape the way they habitually think about 
it.
You have two videos
The first on the Invention of writing is very short 
about 7 minutes.
The second – The Global Tongue English is 
about 25 minutes long. 
This movie is on the FRC library Streaming site 
so you need to log in. 
You want to watch all of the segments so make 
sure you click on Continuous Playback.
Your discussion question this week is on the 
effects of English as a global language. 
Use the information from your reading and the 
movies, also do a little web research to help fill 
out your answer. 
Don’t forget to cite your work.
Okay so that the overview on Language. 
Next week we are looking at Economy and how 
people go about getting food. 
See you soon.
 
