[Xmca-l] Re: Psychology of Language

[Huw Lloyd]

That would be nice.  I think you'd get more than undergrads tuning in too.

Huw


On 24 April 2014 23:28, Martin John Packer <mpacker@uniandes.edu.co> wrote:

> Huw, I'm not disagreeing. It's just that I'm not sure what it is in
> Whitney's book that you're responding to. I have the impression it's a
> generally cognitive approach to language, and that's one reason I would
> like to find something better.
>
> What would an ideal cultural-historical textbook on language and
> psychology include?
>
> - language acquisition (with an emphasis on pragmatics and discourse)
> - language and nonverbal communication
> - the evolution of language
> - language and the brain: not simply localization, but the way lueracy
> transforms the brain, etc.
> - language and thought: LSV and newer research
> - language and the oher psychological functions as a dynamic system
> - linguistics from a systemic functional approach (plus Chomsky as a
> contrast?)
> - (cross-cultural studies of) language and perception (color?)
> - metaphor a la Lakoff...
> ...???
>
> Laure, I would be very interested to see your syllabus, though my French
> is lousy!
>
> Martin
>
> On Apr 24, 2014, at 5:10 PM, Huw Lloyd <huw.softdesigns@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > On 24 April 2014 22:57, Martin John Packer <mpacker@uniandes.edu.co>
> wrote:
> >
> >> But the efforts to teach language to non-humans are interesting, no? And
> >> they generally employ signs rather than words. I think there's general
> >> awareness that language need not be verbal.
> >>
> >>
> > Yes, but what about the history of experience evoked by the tongue or
> > finger wagging?
> >
> > What will you have: language as a carrier and, oh, there's this other
> thing
> > called culture?
> >
> > For nature of language, you could study toddlers.  That's enough to
> > indicate that "language as signing" is a phoney division.
> >
> > Best,
> > Huw
> >
> >
> >
> >> Martin
> >>
> >> On Apr 24, 2014, at 4:46 PM, Huw Lloyd <huw.softdesigns@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Its not entirely clear from the contents, but it looks like the author
> is
> >>> reinforcing notions of language as wordiness ("Attempts to teach
> language
> >>> to non-humans").  I would start by debunking that.
> >>>
> >>> Best,
> >>> Huw
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On 24 April 2014 22:16, Martin John Packer <mpacker@uniandes.edu.co>
> >> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Huw,
> >>>>
> >>>> If you click on the link I included in an earlier message you can see
> >> the
> >>>> contents of this typical undergraduate text. Here it is again:
> >>>>
> >>>> <
> >>
> http://www.amazon.com/The-Psychology-Language-Paul-Whitney/dp/0395757509>
> >>>>
> >>>> And here are the sections and chapter titles. Let me say that I am by
> no
> >>>> means a great fan of these themes, but there are some limits to the
> >>>> innovations that one can introduce at the undergraduate level, sadly.
> A
> >>>> text that adopted a sociocultural perspective on psychology and
> language
> >>>> would provide legitimacy to a course that was a bit less traditional,
> if
> >>>> you know what I mean!
> >>>>
> >>>> Language and its functions
> >>>>       The nature of language
> >>>>       What language users must know
> >>>>       Language in relation to other cognitive processes
> >>>>       Theories of the language-thought relationship
> >>>> Models of language processing
> >>>>       The recognition of spoken words
> >>>>       Visual word recognition
> >>>>       Sentence processing
> >>>>       Understanding and remembering discourse
> >>>>       Language production and conversation
> >>>> Language and the brain
> >>>>       Language acquisition: Biological foundations
> >>>>       Language acquisition in special circumstances
> >>>>       Language and the localization of function
> >>>> Conclusions
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Apr 24, 2014, at 11:58 AM, Huw Lloyd <huw.softdesigns@gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> I am puzzled and curious about what constitutes an undergraduate text
> >>>> for a
> >>>>> rich, involving and open-ended subject.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Are you starting from the subject first, and then working out how to
> >>>>> deliver it in bite size examinable chunks (if these constraints
> apply),
> >>>> and
> >>>>> how are you (considering) dealing with the open-endedness of the
> >>>> topics...?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Is the major issue about accessibility of content?  What about
> >> compliance
> >>>>> with other concepts and procedures in the course...?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> How about taking one interesting text and critiquing it (in a
> >> structured
> >>>>> way)?  E.g. how blind-deaf people learn to language (Meshcheryakov),
> or
> >>>>> changes in language due to culture (Luria), or more about language
> >> itself
> >>>>> and its cultural aspects.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Perhaps the text, itself, would benefit from being quite small so
> >>>> students
> >>>>> can go and look up the references.  1st (or 2nd) hand  material is a
> >> good
> >>>>> choice!
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Hope this helps...
> >>>>> Huw
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On 24 April 2014 15:46, Martin John Packer <mpacker@uniandes.edu.co>
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> Hi Laure,
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> In general I'm also in favor of dispersed readings. In addition, in
> my
> >>>>>> course in child development I've been writing the textbook that I
> >> need!
> >>>> It
> >>>>>> is (currently) titled "A Cultural Psychology of Children’s
> >> Development."
> >>>>>> But this is a new course that I need to get up and running quickly,
> >> so I
> >>>>>> think I need to start with an existing text. If one exists!
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Martin
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On Apr 24, 2014, at 8:42 AM, Laure Kloetzer <
> laure.kloetzer@gmail.com
> >>>>>> <mailto:laure.kloetzer@gmail.com>> wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Hi Martin,
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> We are teaching a similar course here at CNAM, Paris. But in
> French...
> >>>> and
> >>>>>> no textbook, we suggest and comment dispersed readings. Would you
> send
> >>>> me
> >>>>>> your syllabus ? I would be very happy to compare (our plan is in
> >>>> French, if
> >>>>>> you read French, I'll be happy to share).
> >>>>>> Also interested to see if you get some answers regarding the text
> >> book.
> >>>>>> If not: why wouldn't we edit this textbook that we need ?
> >>>>>> Cheers
> >>>>>> LK
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> 2014-04-24 15:35 GMT+02:00 Martin John Packer <
> >> mpacker@uniandes.edu.co
> >>>>>> <mailto:mpacker@uniandes.edu.co>>:
> >>>>>> Hi Bella,
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Thanks, but what I'm looking for is a text on the role of language
> in
> >>>>>> psychology. I'm teaching a course that when last taught used this
> >> text,
> >>>>>> which was published in 1998. I'd like something more contemporary,
> and
> >>>> more
> >>>>>> aligned with a sociocultural perspective:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> <
> >>>>
> >>
> http://www.amazon.com/The-Psychology-Language-Paul-Whitney/dp/0395757509>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Martin
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On Apr 23, 2014, at 11:55 PM, Bella Kotik-Friedgut <
> >>>> bella.kotik@gmail.com
> >>>>>> <mailto:bella.kotik@gmail.com>> wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Martin, if you mean something like the following
> >>>>>>> Williams, M. & Burden, R. (1997). *Psychology for Language
> >>>>>>> Teachers,*Cambridge Language Library.
> >>>>>>> I am teaching a course: Psychological aspects of new language
> >> learning
> >>>>>> and
> >>>>>>> teaching.
> >>>>>>> So if you need something more specific please ask.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Sincerely yours Bella Kotik-Friedgut
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> On Thu, Apr 24, 2014 at 2:39 AM, Martin John Packer <
> >>>>>> mpacker@uniandes.edu.co<mailto:mpacker@uniandes.edu.co>
> >>>>>>>> wrote:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> Can anyone recommend a good undergraduate textbook on Psychology
> >>>> and/of
> >>>>>>>> Language?
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> Martin
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>