Daily Archives: April 30, 2017

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Though we all think we know what language is and how it operates, the reality of communication is far more complicated, writes Michael C. Corballis.

THE TRUTH ABOUT LANGUAGE Michael C. Corballis Auckland University Press

By PETER STUPPLES

This is a book summarising current ideas about language, both informing and entertaining the general reader, in the style of Adam Rutherford's popular The Stories of Our Genes, the sub-title of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived (2016).

Corballis also gives his book a subtitle: What it [language] is and where it came from.

Though we all think we know what language is and how it operates, the "truth'' is far more complicated.

Language groups have their own rules. Language evolves and rules change.

Most of us use language most of the time without thinking. It is a seamless part of the way our body/mind works.

This book concentrates less on language itself, but as a means of communication and medium of transmitting knowledge and the seamless relationship of language with mind/body as well as, a not unrelated topic, where language came from.

That relationship, between language and mind/body is contentious, disputed over the past 60 years by the behaviourist followers of B.F. Skinner, the universal grammar school of Noam Chomsky and the evolutionists led by Steven Pinker and Paul Bloom, a persuasion shared by Corballis himself. Language, it is contended, is a product of evolution, but Corballis doesn't fudge the problems this entails.

In the first chapter, entitled "Language Evolution: The Hardest Problem in Science?'', he notes "[this] was framed as a question but may indeed be true as a statement''.

He proceeds, towards the end of the book, to persuade the reader of this "truth''.

Corballis is persuasive, in the sense that he takes both evolution and modern scholarship in neuroscience and epigenetics seriously, describing what might be called the "long story'' of evolutionary development.

The problem, and one that will probably never go away, lies in the absence of facts.

We have, at best, around 5000 years of language facts whereas we need evidence from the period of time that Homo sapiens made their way from Africa, and, perhaps, beyond that our cousins the Neanderthals and Denisovans may also have had some form of language.

Language may not have begun with us. Evolution's "long story'' insists on complexity and the more we know the more complex the story of human development shows itself to be.

Corballis explains the evolutionary story, within the limits of evidence, making any "big bang'' theory of language seem ridiculously naive.

He also confidently outlines the relationship of language and mind/body.

We think, using language, but can we also think, "mind wander,'' without language. Indeed much of our creative thinking, our speculative mind, works at its most original self, without language.

"Thinking without Language'' is a chapter of considerable significance.

Corballis alerts us to physiological aspects of language acquisition, such as, a child cannot learn a language after the age of six without always having some noticeable accent.

He also makes much of social intelligence, the significance of language for bonding within a group and the richness of language through frequent and extensive use in social interactions over a range of social situations, as well as the human ability to create non-verbal languages of great complexity, such as the sign languages of the deaf.

The book is on less sure ground when speculation tends to dominate.

Corballis is an advocate of the "gesture first'' theory, language originating in posture and gesture rather than speech.

Much is made of this in the chapter "Hands on to Language,'' but Corballis relies for evidence on the speculation of philosophers and the observation of primates, on the informed hunches and suppositions of himself and others.

This may make the reader a little cautious, even sceptical, of the claim in the title of the book, that it is indeed The Truth about Language.

It seems like overplaying a hand, even attempting to undermine the very complexity of evolution that the writer elsewhere describes so convincingly.

Many developments of human behaviour happen alongside each other, interact to advance each other, as Corballis himself admits.

This hesitation aside, this book has a great deal to recommend it to the curious reader, including the avuncular style and gentle humour that make it such a pleasure to read.

Peter Stupples is a former University of Otago associate professor of Russian studies.

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The evolution of language guidebook - Otago Daily Times

The Citizen-Times Published 11:22 a.m. ET April 30, 2017 | Updated 11 hours ago

The Erwin High prom was held at Crest Center April 28, 2017. Angela Wilhelm

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Scenes from the 2017 North Buncombe High prom 2017. To see more visit http://www.citizen-times.com. Bobby Shipman/Angeli Wright

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Scenes from the 2017 Roberson prom. See more photos at http://www.citizen-times.com. Bobby Shipman/Carol Spagnuola

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Girls picked out their perfect prom outfits from Eblen Charities' annual Operation Prom Dress giveaway on Thursday, March 30, 2017. Angeli Wright/awright@citizen-times.com

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Scenes from Erwin High prom 2017

Scenes from North Buncombe High prom 2017

Scenes from Roberson High prom 2017

Operation Prom Dress

Despite heavy rain that fell for most of the evening students danced, ate and mingled during the North Buncombe High prom at the Biltmore Estate's Deerpark restaurant on Friday, April 21, 2017. (Photo: Angeli Wright/awright@citizen-times.com)Buy Photo

Im trying to recall the purpose of proms. Except that I cant recall something I never knew. Talking to people my age, some have great memories of a fun night. Others dont remember much about it at all. Like me. However, I can tell you exactly how many problems were on the math test at the math competition that year. I suppose Im not prom material. Shockingly.

Young Williams is promming this year, so Im thinking about how proms are the same or different from when I went to one. (In the 1930s, he says.)

The ask. I dont remember anybody nervous about asking anybody to go. Going was cool. Who you went with wasnt a big deal. Again, maybe that was just clueless me. Now its called promposal and how you ask is part of the fun or the pressure. I read on Facebook about a local kid who stood in the yard of the girl he wanted to ask to the prom with his dog, which had a sign around its neck that said, Prom? Wow. Yes, a thousand times yes. Marry him. Im wondering, though, if a guy asks in some clever waydoes she need to answer in a clever way?She could bake him homemade soft pretzels and shape them in to the word Yes. Or if shes my daughter itll take her a full day to bake her response, Yes, but I have to be home by 1 a.m., even on very special nights, no matter what.

The flowers. I saw a pod of teens pre-prom dining and none of them had on corsages or boutonnieres. Too bad. I think most prom-goers still include flowers, but at my promthe flowers were essential. At some pointcorsages went from shoulder-area mini-bouquets to wristbands. I think the shoulder thing was a good idea. If dancing gets too close or raunchy, somebody is going to get stuck with one of those giant corsage pins.

Transportation. We had to figure out how to get to there. Most guys borrowed a parents car. Lots of students these days already have a car, so they borrow a parents nicer car for the prom. Bad news for Young Williams:The 2002 Camry youve been driving is our nicer car. The other car we have is a manual transmission Toyota Echo with a loud muffler that needs a paint job and has no AC or sign of any coming soon.

Pre-prom dining. Little packs of prom-goers pop up all over town this time of year. Some go to fine dining and others go to medium fine dining. I like the folks who have food incongruentwith formal wear. Like Waffle House or Chic-Fil-A, pronounced SHk-Fil-A on prom night. Theyre playing dress up, but not taking themselves too seriously.

The outfit. The men in my life keep telling me guys dont have outfits. And yet, teens seem to declare their same identity they have in daily clothes, but with the formal wear flare. Goths go goth prom and nerds go nerd prom. I dont know the cliques these days. I like the mix of traditional (tux) customized with (work boots) if thats their thing.

When I was discussing Young Williams tux with him, which was really me talking and him sitting somewhat politely, not listening. I asked if he would go with a vest or a cumberbund. There was cause to say cumberbund several times. Thats what James Bond wears, I pointed out. He told me to stop saying cumberbund, which I think is a fun word. He and I went through the same thing for his sports team uniform when I kept saying unitard. I cant help it. I enjoy both of those words. Im going to text him cumberbund right now. (Its technically cummerbund, but it doesnt matter because its been replaced by the more popular vest with a tux anyway.)

Getting ready. I recall girls taking the whole day off school to preen. I didnt. I didnt know an hours worth of things to do to get ready, much less a days worth. I couldnt find my photos from high school prom days when I looked for them. Just as well. I remember wearing a hat to one. Like a southern belle look or something, which was in-style then, I hope.

Behavior. Some parents offer post-prom activities safely at home. Good idea. Theres an expectation among some kids that the prom has to be etched, boundaries crossed. I never took illegal drugs or drank alcohol and, yet, I cant be proud of that because I simply was never tempted -- ever. Kind of like dogs, there are those who just walk outside with you and never wander far, no leash or fence needed. Others want to know where the fence is and they respect it. Then there are those who want to know about the fence so they can obsess about busting through it. Kids are made differently, period. It takes a village to get them through a safe prom. Feel free to have an eye on my kid, and Ill have an eye on yours.

I wonder how much longer proms will be around and if theyll eventually go the route of the senior class trip. Too much expense and too much liability. But until they fade away, enjoy. Dress up, wear flowers, eat out and dance. Revel in your carefree, mortgage-less youth.

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Nancy Williams: Following the strange evolution of 'promming' - Asheville Citizen-Times