The document discusses the diversity of languages and dialects, emphasizing mutual intelligibility and the fluid nature of languages. It covers various aspects of language, including vocabulary, grammar, phonology, and writing systems, highlighting that no language is inherently superior or more complex than another. Additionally, it introduces Euroasia as a leading provider of foreign language and cross-cultural services in New Zealand.

1. The Diversity of Language www.euroasia.co.nz 0800 EUROASIA

2. LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS (1) Some interesting situations Speakers of Danish, Norwegian and Swedish can understand one another. Speakers of Mandarin and Cantonese cannot. Serbo-Croat used to be one language, but now it’s two.

3. LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS (2) Mutual intelligibility Spoken language Written language

4. LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS (3) A language is a dialect with an army and a navy behind it.

5. WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT ALL LANGUAGES? Languages are fluid. One language is not more sophisticated than another. One language is not inherently more difficult than another. Any ideas can be expressed in any language – but in some cases more easily than in others. All languages have names of things (nouns) and ways of expressing what these things do (verbs).

6. COMPARING LANGUAGES Vocabulary Grammar Phonology

7. VOCABULARY (1) Semantic fields When is a book not a book? How many coconuts are there in English? Is he colour blind or what? Is pride a good thing? Why does she think I haven’t got as many brothers as I’ve really got?

8. VOCABULARY (2) Making new words Putting them together Nouns into verbs Borrowing (and more…)

9. VOCABULARY (3) Sayings The early bird catches the worm. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

10. VOCABULARY (4) Idioms To catch a cold It’s a good idea to stop now Business is picking up The cream of society Will’s got off with Tracy

11. VOCABULARY (5) One word, so many meanings… I would go if I had time Would you help me? When I was young , I would often walk by the sea. The dog wouldn’t move. I would like to leave now.

12. VOCABULARY (6) You wouldn’t believe the things people do to words… ž en a, ž ene, ž eni, ž enu, ž eno, ž enom ž ene, ž ena, ž enama, ž ene, ž enama, ž enama march -er, -e, -es, -ons, -ez, -ent, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient, -erai, -eras, -era, -erons, -erez, -eront, -erais, -erait, -erions, -eriez, -eraient, -ant, - é , -ai, -as, -a, - â mes, - â tes, - è rent, -asse, -asses, - â t, -assions, -assiez, -assent car , char, gar, nghar

13. VOCABULARY (7) Numbers are universal, right? Well… 100 = hyaku 1,000 = sen 10,000 = man 100,000 = 10 X man 1,000,000 = 100 x man

14. GRAMMAR (1) Word order (1) Although I him only yesterday seen had, decided I nevertheless to him once more to speak.

15. GRAMMAR (2) Word order (2) Where do you want your verb? She is in the town. Mae hi yn y dre. (Welsh) Machi ni imasu . (Japanese)

16. GRAMMAR (3) Time and tense (1) “ Time? Well, we have past, present and future…”

17. GRAMMAR (4) Time and tense (2) How many pasts? I saw, I was seeing, I have seen, I have been seeing, I had seen, I had been seeing… How many presents? I see, I am seeing, I do see… How many futures? I will see, I’m going to see, I’ll be seeing…

18. GRAMMAR (5) Time and tense (3) It all goes haywire… He’s staying at home this evening. If I went out tomorrow, it would be too late.

19. GRAMMAR (6) Some final thoughts… English has natural gender, some languages don’t… English has tenses, Chinese doesn’t… In English adjectives come before the noun and don’t agree, in others… In English we have to state the subject of the sentence, but… English has singular and plural, whereas…

20. PHONOLOGY (1) Some sounds occur in nearly all languages – a, o, u, m, n… Some sounds are rare – English r, a, aw English is unusual in having so many diphthongs Czech ř (Dvořak) unique Sounds which are more or less the same across languages are seldom exactly the same

21. PHONOLOGY (2) Some languages have a lot of sounds (e.g. Georgian) Some have very few (e.g. Polynesian)

22. PHONOLGY (3) All languages have rules about the way sounds can be combined In English, we can’t have “pf” at the start of a word - German can Spanish doesn’t allow “sp” at the start of a word - English does Some languages hardly allow any combinations of consonants at all – e.g. Japanese

23. PHONOLOGY (4) Some languages use tones Some languages have syllable stress in words Some languages use distinctive intonation

24. WRITING Two approaches: Based on sounds. Based on words or concepts. Some languages are conservative in their spelling, others adapt more readily to changes in pronunciation.

25. AND TO CLOSE… Don’t be surprised what language can throw at you. Be prepared to be amazed. The way we look at things is not the only way.

26. Who is Euroasia? New Zealand’s leading provider of foreign language and cross-cultural services: Courses in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean etc Translation/Interpreting services Cross-cultural advice and training for businesspeople Cross-cultural events management

27. The Diversity of Language www.euroasia.co.nz 0800 EUROASIA