Abstract
If I asked you to try and imagine a world without language, your first reponse would probably be that such a world would lack the means of proper communication. Without language, individuals would be unable to communicate anything other than the most rudimentary matters to each other. But if you thought further you would realize that a world without language would also be a world without thought. Or rather a world without complex thought. It is possible to think without language (using images, tactile sensations), but not at the kind of level we take for granted in even the simplest of daily activities. When humans developed language, their evolution took a quantum leap forward, not just in the ability of individuals to share their thinking with others, but in the quality and scope of that thinking.
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References
Barnes, D. (1971) Language in the Secondary Classroom. In D. Barnes, J. Britton and H. Rosen Language, the Learner and the School, revised edn. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
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Additional Reading
Aitchison, J. (1983) The Articulate Mammal, 2nd edn. London: Hutchinson. In spite of the intimidating title, provides a comprehensive account of child language and of the main controversies and issues in the area.
Carter, R. (ed.) (1982) Linguistics and the Teacher. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Most books on linguistics are heavy going, but this one links the subject clearly to the practical concerns of the teacher.
Gordon, J.C.B. (1981) Verbal Deficit: A critique. London: Croom Helm. Examines comprehensively the various theories which explain language deficit in children.
Kennedy, A. (1984) The Psychology of Reading. London: Methuen. A thoroughly practical and informative book. Written from no particular theoretical standpoint, it covers all approaches and is good on writing and speaking too.
Stubbs, M. (1983) Language, Schools and Classrooms, 2nd edn. London: Methuen. Excellent short introduction to the relationship between language and educational progress, with a welcome practical orientation.
Stubbs, M. and Hillier, H. (ed.) (1983) Readings on Language, Schools and Classrooms. London: Methuen. Excellent collection of papers covering nearly all areas of interest to the teacher.
Trudgill, P. (1975) Accent, Dialect and the School. London: Edward Arnold. Argues the case for linguistic diversity and emphasizes the extent to which schools cause problems for children by their insensitivity towards this diversity.
De Villiers, J.G. and de Villiers, P.A. (1979) Early Language. London: Fontana/Open Books. Straightforward and highly readable account of language acquisition. Those who wish to study the subject in more detail might like to go to the fuller account given by the same authors in their Language Acquisition, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press (1978).
Wells, G. (1985) Language Development in the Pre-School Years. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. An alternative to de Villiers and de Villiers, and equally good.
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© 1988 David Fontana
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Fontana, D. (1988). Language. In: Psychology for Teachers. Psychology for Professional Groups. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-19213-7_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-19213-7_4
Publisher Name: Palgrave, London
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