Wednesday, September 3, 2008

9/3/08 Warm-Up

The patterns that I saw normally began with a family customs. While some were traditional, some exotic and some nontraditional, they all had a basis around what that group did together. The actions created the language. I thought that it was interesting to see how things were created and progressed for some of them. Also, I liked being able to identify with some of the words, once I knew what it meant to that person. All of the family languages, whether traditional or non traditional, focused around activities that the family would do. In order to develop a language, there must be a need for communication. I feel that all of these blogs showed the similar need for communication.

An "insider" of language comprehends the meanings and implications of the words and phrases used. While I may not have known what to "foose" meant before reading one of the blogs, I became an insider once I was able to understand the meaning and implications to such a level of accuracy that I would also be able to use and adapt it to my own language. Should that person ask me if I would like to "foose," I would be able to respond appropriately. I am now an insider of that language. Without the comprehension and fluency in the language, one is an "outsider." Another piece of useful information is the etymology of the word. It is useful to understand the origin and development of the word, to know the nuances. With all of that, a read or listener can become a successful communicator in "insider" language.

A question that this broaches is "how do I become an insider to how my students communicate?"

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