Chapter 5: Language Webquest

Part A) Odd one out.Use your book and look forwhich language does not belong…”which one of these is not like the other. Circle or highlight the “odd one out.” Then EXPLAIN WHY it doesn’t belong.

Languages
  1. Arabic, Berber, Hebrew, Tamil
  2. Romance, Burmese, Indo-Iranian, Germanic
  3. English, German, Dutch, Swedish
  4. Spanish, Polish, Czech, Slovak
  5. Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali, Persian/Farsi
/ Reason why it’s “odd one out.”

Part B) A global language? (Don’t spend more than ten minutes on this!)

  1. Explain how“Esperanto” is a global language.
  2. Then write an opinion for or against the creation and use of a “global language”. You should have at least three arguments that you can support.

Part C) Endangered Languages, Enduring Voices

1.First, look at the interactive map. You will be looking at one hotspot from each of the four threat levels… your choice. Create the chart below on your own paper and fill it in as you go.Click on the hotspot to learn more about the languages endangered.

Threat Level / Area of world / Language(s) endangered / Reason(s)
Severe
High
Medium
Low

2.Read “Losing the World’s Languages”. Every 14 days a language dies. Why is this an urgent concern?

3.Read “Why is it important?”. Explain the quote “With the extinction of a language, an entire culture is lost.”

4.Read “Why do languages die out?”

a.In YOUR OWN WORDS (do not copy/paste!) explain why a country like Bolivia may have more language diversity than Europe as a whole.

b.Explain how children and parents contribute to language loss.

Part D: NPR Case Study Listening Log

Click on the two links below to hear two stories from NPR about language. Each is about 4 minutes long. As you listen, keep a log of important and interesting information that you hear.

  1. Saving the Aztec Language:
  2. Putting “Spanglish” in the dictionary

Part E: The Different Ways Americans Speak

1. How does the radio announcer speak? How is it different than his community?

What could be the reason for this?

2. Why does the man from Ohio think they don’t have accents?

3. What does “bend your ear” mean?

4. What does “upper crust” mean?

5. What is the Brahmin dialect of Boston?

6. Why do regional accents persist in isolated communities?

7. What are colloquialisms? Give 3 examples.

8. What is jargon?