104. Conceptual objects, mind maps, and cultural schemata

It is my firm belief that following the thread of June’s post on cognitive schemata will be useful insofar as it helps to outline oral- and written-text production. And that is because there is something left without clear insight: the linguistic elements we can hold in mind at any one time. Again, we’re moving within the range of knowledge and ability, which I’m going to comment on below.                                                                                                                     

Google images

What has been accepted in late 20^th- and early 21^st- teaching/learning research is the inability of our brain to sustain short-term memory by pouring into human communication all the bulk of linguistic items we know related to a script - for example, buying. When it comes to performing, the ideal scenario considers “at most seven plus or minus two” conceptual objects (D'Andrade, 1987) that can be simultaneously and rapidly handled. But this may be misleading: a conceptual object is more often than not a package belonging to a cultural schema[1].

For just consider: as soon as we think, say, or write “buying”, the very semantic load of the verb activates brain paths which take for granted other, indispensable conceptual objects. There must be someone (a purchaser) who buys something from someone (else); the latter someone has the object (and is willing to sell it); buying infers transaction through money which, in turn, sends the mind to the (potential) purchaser, seller, merchandise, price, value /worth, interaction between the purchaser and the seller, communication of the offer to buy, the acceptance of sale, the transfer of ownership, plus as varied concepts as bargaining, lending, renting, leasing, gypping, salesmanship, bids, counter-offers, profit making, stores, ads, and a final agreement (see also Fillmore, 1977). 

Each and every linguistic element comes with its own package of semantic and syntactic rules. Without going any further, what happens when a Spanish speaker wants to express comprarle algo a alguien? Who is that alguien? – the person who owns the object or the one for whom you pay to get that particular thing? People buy something from someone else (i.e., the seller) for someone else (i.e., a third party; to their benefit, for them to enjoy). How easy is it to get it all wrong? For (much) more information, let me refer you back to blog post 59:

http://challengingmyths.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-bit-of-grammaring.html

Norwegian humour: This shop window sells well
by Daniel Duma

Things are by far more complex. At the other end of the spectrum, a native or a competent speaker of English will shake their head in disbelief by saying “I don’t buy that” when they are told something that, for them, is just an absurdity. Why buy? Well, buying and selling is commonplace in the English cultural schema (even more so, presumably, in AmE than in BrE), to such an extent that one can find semantic restructuring like, for instance the book sells well and this shop window sells well. That is why looking up information is indispensable when we customise the mind map that we need for production.  

D’Andrade’s (1987) article is as valuable today as it was more than thirty years ago – even more so, given that English is here to stay. What Verspoor’s (1996) schema[2] below suggests is that, all things considered, perception brings on interpretation of what we see, hear and/or sense, whereas knowledge and belief are created within the mind. What still remains problematic (or difficult to define) is the origin and the cause of feelings, emotions, and desires. Nevertheless, intentions and resolutions appear as directly caused only from within. 

How would you interpret the arrows drawn between the six concepts above? Could you come up with an example?

What seems to be undeniable is that a mental causation chain is always in place: a stimulus (mediated by cognition) triggers a mental state. A previous intention results in action. How does the expression change in each of the sentences below?

John moved the table. || John made the table move. || John wanted to move the table.

A directly perceived stimulus may be reported as follows:

The table moved. || I saw the table move. || I saw John move the table. || I believed the table to have moved.

The point I’m trying to make is this: whatever idea we want to express will emerge from our mind taking a material form, i.e., a linguistic shape made from words and phrases, all of which will be there – in our discourse – as a function of our knowledge and ability.

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[1] By now it is quite clear that the English and the Spanish cultural schemata are far from coinciding – perhaps only in what may be called “universals”.

[2] Reproduced from “The story of -ing: a subjective perspective” In The Construal of Space in Language and thought. In Pütz & Dirven (eds), pp. 417-454.

102. A Hymn to Love

Give me a word – just one word – and I’ll tell you why you’re here

You’ve been into learning English for quite some time, so there must be something in particular that fuels your curiosity. What is it?

By now you already know that words never mean what they seem to mean: just change the structure in which you “insert” a word, and the meaning will slightly – or dramatically – change.

(1) Take a few seconds to think deeply about a word, or a collocation which is meaningful to you.

(2) When you have finished, put pen on paper and write a few things about it, such as: 

(a) What you like about it (sound, meaning, spelling, usefulness);

(b) What it evokes in your mind (connotations);

(c) What relationship(s) may have with your life – is it the essence, a leitmotif, a recurrent idea?

·      World Book Day

Of all the anniversaries, this is closely linked to knowledge.

(3) Why was the 23^rd of April been chosen as the day for celebration of books? 

(4) Name the title of a book you most cherish. Could you summarize its topic in no more than two minutes? What did you learn from it?

·      Survival of the Printed book

(5) What aspects of the modern world threaten their survival? Name at least three inventions and activities that may turn the printed book into a museum sample. What, if anything, can be done to help them survive? All comments are welcome.

For the good old times: Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18

95. The Point! (I)

Google Images

Honest, how many of the lexical units based on point (noun) are you sure you know the meaning of? How many do you use in your active thematic vocabulary?

When you have consulted the examples attached in the previous post, it's time you watched the first part of a film that I hope you will enjoy: it's by courtesy of this as yet exceptionally generous World Wide Web, where information is - you'll have to admit it - at your fingertips!
The Point!

Google Images

There is no denying that language is symbolic. I take it to be the rule, for in fact we use the language to mean something, and we expect our interlocutors to see what we mean. If you have already watched the first part of this highly symbolic cartoon film, you have come to know something about Oblio, and the land he was born in. Now, being born somewhere should be a blessing for all those who actually realize that there's a lot to learn in a lifetime. To learn, that is, often the hard way. Only when you finished watching all the (eight) episodes will you grasp the underlying idea; for the time being, there's this stop-and-check of the first episode. Only then are you asked to go on watching Part Two.

Triangle Toss

'This is the town and these are the people

This is the town where the people all stay

This is the town and these are the people

That’s the way they wanted it

That’s the way it’s going to stay

"Everything’s got one

Everything needs one

Couldn’t be without one

Everyone has one

"Years ago, there was a place called The Land of Point. That was because everything in the Land of Point had one: the barns, the houses, the carts, everything – 1. _______ the people. Everyone in the Land of Point had a point on the top of his head. Everyone, 2. _______, with the exception of Oblio.

"Now, although Oblio was born 3. _______ a set of normally-pointed parents, and although he was born physically perfect in every 4. ________ respect, he was born without a point. He was round-headed. And as time passed, Oblio became increasingly 5. _______ his uniqueness. And so did everyone 6. _______, which made life in the Land of Point rather uncomfortable for him and his parents. You see, Oblio became 7. ________ an involuntary celebrity. And he was subject to the sometimes cruel and 8. _______ harassment of his schoolmates. He was 9. _______ being the only pointless person in the Land of Point and, in an effort 10. _______ make life easier, his mother knitted a pointed cap 11. _______ to wear, so as to conceal his pointless condition; but it didn’t do 12. _______ good because everyone knew he didn’t have a point, so it only managed to make Oblio a little 13. _______ . In fact the _______ real friend he had was his dog Arrow.

"Me and my Arrow

_______ than narrow

Wherever we go

Everyone knows

It’s me and my Arrow…"

ANY	AWARE OF	A SORT OF	ELSE	EVEN
FOR HIM	FROM	LONELIER	MANY	MUCH
ONLY	OTHER	STRAIGHTER	THAT IS	THAT WAS
TO	TO	UNEASY	UNUSUAL