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Basic-level salience is a fundamental concept in Cognitive Psychology and related disciplines. It captures the phenomenon that the basic level of categorization is psychologically more salient than other levels (Rosch et al. 1976). However, findings showing that basic-level words possess a superior status in human communication and vocabulary learning (Rosch et al. 1976; Koevecses 2006) so far pertained only to individuals' L1. In this paper, we argue that Rosch et al's insights are highly relevant in L2 contexts as well. To test the hypothesis that basic-level salience can be evidenced in L2 vocabulary learning, an experiment was conducted among 69 Chinese adult learners of English. On a series of slides, participants were simultaneously presented with different pictures and three English words at the superordinate, basic, and subordinate level. This presentation was followed by a picture naming task, in which participants were expected to write down the first English names that came to their mind. The main results of this experiment are as follows: 1) L2 basic-level words are the most readily given responses in the picture naming task, suggesting the existence of the basic-level salience in L2 vocabulary learning; 2) the presence of the basic-level salience is a matter of degree, influenced by factors such as concept familiarity and, what we call, the "first- encountered-first-retrieved" effect. The mapping of the L1-based categorical organization onto the L2 vocabulary learning process has theoretical and practical (i.e., pedagogical) implications, which are addressed at the end of this chapter.
Cultural Linguistics
(2024)
Without a doubt, not only through numerous landmark publications (e.g., Sharifian 2003, 2011, 2015, 2017a, b), Farzad Sharifian has shaped the field of Cultural Linguistics like no one has. The success of Cultural Linguistics has been due, to a considerable extent, to the integration of previous theoretical concepts, methods, and terminologies into a unified theoretical approach. However, this process of integration, to our minds, has not been completed. In fact, the first author of this chapter, in a couple of his publications (Wolf et al. 2021; Kühmstedt and Wolf 2022) was about to enter into a terminological debate with Farzad Sharifian, when he left us too early. In this chapter, we would like to take up and systematize this debate. Primarily, as regards theory, we will focus on the relation of Cultural Linguistics to Cognitive Sociolinguistics, and as regards terminology, on the central concept of “cultural conceptualization.” By doing so, it is our hope to solidify the paradigm of Cultural Linguistics even more and to provide a further terminological refinement for “cultural conceptualization.”
The recent decades have witnessed the incorporation of new linguistic trends into lexicography. One of these trends is a usage-based approach, with the first major application of computer-corpus data in the Collins COBUILD English dictionary (1995) and successive adaptation in other L1-dictionaries. Another, concurrent innovation-inspired by Conceptual Metaphor Theory-is the provision of conceptual information in monolingual dictionaries of English. So far, however, only the Macmillan English dictionary for advanced learners (1st and 2nd edition) has paid tribute to the fact that understanding culturespecific metaphors and being aware of metaphoric usage are crucial for learning a foreign language. Given that most of the English as lingua franca interactions take place between L2-speakers of English (see Kachru, 1994), providing conceptual information is not only a desideratum for L1- and learner dictionaries, but especially for (L2-) variety dictionaries of English. In our paper, we follow earlier tentative proposals by Polzenhagen (2007) and Wolf (2012) and present examples from A dictionary of Hong Kong English (Cummings & Wolf, 2011), showing how culturally salient conceptual information can be made explicit and conceptual links between lexical items retrievable. The examples demonstrate that fixed expressions and idioms -a perennial problem for lexicographers are explicable by means of the proposed lexicographic design, too. Our approach is cognitive-sociolinguistic in that the Conceptual Metaphor approach is coupled with the study of regional varieties of English, more specifically Hong Kong English. Our analysis is empirically backed up by corpus-linguistic insights into this L2 variety.
The recent decades have witnessed the incorporation of new linguistic trends into lexicography. One of these trends is a usage-based approach, with the first major application of computer-corpus data in the Collins COBUILD English Dictionary (1995) and successive adaptation in other L1-dictionaries. Another, concurrent innovation -inspired by Conceptual Metaphor theory - is the provision of conceptual information in monolingual dictionaries of English. So far, however, only the MacMillan English Dictionary For Advanced Learners (MED 1st and 2nd edition) has paid tribute to the facts that understanding culture-specific metaphors and being aware of metaphoric usage are crucial for learning a foreign language. Given that most of the English as lingua franca interactions take place between L2-speakers of English (see Kachru 1994), providing conceptual information is not only a desideratum for L1- and learner dictionaries, but especially for (L2-) variety dictionaries of English. In our paper, we follow earlier tentative proposals by Polzenhagen (2007) and Wolf (2010fc.) and present examples primarily from the Dictionary of Hong English project (Cummings and Wolf, in progress) but also from West African English, showing how culturally salient conceptual information can be made explicit and conceptual links between lexical items retrievable. The examples demonstrate that even fixed expressions and idioms - a perennial problem for lexicographers - are explicable by means of the proposed lexicographic design. Our approach is cognitive-sociolinguistic in that the Conceptual Metaphor approach is coupled with and backed up by corpus-linguistic insights.
Investigating culture from a linguistic perspective : an exemplification with Hong Kong English
(2010)
This chapter presents an overview of Cognitive Sociolinguistic studies of African English. We discuss early applications of Conceptual Metaphor Theory to the study of English in Cameroon (Wolf 1999, 2001; Wolf and Simo Bobda 2001) as well as the extensive and methodologically diverse body of Cognitive Sociolinguistic research on the cultural model of COMMUNITY expressed in West and East African English (e.g., Wolf 2006, 2008; Wolf and Polzenhagen 2007; Polzenhagen and Wolf 2007; Polzenhagen 2007). Moreover, the chapter illustrates how studies such as Finzel and Wolf (2017), Peters (2021), Finzel (forthcoming) and Peters and Polzenhagen (2021) extend the Cognitive Sociolinguistic approach to further sociocultural issues, such as gender identities and culture-specific strategies of advertising in different anglophone parts of Africa. Finally, we point out possible future applications of the paradigm to socio-pragmatic aspects of African English.
This article explores the evolution of Cultural Linguistics, its fusion with Cognitive Linguistics and Cognitive Sociolinguistics, and its application to the study of world Englishes, emphasising the cultural dimension of language and cognition. It investigates key theoretical concepts in Cultural Linguistics such as cultural categories, schemas, conceptualisations, keywords, models and scenarios as essential analytical tools for examining the interplay between thought, language and culture. Using examples from English varieties in sub-Saharan Africa, Great Britain, Ireland, India and Hong Kong, this article demonstrates how these conceptual phenomena interact at increasing levels of conceptual complexity. The discussion also distinguishes conceptual metaphor (and metonymy) from the somewhat problematic concept of ‘cultural metaphor’, previously used in some cultural-linguistic approaches to world Englishes. Finally, the article delves into Conceptual Blending Theory as a possible extension of Cultural Linguistics that synthesises diverse cultural knowledge to interpret culture-specific expressions in contemporary multilingual settings.
As the foundation of homes, the marriage institution is an important agent of sociali- zation. In this regard, marriage can be relied upon as a major factor in language and cultural maintenance. However, mixed marriages may contribute to language shift in the home because they can lead to a change in language use patterns among minority language speakers and their children. This means that the likelihood of preserving a minority language is greater in marriages among individuals who speak the same indigenous language than in situations in which spouses speak different languages. This study uses questionnaire data from parents of ethnically mixed marriages to explain how mixed marriages contribute to language shift from minority languages to English (Nigeria's official language), Nigerian Pidgin (informal lingua franca) and the major languages (i.e. Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba) in the home domains. The study shows that the future of minority languages will largely depend on the roles of families and the value attached to minority ethnic identity by young people, particularly those from mixed homes. Keywords: language shift; maintenance; family; minority languages; intermarriage; nigeria