每日口說挑戰是什麼讓語言變成語言...而不是方言？What makes a language... a language?

[TRANSCRIPT]

What’s up, VoiceTubers? Leila here. Do you, or anyone you know, speak Cantonese or Shanghainese? How come speakers of these dialects can’t easily understand each other when they’re all supposed to be dialects of Chinese? Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish are three different languages. So, how come people from those countries can communicate with each other in their native tongues with little difficulty? If you’re confused, you’re not alone, but as today’s video explains, it all comes down to one little thing–no spoilers here. You’ll have to check out today’s video for the answer, if you haven’t already.

In the meantime, let’s move on to the Sentence of the Day:

Perhaps surprisingly, the distinction between a language and a dialect usually has nothing to do with pronunciation, vocabulary, or any other linguistic features.
驚人的是，語言和方言的區別通常和發音、單字或其他語言學特徵上並沒有什麼關係。




Pronunciation tips:
Distinction (sounds similar to /ing/ sound, so be sure to put that hard consonant c sound in there)
Linguistic (another word with /ing/ sound, but after this one, it switches to hard g sound)
Pronunciation (versus pronounce)




Vocabulary:

distinction (n.) KK: /dɪˋstɪŋkʃən/ IPA: /dɪˈstɪŋk.ʃən/
a difference between two similar things
區別，差別，不同
i.e. The characters have to navigate dreams that are inside of other dreams, so you can see how the distinction between reality and fantasy gets blurred very quickly.



perhaps (adv.) KK: /pɚˋhæps/ IPA: /pɚˈhæps/
used to show that something is possible or that you are not certain about something
或許，可能
i.e. We were planning to swim, but perhaps we should eat lunch first.




linguistic (adj.) KK: /lɪŋˋgwɪstɪk/ IPA: /lɪŋˈɡwɪs.tɪk/
connected with language or the study of language
語言的；語言學的
i.e. Alma’s particularly interested in the linguistic development of young children, so she could become a speech therapist.


Is it a different language? Is it a different dialect? It’s confusing! It reminds me of this one lesson I taught. The chapter featured a story in English about a Mexican family in America, so the characters' names were Spanish, and some of the dialogue was in Spanish. My Taiwanese students were diligently trying to figure out the meaning of every single Spanish word, even though it wasn’t necessary for our English class, or even for appreciating the story. They were just good kids who were trying to work really hard.

“Tie ness miss chocolates fayvoe ritose.”

“No, it’s ‘Tienes mis chocolates favoritos’.”

“Teacher! How do you know? You speak Spanish?”

“No, but I studied it for a few years in junior high, and I still remember how to read the words.”

“Teacher, what does favoritos mean?”

“Well, look at the word. Does it remind you of any English words you already know?”

“Uh…”

“Okay, look at the word ‘chocolates’. It might sound different, but look at it. What English word does it look like?”

“Chocolate?”

“Exactly! Now look at favoritos again. What English word does it remind you of?”

“Favorite?”

“Good thinking!”

“But, Teacher, Spanish and English are not the same language.”

“True, but they both have Latin roots, so there are tons of words that are the same or are very close in meaning.”

“Whaaaa…” Minds blown.

Teaching someone else a thing often helps us to understand it better ourselves. That’s what happened to me that day. It got me thinking about the way that languages and dialects are kind of fluid, that the lines between them aren’t as rigid as I thought when I was younger. Languages and all their varieties, as the video says, continue to evolve. Maybe if we tried to look for what two languages or dialects have in common, especially when trying to learn a new one, we’d have an easier time picking it up than when we focus on how different it is.


So, what about you? Have you noticed any similarities between your native language and English? Maybe the English language has borrowed a word or phrase from your mother tongue? Let me know in the comments. And as always, hit that record button when you’re ready with your sentence. Catch ya next time.

Perhaps surprisingly, the distinction between a language and a dialect usually has nothing to do with pronunciation, vocabulary, or any other linguistic features.

Perhaps surprisingly, the distinction between a language and a dialect usually has nothing to do with pronunciation, vocabulary, or any other linguistic features.

☺Perhaps surprisingly, the distinction between a language and a dialect usually has nothing to do with pronunciation, vocabulary, or any other linguistic features.
或許很令人驚訝的是、語言和方言的區別通常無關乎發音、單字或其他語言學上的特徵。
【心得】語言是活的、不斷在與時俱進。
■distinction [dɪˋstɪŋkʃən] (n.C or U)區別、差別[(+between)]；對比[(+between)]；榮譽；著名
(n.U)優秀、卓越；不同點、特質、特徵、特性
(n.C){英式用法}(學生作業的)優(等)
■perhaps [pɚˋhæps] (adv.)大概、或許、可能
(n.P)假定、猜想；未定之事
■linguistic [lɪŋˋgwɪstɪk] (adj.)語言的；語言學的

Perhap(s)~surprisingly, the distinction between a language and a dialect usually has nothing to do with pronunciation, vocabulary, or any other linguistic features.

#428

Perhaps surprisingly, the distinction between a language and a dialect usually has nothing to do with pronunciation, vocabulary, or any other linguistic features.

Day 1005
Perhaps surprisingly, the distinction between a language and a dialect usually has nothing to do with pronunciation, vocabulary, or any other Language linguistic features.