Deb Roy said that adults unconsciously converge towards the child's language.
People often talk to babies as if they can understand them
Face to face communication is vital for children, using sight almost as much as sound when communicating
18 months - about 50 words, mostly context dependent ( thank you, nouns, politeness strategies)
People often use onomatopoeia with children
Nursery rhymes give children their first experience of talking for an extended amount of time - teaches them complex syntax
Possessive language by 3
Aware of external influences by 5 and often going on tangents (side sequences)
Wednesday, 24 September 2014
Lou and Ruby - Transcript (Annotated)
Lou: shall we take your jacket off
-Shall-politeness strategy, modal auxiliary verb
-Demonstrating influential power. Asking the child even though they're going to do it either way
Ruby: it's not a jacket it's a coat
Lou: oh (.) sorry (.) shall we take your COAT off then
-Repeating 'coat' reinforces ruby's expanding language, encouraging the use of new words
Ruby: mmm
Lou: are you going to be a bossy boots all morning
-Bossy boots- Alliteration, pre-modified noun, mostly gender exclusive as girls aren't supposed to be bossy. converging to the childs language
Ruby: [nods & laughs] (3.0) what's up wiv Felma
-what's- contraction
-wiv- phonological problems with 'th'
Lou: Thelma [questioning intonation] (1.0) oh (.) she's been a silly girl (1.0) she's been
-fighting
-thelma- corrects ruby's pronunciation
-silly girl- pre-modified noun, girls aren't supposed to fight
Ruby: what did it (.) what what was it (.) em Simba bitted by a dog
-repeats the start of her sentence before getting it right and saying it
-bitted- applied a regular simple past to an irregular verb, Chomsky, Jean Berko Gleason
Lou: Simba got bitten by a do::g [questioning intonation] oh no is he all right
bitten- showing ruby the correct way to say it
Ruby: yeh
Lou: yes
-yes- all the time subtly correcting ruby's language
Ruby: he's better now
Lou: is he better now (.) the vet looked after him [questioning intonation] (2.0)
-Interrogative syntax to direct the conversation
-doesn't use imperatives
Ruby: no we took him to the bets two times but he's better
-bets- struggling with 'v' Assimilation, changing the consonant at the start of the word to make it -easier to say
Lou: he's better [questioning intonation] oh that's good (.) Thelma's getting better
Ruby: Sim (.) Simba
-slept on my (2.0) Fergal and Simba slept on my bed
-Ruby interupts lou, flouting grice's maxim, still getting the hang of adjacency pairs
Lou: oh (.) last night [questioning intonation]
Ruby: yeh
Lou: is there room on your bed for two pussy cats and you
Ruby: yes
Lou: is there (.) do they not get (.) do you not get pushed out of bed every night by two big
pussy cats
Ruby: no
Lou: they're almost as big as you your cats (1.0) shall we have some jam on toast
Ruby: yes
Lou: would you like some apple juice as well
Ruby: yes
-Repeatedly using simple one word sentences, letting the adult lead the conversation
Lou: what would you like first
Ruby: apple juice
Lou: apple juice (.) a little glass [questioning intonation]
Ruby: yes
Lou: yes (1.0)
Ruby: big girls have glass don't they
Lou: yes (.) big girls have glasses (.) it's all I've got (.) glasses (2.0)
Ruby: grandma has glass and cups
Lou: grandma has glass and cups does she (.) and what do you have at grandma's (1.0)
Ruby: apple juice and orange
Lou: apple juice and orange (.) there we go (.) where are you going to sit to have this (.)
do you want to sit at the table
apple juice and orange- Lou is constantly repeating what ruby says
Ruby: I'll sit (.) I want to sit in the room
Ruby can construct past, present and future tense sentences, showing her age and the stage of language acquisition she is in
Lou: oo:: no (.) not with your apple juice
Ruby: only wiz my toast (2.0)
my toast- possessive language
Lou: sit here and I'll move my things out of the way
Ruby: only in (.) only wiz my toast
Lou: okay (.) there you go (1.0) can you manage
Ruby: Mummy got (3.0) Mummy's moved a bed
'a' bed- indefinite article
Lou: Mummy's moved her bed or your bed [questioning intonation] (2.0)
Ruby: her bed (.)
Lou: right (.) where's she moved it to
Ruby: (3.0) that (.) bit [pointing left]
Lou: that bit [laughs]
Ruby: then the baby's mattress is (.) on that bit [pointing right]
Lou: a::h I see:: (1.0) so Mummy's moved her bed so she can fit the bed in for the baby (.)
you excited about the baby [questioning intonation]
She repeats what ruby has said, to maybe show her how to put it more coherently
Ruby: (2.0) it's coming after Christmas
Lou: after Christmas (.) is Father Christmas going to bring it
Ruby: no (.) Mummy's made it
Lou: [laughs] Mummy's made it has she (.) she's clever your Mummy isn't she
Ruby: we don't know how she made it cos the books shows us (.) how's it (.) she made it
Lou: oh right (.) has she read the book with you (1.0) or are you getting a book
Ruby: (2.0) we haven't got a book about the baby we getting a book
Lou: are you looking forward to the baby (.) do you want a baby brother or a baby sister
Ruby: (3.0) I want a girl
Lou: a girl (2.0)
Ruby: I want to call it Dora
Lou: [laughs] Dora (.) after Dora the Explorer
Ruby: and when she gets bigger (.) she (.) she can explorer [laughs]
Lou: [laughs] when she gets bigger she can be an explorer
Ruby: no (.) Mum said when we at Sun (.) Sunday dinner (.) she'll be adorable [laughs]
-Shall-politeness strategy, modal auxiliary verb
-Demonstrating influential power. Asking the child even though they're going to do it either way
Ruby: it's not a jacket it's a coat
Lou: oh (.) sorry (.) shall we take your COAT off then
-Repeating 'coat' reinforces ruby's expanding language, encouraging the use of new words
Ruby: mmm
Lou: are you going to be a bossy boots all morning
-Bossy boots- Alliteration, pre-modified noun, mostly gender exclusive as girls aren't supposed to be bossy. converging to the childs language
Ruby: [nods & laughs] (3.0) what's up wiv Felma
-what's- contraction
-wiv- phonological problems with 'th'
Lou: Thelma [questioning intonation] (1.0) oh (.) she's been a silly girl (1.0) she's been
-fighting
-thelma- corrects ruby's pronunciation
-silly girl- pre-modified noun, girls aren't supposed to fight
Ruby: what did it (.) what what was it (.) em Simba bitted by a dog
-repeats the start of her sentence before getting it right and saying it
-bitted- applied a regular simple past to an irregular verb, Chomsky, Jean Berko Gleason
Lou: Simba got bitten by a do::g [questioning intonation] oh no is he all right
bitten- showing ruby the correct way to say it
Ruby: yeh
Lou: yes
-yes- all the time subtly correcting ruby's language
Ruby: he's better now
Lou: is he better now (.) the vet looked after him [questioning intonation] (2.0)
-Interrogative syntax to direct the conversation
-doesn't use imperatives
Ruby: no we took him to the bets two times but he's better
-bets- struggling with 'v' Assimilation, changing the consonant at the start of the word to make it -easier to say
Lou: he's better [questioning intonation] oh that's good (.) Thelma's getting better
Ruby: Sim (.) Simba
-slept on my (2.0) Fergal and Simba slept on my bed
-Ruby interupts lou, flouting grice's maxim, still getting the hang of adjacency pairs
Lou: oh (.) last night [questioning intonation]
Ruby: yeh
Lou: is there room on your bed for two pussy cats and you
Ruby: yes
Lou: is there (.) do they not get (.) do you not get pushed out of bed every night by two big
pussy cats
Ruby: no
Lou: they're almost as big as you your cats (1.0) shall we have some jam on toast
Ruby: yes
Lou: would you like some apple juice as well
Ruby: yes
-Repeatedly using simple one word sentences, letting the adult lead the conversation
Lou: what would you like first
Ruby: apple juice
Lou: apple juice (.) a little glass [questioning intonation]
Ruby: yes
Lou: yes (1.0)
Ruby: big girls have glass don't they
Lou: yes (.) big girls have glasses (.) it's all I've got (.) glasses (2.0)
Ruby: grandma has glass and cups
Lou: grandma has glass and cups does she (.) and what do you have at grandma's (1.0)
Ruby: apple juice and orange
Lou: apple juice and orange (.) there we go (.) where are you going to sit to have this (.)
do you want to sit at the table
apple juice and orange- Lou is constantly repeating what ruby says
Ruby: I'll sit (.) I want to sit in the room
Ruby can construct past, present and future tense sentences, showing her age and the stage of language acquisition she is in
Lou: oo:: no (.) not with your apple juice
Ruby: only wiz my toast (2.0)
my toast- possessive language
Lou: sit here and I'll move my things out of the way
Ruby: only in (.) only wiz my toast
Lou: okay (.) there you go (1.0) can you manage
Ruby: Mummy got (3.0) Mummy's moved a bed
'a' bed- indefinite article
Lou: Mummy's moved her bed or your bed [questioning intonation] (2.0)
Ruby: her bed (.)
Lou: right (.) where's she moved it to
Ruby: (3.0) that (.) bit [pointing left]
Lou: that bit [laughs]
Ruby: then the baby's mattress is (.) on that bit [pointing right]
Lou: a::h I see:: (1.0) so Mummy's moved her bed so she can fit the bed in for the baby (.)
you excited about the baby [questioning intonation]
She repeats what ruby has said, to maybe show her how to put it more coherently
Ruby: (2.0) it's coming after Christmas
Lou: after Christmas (.) is Father Christmas going to bring it
Ruby: no (.) Mummy's made it
Lou: [laughs] Mummy's made it has she (.) she's clever your Mummy isn't she
Ruby: we don't know how she made it cos the books shows us (.) how's it (.) she made it
Lou: oh right (.) has she read the book with you (1.0) or are you getting a book
Ruby: (2.0) we haven't got a book about the baby we getting a book
Lou: are you looking forward to the baby (.) do you want a baby brother or a baby sister
Ruby: (3.0) I want a girl
Lou: a girl (2.0)
Ruby: I want to call it Dora
Lou: [laughs] Dora (.) after Dora the Explorer
Ruby: and when she gets bigger (.) she (.) she can explorer [laughs]
Lou: [laughs] when she gets bigger she can be an explorer
Ruby: no (.) Mum said when we at Sun (.) Sunday dinner (.) she'll be adorable [laughs]
Grice's Maxims
- The maxim of quantity, where one tries to be as informative as one possibly can, and gives as much information as is needed, and no more.
- The maxim of quality, where one tries to be truthful, and does not give information that is false or that is not supported by evidence.
- The maxim of relation, where one tries to be relevant, and says things that are pertinent to the discussion.
- The maxim of manner, when one tries to be as clear, as brief, and as orderly as one can in what one says, and where one avoids obscurity and ambiguity.
As the maxims stand, there may be an overlap, as regards the length of what one says, between the maxims of quantity and manner; this overlap can be explained (partially if not entirely) by thinking of the maxim of quantity (artificial though this approach may be) in terms of units of information. In other words, if the listener needs, let us say, five units of information from the speaker, but gets less, or more than the expected number, then the speaker is breaking the maxim of quantity. However, if the speaker gives the five required units of information, but is either too curt or long-winded in conveying them to the listener, then the maxim of manner is broken. The dividing line however, may be rather thin or unclear, and there are times when we may say that both the maxims of quantity and quality are broken by the same factors.
Lou and Ruby - Transcript
Text A is a transcript of Ruby (3 years 4 months) with her Auntie Lou. Ruby has just
arrived at her aunt’s house and they are in the kitchen. Thelma, Fergal and Simba
are cats.
Referring in detail to the transcript and to relevant ideas from language study, analyse
Key: (.) indicates a normal pause.
Numbers within brackets indicate length of pause in seconds.
Words between vertical lines are spoken simultaneously.
:: indicates elongated sounds.
Words in capitals indicate an increase in volume.
Other contextual information is in italics in square brackets.
Text A
Lou: shall we take your jacket off
Ruby: it's not a jacket it's a coat
Lou: oh (.) sorry (.) shall we take your COAT off then
Ruby: mmm
Lou: are you going to be a bossy boots all morning
Ruby: [nods & laughs] (3.0) what's up wiv Felma
Lou: Thelma [questioning intonation] (1.0) oh (.) she's been a silly girl (1.0) she's been
fighting
Ruby: what did it (.) what what was it (.) em Simba bitted by a dog
Lou: Simba got bitten by a do::g [questioning intonation] oh no is he all right
Ruby: yeh
Lou: yes
Ruby: he's better now
Lou: is he better now (.) the vet looked after him [questioning intonation] (2.0)
Ruby: no we took him to the bets two times but he's better
Lou: he's better [questioning intonation] oh that's good (.) Thelma's getting better
Ruby: Sim (.) Simba
slept on my (2.0) Fergal and Simba slept on my bed
Lou: oh (.) last night [questioning intonation]
Ruby: yeh
Lou: is there room on your bed for two pussy cats and you
Ruby: yes
Lou: is there (.) do they not get (.) do you not get pushed out of bed every night by two big
pussy cats
Ruby: no
Lou: they're almost as big as you your cats (1.0) shall we have some jam on toast
Ruby: yes
Lou: would you like some apple juice as well
Ruby: yes
Lou: what would you like first
Ruby: apple juice
Lou: apple juice (.) a little glass [questioning intonation]
Ruby: yes
Lou: yes (1.0)
Ruby: big girls have glass don't they
Lou: yes (.) big girls have glasses (.) it's all I've got (.) glasses (2.0)
Ruby: grandma has glass and cups
Lou: grandma has glass and cups does she (.) and what do you have at grandma's (1.0)
Ruby: apple juice and orange
Lou: apple juice and orange (.) there we go (.) where are you going to sit to have this (.)
do you want to sit at the table
Ruby: I'll sit (.) I want to sit in the room
Lou: oo:: no (.) not with your apple juice
Ruby: only wiz my toast (2.0)
Lou: sit here and I'll move my things out of the way
Ruby: only in (.) only wiz my toast
Lou: okay (.) there you go (1.0) can you manage
Ruby: Mummy got (3.0) Mummy's moved a bed
Lou: Mummy's moved her bed or your bed [questioning intonation] (2.0)
Ruby: her bed (.)
Lou: right (.) where's she moved it to
Ruby: (3.0) that (.) bit [pointing left]
Lou: that bit [laughs]
Ruby: then the baby's mattress is (.) on that bit [pointing right]
Lou: a::h I see:: (1.0) so Mummy's moved her bed so she can fit the bed in for the baby (.)
you excited about the baby [questioning intonation]
Ruby: (2.0) it's coming after Christmas
Lou: after Christmas (.) is Father Christmas going to bring it
Ruby: no (.) Mummy's made it
Lou: [laughs] Mummy's made it has she (.) she's clever your Mummy isn't she
Ruby: we don't know how she made it cos the books shows us (.) how's it (.) she made it
Lou: oh right (.) has she read the book with you (1.0) or are you getting a book
Ruby: (2.0) we haven't got a book about the baby we getting a book
Lou: are you looking forward to the baby (.) do you want a baby brother or a baby sister
Ruby: (3.0) I want a girl
Lou: a girl (2.0)
Ruby: I want to call it Dora
Lou: [laughs] Dora (.) after Dora the Explorer
Ruby: and when she gets bigger (.) she (.) she can explorer [laughs]
Lou: [laughs] when she gets bigger she can be an explorer
Ruby: no (.) Mum said when we at Sun (.) Sunday dinner (.) she'll be adorable [laughs]
arrived at her aunt’s house and they are in the kitchen. Thelma, Fergal and Simba
are cats.
Referring in detail to the transcript and to relevant ideas from language study, analyse
the language used by children and their caregivers.
(48 marks)
Key: (.) indicates a normal pause.
Numbers within brackets indicate length of pause in seconds.
Words between vertical lines are spoken simultaneously.
:: indicates elongated sounds.
Words in capitals indicate an increase in volume.
Other contextual information is in italics in square brackets.
Text A
Lou: shall we take your jacket off
Ruby: it's not a jacket it's a coat
Lou: oh (.) sorry (.) shall we take your COAT off then
Ruby: mmm
Lou: are you going to be a bossy boots all morning
Ruby: [nods & laughs] (3.0) what's up wiv Felma
Lou: Thelma [questioning intonation] (1.0) oh (.) she's been a silly girl (1.0) she's been
fighting
Ruby: what did it (.) what what was it (.) em Simba bitted by a dog
Lou: Simba got bitten by a do::g [questioning intonation] oh no is he all right
Ruby: yeh
Lou: yes
Ruby: he's better now
Lou: is he better now (.) the vet looked after him [questioning intonation] (2.0)
Ruby: no we took him to the bets two times but he's better
Lou: he's better [questioning intonation] oh that's good (.) Thelma's getting better
Ruby: Sim (.) Simba
slept on my (2.0) Fergal and Simba slept on my bed
Lou: oh (.) last night [questioning intonation]
Ruby: yeh
Lou: is there room on your bed for two pussy cats and you
Ruby: yes
Lou: is there (.) do they not get (.) do you not get pushed out of bed every night by two big
pussy cats
Ruby: no
Lou: they're almost as big as you your cats (1.0) shall we have some jam on toast
Ruby: yes
Lou: would you like some apple juice as well
Ruby: yes
Lou: what would you like first
Ruby: apple juice
Lou: apple juice (.) a little glass [questioning intonation]
Ruby: yes
Lou: yes (1.0)
Ruby: big girls have glass don't they
Lou: yes (.) big girls have glasses (.) it's all I've got (.) glasses (2.0)
Ruby: grandma has glass and cups
Lou: grandma has glass and cups does she (.) and what do you have at grandma's (1.0)
Ruby: apple juice and orange
Lou: apple juice and orange (.) there we go (.) where are you going to sit to have this (.)
do you want to sit at the table
Ruby: I'll sit (.) I want to sit in the room
Lou: oo:: no (.) not with your apple juice
Ruby: only wiz my toast (2.0)
Lou: sit here and I'll move my things out of the way
Ruby: only in (.) only wiz my toast
Lou: okay (.) there you go (1.0) can you manage
Ruby: Mummy got (3.0) Mummy's moved a bed
Lou: Mummy's moved her bed or your bed [questioning intonation] (2.0)
Ruby: her bed (.)
Lou: right (.) where's she moved it to
Ruby: (3.0) that (.) bit [pointing left]
Lou: that bit [laughs]
Ruby: then the baby's mattress is (.) on that bit [pointing right]
Lou: a::h I see:: (1.0) so Mummy's moved her bed so she can fit the bed in for the baby (.)
you excited about the baby [questioning intonation]
Ruby: (2.0) it's coming after Christmas
Lou: after Christmas (.) is Father Christmas going to bring it
Ruby: no (.) Mummy's made it
Lou: [laughs] Mummy's made it has she (.) she's clever your Mummy isn't she
Ruby: we don't know how she made it cos the books shows us (.) how's it (.) she made it
Lou: oh right (.) has she read the book with you (1.0) or are you getting a book
Ruby: (2.0) we haven't got a book about the baby we getting a book
Lou: are you looking forward to the baby (.) do you want a baby brother or a baby sister
Ruby: (3.0) I want a girl
Lou: a girl (2.0)
Ruby: I want to call it Dora
Lou: [laughs] Dora (.) after Dora the Explorer
Ruby: and when she gets bigger (.) she (.) she can explorer [laughs]
Lou: [laughs] when she gets bigger she can be an explorer
Ruby: no (.) Mum said when we at Sun (.) Sunday dinner (.) she'll be adorable [laughs]
Wednesday, 10 September 2014
Melodic Utterance
at 9-18 months, comes the MELODIC UTTERANCE STAGE, when children pick up the melody,
rhythm and intonation of their mother tongue. At this point a child will sound as if
she is talking despite the lack of actual words.
For example, one child used the rhythm
and melody of ‘tum
ti tum tumtum’ to
ask for a game of ‘Round and round the garden’, whilst others can be heard to
copy the rise and fall intonation of all-gone. (Crystal, 1986)
Pragmatics
PRAGMATICS:
non-verbal language also develops a great deal in this month.
At around 9 months children use gesture and body language a great deal.
This shows that the child is acquiring a good understanding of the language she cannot yet express verbally
At around 9 months children use gesture and body language a great deal.
This shows that the child is acquiring a good understanding of the language she cannot yet express verbally
Babbling
BABBLING
STAGE,
when the sounds become less varied but more frequent and stable
www.youtube.com/watch?v=13hRsyEbX4Q
www.youtube.com/watch?v=13hRsyEbX4Q
Turn Taking
An early example of a child learning 'turn taking' as part of communication
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKD6jzUxkek
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKD6jzUxkek
Horizon Documentary - How We Learn To Speak
Language is what defines us as human
Children learn language with minimal effort as oppose to how difficult adults find it
One theory is that children learn language through a natural process rather than being taught
Nature or Nurture debate: To what extent are we born with the ability to speak?
How we learn to speak is still unknown
The Speech Home project by Deb Roy was a very important recent study of how children learn language : an effort to closely observe and model the language acquisition of a child over the first three years of life.
Positive reinforcement encourages language
Parents simplify their speech for children - elongating pauses and simplifying lexis
They converge towards the childs language - Parentese
Babies don't listen to words, but sounds - Phonological awareness outstrips semantic awareness
By the time a child is 5 they will know 5,000 words and learn roughly 30 thousand more a year
Without knowing the noun of an object, a child will use determiners instead 'that one'. sometimes with a point
New born babies respond to their mother's voice in a way that they do not respond to others
Noam Chomsky is known as the Godfather of linguistics
The forbidden experiment - raising a baby with no communication
There is a gene that controls our ability to shape words: FOXP2 That suggests we are born with the ability to speak
Chomsky's LAD (language acquisition device) is supported by FOXP2
We are born with the ability to speak but it must be stimulated to develop properly
Children learn language with minimal effort as oppose to how difficult adults find it
One theory is that children learn language through a natural process rather than being taught
Nature or Nurture debate: To what extent are we born with the ability to speak?
How we learn to speak is still unknown
The Speech Home project by Deb Roy was a very important recent study of how children learn language : an effort to closely observe and model the language acquisition of a child over the first three years of life.
Positive reinforcement encourages language
Parents simplify their speech for children - elongating pauses and simplifying lexis
They converge towards the childs language - Parentese
Babies don't listen to words, but sounds - Phonological awareness outstrips semantic awareness
By the time a child is 5 they will know 5,000 words and learn roughly 30 thousand more a year
Without knowing the noun of an object, a child will use determiners instead 'that one'. sometimes with a point
New born babies respond to their mother's voice in a way that they do not respond to others
Noam Chomsky is known as the Godfather of linguistics
The forbidden experiment - raising a baby with no communication
There is a gene that controls our ability to shape words: FOXP2 That suggests we are born with the ability to speak
Chomsky's LAD (language acquisition device) is supported by FOXP2
We are born with the ability to speak but it must be stimulated to develop properly
Wednesday, 3 September 2014
http://www.education.umd.edu/HDQM/labs/Rowe/LDPL/Publications_files/Rowe_JCL_2008.pdf
Child-directed speech: relation to socioeconomic
status, knowledge of child development
and child vocabulary skill*
MEREDITH L. ROWE
Child-directed speech: relation to socioeconomic
status, knowledge of child development
and child vocabulary skill*
MEREDITH L. ROWE
http://sallygoddardblythe.co.uk/2009/12/
Sally Goddard Blythe on how movement and music affect language acquisition
Sally Goddard Blythe on how movement and music affect language acquisition
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/nicolesling/innateness_hypothesis
Talks about innateness hypothesis and general development of language
http://users.ecs.soton.ac.uk/harnad/Papers/Py104/pinker.langacq.html
Detailed article about language acquisition and development
The acquisition of language by children
http://www.pnas.org/content/98/23/12874.full
how infants break into the system, finding the words within the acoustic stream that serves as input to language learning
how children acquire the ability to rapidly combine linguistic elements to determine the relationships between these elements
how children impose grammatical structure onto their perceived input, even to the extent of creating a new language when none is available
how infants break into the system, finding the words within the acoustic stream that serves as input to language learning
how children acquire the ability to rapidly combine linguistic elements to determine the relationships between these elements
how children impose grammatical structure onto their perceived input, even to the extent of creating a new language when none is available
Language and Power
There is an extended metaphor throughout the text that Armstrong and Aldrin sacrificed themselves for the good of mankind. This is stated several times throughout the speech; ‘These two men are laying down their lives in mankind's most noble goal’ ‘in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man.’ This is another example of how the less powerful participant (the audience) is being made to think a certain way. The speaker wants them to view the poor lost souls as heroes making the choice to give their lives for the furthering of our knowledge of space and everything in general. This takes the focus away from the fact that it was actually the inadequacies of the space program to bring them back, discouraging anyone from bringing this up or protesting any future expeditions.
The text is a speech written for
preparation in case the moon landing in 1969 failed and the astronauts could
not return to earth to be delivered by the current President Nixon to the
American population. The speech was written by William Safire for Nixon with
the intention of him having the upper hand in the power imbalance between him
and the audience.
The speech uses imperatives to
give the speaker power. This is seen when it says that there is ‘no hope of
[the astronaut’s] return’. By saying this with absolute certainty, the speaker
is giving the impression that everything in his power has been done to bring
them back, neutralising any potential claims that there is anything that can be
done to save them. This makes the audience feel powerless in the situation,
trusting that the more powerful participant - the speaker - is right in what he
says.
The text uses repetition when
saying that the man went to ‘explore in peace’ and now will ‘rest in peace’. By
repeating the word ‘peace’ the speaker is trying to manipulate the feelings of
the audience, trying to minimise the chance of anyone reacting in anger through
calming language. The repetition furthers this effect and brings a connection
between their mission and their demise, implying that they knew the risks from
the start and carried on anyway.
There is an extended metaphor throughout the text that Armstrong and Aldrin sacrificed themselves for the good of mankind. This is stated several times throughout the speech; ‘These two men are laying down their lives in mankind's most noble goal’ ‘in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man.’ This is another example of how the less powerful participant (the audience) is being made to think a certain way. The speaker wants them to view the poor lost souls as heroes making the choice to give their lives for the furthering of our knowledge of space and everything in general. This takes the focus away from the fact that it was actually the inadequacies of the space program to bring them back, discouraging anyone from bringing this up or protesting any future expeditions.
This whole speech seems to have the
intention of shifting blame away from NASA and onto the universe and fate, for
being so cruel to these heroes. This is taking to almost ridiculous lengths
when it says that ‘Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the
unknown.’ This may seem like taking it a little bit too far, but in context
with the entire world watching this event, it would have been important to
emphasise the tragedy of what happened and not point out any faults with
America’s space program.
The text draws a comparison between the
doomed astronauts and ancient peoples Gods, saying that they are now where they
saw their heroes ‘in the constellations’, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin are
now as ‘epic men of flesh and blood’. This implies that they have transcended
the world of man to live among gods, forever remembered in their sacrifice,
rather than men left to die in the cold emptiness of space.
AQA English Language link
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/as-and-a-level/english-language-b-2705
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/as-and-a-level/english-language-b-2705
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