Saving Languages

1.      Name the country, language chosen & current status of that language

Northern Mariana Islands; Tanapag; 7 decreasing and near extinction

2.      Briefly research & summarize the people and culture of this language; citation as needed [give at least the source link so the quality may be evaluated]

Tanapag is a Micronesian language of the Austronesian language family. It is spoken by about 4,400 people on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. The language may be endangered, as younger people tend to speak Chamorro instead of Tanapag, but there are also efforts being made to promote the language. [Information source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanapag_language]

3.      Describe & evaluate some evidence (e.g., historical, cultural, aesthetic) that you feel supports efforts to save the language. Give one link to evidence you find.

Due to the fact that Tanapag is a dying language, attempts are being made to try to bring it back. For example, a large portion of the people who live in Tanapag in the Northern Mariana Islands are trying to teach the language to their children. A small piece of evidence to support this can be found at the Tanapag Elementary School Website: [http://www.saipan.com/edu/tes/index.html]

4.      Upload one image that reflects the language and culture; include or write a caption.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elmer_ng_pateros/favorites/page5/?view=lg

Saipan Carolinian dancers
by lorliw

This image is of a group of children who live in Tanapag. I chose this particular image because I felt that it shows how the people of Tanapag are trying to pass their culture and traditions on to the next generation. (They are passing on Dance traditions along with their language to try to keep it from going extinct)

Investigation- Knowledge in Symbols

1. What is(are) the cultural origin(s) of the symbol?
18:12 This symbol is the ideogram for the planet Saturn. It signifies that this planet represents everything that has something to do with astronomy and astrology. In Cabbalistic mysticism  also appears as a sign for the angel Cassiel.

 http://www.symbols.com/pics/big/18/1813.gif

2. Describe the knowledge portrayed by the symbol.
The knowledge that can be gained from this symbol is that the planet Saturn is the common symbol for astrology and astronomy. Therefore, we can say that this symbol is the universal representation for the study of the stars and space. Additionally, this symbol represents Cassiel, an angel in Cabbalistic mysticism.

3. Is the symbol emotive, ambiguous or vague?
I would say that this symbol is most likely ambiguous. This is because there are two different meanings for this symbol; the symbol for Saturn, and the symbol for the angel Cassiel.

4. What are the problems of knowledge you identify for the symbol?
I am unsure as to who the angel Cassiel is, or what Cabbalistic mysticism is. Therefore, due to the fact that this is one of the meanings of this symbol, I am not quite sure how to interpret this symbol.

5. Find one or more additional symbols that seem similar to you  (the symbols are 'grouped' at the symbols.com website)

This is the symbol for the planet Mars. This is very similar to the previous image because they are both representations of planets.


http://www.symbols.com/pics/big/42/4216a.gif

WOK language - global views

1. Read “Every teacher is a language teacher” from IB World

Begin a blog post, entitled 'WOK language - global views'

Comment on the quote from the article from a personal perspective as a student: "...learning additional languages enhances the learning of the 'mother tongue' as well as broadening a student's worldview."

            From my own perspective, as a student, I personally believe that learning more than one language is very helpful in life, that it enhances the learning of the original language that we learn growing up, and that is broadens my own worldview. This is mainly due to the state of our country at this particular time. Within the past few years, more and more people from different countries have been moving to our own country. This means that there have been a plethora of new languages that have infiltrated our country. Therefore, not only is learning a new language important if we decided to study abroad or if we decided to move to a different country, but it is also very helpful in our own country so that we can communicate with the people that have moved here from all over the world. Additionally, by learning a new language, we tend to grasp a better understanding of our own language as well.

2. View Are Alex and Ray different from the rest (most) of us?

Comment on the qualities you see that Alex and Ray have that support language learning. If relevant, describe someone you know like this (and that may be yourself!)

            I find it fascinating how Alex grew up with a mother who spoke English, Greek, and French to him. He grew up learning different languages, and from there his love for learning languages continued to grow. Additionally, not only did he study different languages in school, but he also taught himself and he moved to different countries so that he could surround himself with the culture of language, and so that he could learn more languages. Ray is also an extremely fascinating individual. His job allowed him to move to different countries so that he could immerse himself in the language, and he taught himself as well. I really don’t know anyone who is as talented as these two individuals, but I do have one fried that might be like them one day. Her name is Meredith, and she has been learning French in school for a while. However, she is also in the process of teaching herself Spanish, German, Arabic, Italian, and Gallic. She is an amazing individual, and I am sure that someday she will be fluent in as many languages as Alex and Ray!

3. Explore 'interesting facts about languages'

Comment on 'fact 10: the best way to learn a language' [there's also a video]

What sort of language learner do you identify yourself with? In what ways have your language class learning experiences suited your best way of learning languages (as always, give specifc examples)?

            After reading this selection, Ibelieve that I am somewhat of a mix of both an auditory and a visiual learner. This is mainly due to the fact that I remember things better when I see how they are spelled, and when I can read then and then write them myself. For example, in my Spanish class, whenever we are learning something new, we usually have a new vocabulary list, or we read from some kind of text, and then we work out the words we don’t know by using the context provided. However, I also learn very well by hearing other people say things so that I can see how they are pronounced and so that I can repeat them to myself over and over again so that they are imprinted on my mind. For example, when it comes time to study for a test I find it very helpful to read the words aloud so that I will remember them.

Illogical Thinking

Blog post assignment:

• Distinguish between the following selection of mistakes in reasoning:
• skepticism, evasive agnosticism, narrow-mindedness
• Describe an actual or hypothetical situation to illustrate how one of the attitudes listed above is a problem in reasoning. 

Skepticism: There is a time and a place for skepticism in sound reasoning. In doubtful situations, we should respond with doubt. In addition, selective skepticism is basically reserving judgement until there is a sufficient amount of evidence present to be able to judge fairly and responsibly. Furthermore, there are two different types of skeptics in the world. The first type is known as the extreme skeptic. This person does not claim anything except that there is no truth. The other type of skeptic is known as the moderate skeptic. This person is prepared to concede that the truth may exist somewhere in the world. However, they also say that if that truth really does exist, the human mind is incapable of obtaining it.

Evasive agnosticism: An agnostic is a person who maintains the idea that he lacks enough knowledge to be able to make a definite judgement about a certain issue or topic. Evasive agnosticism is usually used when it comes to religion, however, an agnostic attitude really can be taken toward any subject at all. The difference between the agnostic and the skeptic is that the agnostic does not deny the existence of truth or its attainability. An agnostic usually claims ignorance as to the truth of a certain matter. People are normally thought of being truly agnostic when they admit to an ignorance that is really theirs. Furthermore, evasive agnosticism is generally thought to be the attitude that tries to pass off vincible ignorance as if it were invincible. The person who succumbs to agnosticism uses ignorance as an excuse instead of a reason. This is usually thought of as laziness on that person's part.

Narrow-mindedness: People say that the whole purpose of logic is to discover the truth. A narrow-minded person refuses to consider certain possibilities or alternatives that they have never considered before because they do not meet their prejudiced assumptions about what is and what is not worth pursuing.

Describe an actual or hypothetical situation to illustrate how one of the attitudes listed above is a problem in reasoning:

Narrow-mindedness is a very big problem when it comes to reasoning. It limits the person's thought process, and prevents them from seeing and understanding things from a different point of view. In addition, narrow-mindedness also prevents the knower from trying to understand and grasp the underlying concept. It does not allow people to see the whole picture and to understand the true meaning behind something new and important. An example of how narrow-mindedness is very limiting when it comes to reasoning goes as follows: If  a narrow-minded person has previously been bitten by a dog, then they automatically think that all dogs bite. Therefore, they would not allow any dog to go to a park due to the fact that one dog bit them in the past. Never mind the fact that the dogs will be with their owners, and never mind the fact that some dogs are very sweet and loving. Because that person was bitten by one dog in the past, they cannot open their minds to the thought that some dogs might be different. 

Logical Fallacies

1. Choose two logical fallacies
, excluding the six listed above that are already well-covered in the reading. For each fallacy: (a) Name the fallacy (English or Latin name), (b) Describe the fallacy in your own words, and (c) Give an example: you may use everyday examples or describe a hypothetical argument that applies the fallacy. 

1. Upload one link to a commercial, political ad, or short clip from a cartoon or television program, that illustrates any logical fallacy.  Name the fallacy and describe exactly how it's used in the video or print ad.  Please be considerate of appropriate content.

Spotlight: This Logical fallacy is basically when a person only focuses on one small portion of something larger based on what the media and entertainment tells them. For example, if someone says that all women are meant to stay at home to take care of the family, cook, clean, shop, etc... and that they are always getting into trouble, because that's what happens in the TV show "I Love Lucy". Clearly this is not true because that is only one TV show and not all women are like that. Furthermore, that particular show was mad in a time where men were considered to be superior to women. However, times have changed since then, therefore, this idea cannot be considered any longer.

Straw Man: This Logical Fallacy is when one person says something and then a second person does not pay attention to what that person originally said, and they completely change the original point into something completely different (often worse) and exaggerated from the original, and then they attack the new point. An example of this is when a child asks their mother if they can go to a party on Wednesday night. When the mother says no because the child is still in trouble for doing something else, and then the child says that the mother doesn't want them to have any fun because she hates them.

Commerical for Appeal to Common Belief: A lot of people believe that fast food is really bad for you, and in this commerical it is going to the extreme.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=QsZFsZw5jtU&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DQsZFsZw5jtU