Linguistic anthropology

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/linguistic-anthropology

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the discipline?Linguistic Anthropology
2. What is the primary focus?The study of language as a social and cultural phenomenon
3. Why do linguists study endangered languages?They record these languages to keep the words, stories, and ways of thinking of communities alive before they disappear.
4. How can language influence our thoughts?Some ideas say that the words we have can shape how we see the world and what we can think about.

Linguistic Relativity (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis): The idea that the structure of a language affects its speakers' worldview or cognition.
Discourse Analysis: The study of language in use, examining how language functions in social contexts.
Semiotics: The study of signs and symbols and their interpretation.
Language Endangerment: The process by which a language loses its speakers, often leading to extinction.