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[groovylinguist]

The importance of identity on snapchat

So recently I have downloaded Snapchat after years of refusing, because of a guy. Now I still think the app itself is a particular brand of time waste but whatever. I have however noticed that everybody at some point seems to pick a certain facial expression they use when sending a snap to others.

May it be a bored ecpression, only half of your face looking upwards, sticking your tongue out or whatever else. It seems to be fundamental to always use the same and becomes a part of their identity. It seems to feel weird using a different expression and I even started to develop the same feeling after a few days.

I thought it intetesting how a seemingly small difference (as the pictures are mostly only ever viewed once) has so much influence on people.

[groovylinguist]

linguistically spirited rant about biased perception

Every time I tell someone that I am studying english, people tend to immediatly assume I will become a teacher. Now I understand that the concept of people studying english to become a teacher is more salient, than the one of them become researchers or anything non-teaching related in general.

But what really frustrates me is that this bias also exists in an university context. For example, I have a class on listening and speaking, now it is a mix of BA students and teachers students. Tell me why every professor automatically adapts the class for only the teachers programm. They will literally start the first class of the semester off by stating that we will all become teacher sooner or later, so they teach the class to suit that.

Furthermore; there are classes where they make even the BA students prepare a school-like lecture, why would I ever need that?? If I wanted to become a teacher that is what I would have studied.

People loose all their motivation and dreams because they are told they will only become teachers in the end anyway.

[groovylinguist]

My llinguistics Professor is an actual icon. She is german and today talked about how language can influence how you are viewed by other people. Now she made the example of RP english, which makes you sound more prestigious and educated.

HOWEVER, same goes te other way around. She then explained how if she was to ask about the way to a mountain in Standard german, nobody would take her seriously; moreover, they would even think she couldn't manage t climb it.

Tell me why my german friend, whos been living in austria for YEARS, turns to me and says in the most heartbroken voice, 'wait, do they really? :('

Yes, babes, they do. Im sorry you had to find out this way.

Also the professor afterwards apologized for ruining her worldview, the funniest thing ever.

[groovylinguist]

so what are linguistic landscapes?

A linguistic landscape(LL) is defined by analyzing all the different symbols, images, written language in a public place. For example, when you step into a train station: What do you see? Which signs are there? Who are they for and who aren't they for? In which languages are the different texts you find?

Looking at the LL of a place can give you insights on the social, political and/or economic power dynamics. E.g. if all the sign are only in german, then it automaticall excludes any non-german speaking person, it implies that you can't fit in/surive in that place without learning the language.

Additionally, LL's are dynamic, they are changable. Every sign that gets added, changed or removed can influence the LL of that place. So thats why LL analysis is needed to make places more inclusive; for example, realising certain signs being monoligual hinder people from reading them and following them is important. You might also realise that a icon, which you thought was univerally understood, turns out to mean something completely different in another culture(e.g. red= danger(Western culture) vs. red=good luck(China).

Hope that helps.

[groovylinguist]

Study this

I need someone to do a linguistic/ psychological study on how fast certain sentences can turn you off/give you the ick.

E.g. I went out with a guy after we had talked online for months. I thought he was funny and nice, but he had a few red flags(He was pretty right and kind of racist but in a way where you don't know if he means it or has just really dark humor). I ignored these redflags in the beginning because I really liked him, dumb idea I know. Now we are from totally different cultures, where in my culture everyone will try to pay for everyones meals by themselve, in his everyone pays for their own. Now I get that, thats just cultural differences; however, after we ate and went over to pay, he DID pay for both of us. I was ready, wallet in hand, to pay my own share but accepted it and thanked him for it.

Then later on when we went to get a drink he got out his money (as did I) and he suddenly turned to me and said, in a really annoyed tone "you know I just realized I paid for both of us at dinner"

This threw me off bcs why would you pay for both if you don't want it. He then turns to pay for the drinks, I think he will pay for both of us bcs he added it up out loud and got his money out, but no. He just paid for himself and looked at me saying "thats 5 euros you still have to pay"

I kid you not, I have never believed that people can get The Ick from just a sentence, but that made my whole mood change; furthermore, every red flag I had previously ignored just suddenly seemed so much worse.

If anyone already knows of such a study, hit me up bcs I found this extremly interesting.

[groovylinguist]

Do yall ever hope for the kind of friends that tell you they can't make it to one of your events and then when you're sad about how none of the people you invited to your concert, play etc. Will show up, they all just come trough the door like "sike you thought we wouldnt support you".

Then you remember that your life is not a movie and if you want people to do that they have to be even aware that you would like it and that would force you to confront youd fears and talk about them?

But talking about it makes it too real bcs you think that if you talk about it a lot then people will think youre weak and weird, bcs of linguistic determinism and how language shapes the way you think.

Or am I alone?

[groovylinguist]

So today in my linguistics class we talked about linguistic landscapes and I just so happened to wear a T-Shirt with the words "Stay Groovy" on them. Now if you know what a linguistic landscape is, you are aware that wearing any kind of text, icon etc. will influence that landscape. My professor just so happened to read the text and for the next HOUR AND A HALF repeatedly used me as the (almost) sole reference when needing an example to explain the concept.

Not only that. She then went on to explain the concept of salience and how now that she had referred to my shirt many times it will have become salient.

I will probably now be only remebered for a shirt I wore one time to class.

(Also she said to her I will now be the grooviest person she knows and I LOVE IT)