Silent Dance

These dancers are deaf! Yet they somehow stay perfectly syncronized with the music and eachother. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPB87oq7RzQ&feature=related

The Chicken or The Egg

I just wanted to say that i think it's kind of ridiculous to suggest that concepts can not be understood without words. Was that not the argument in the audio-clip? Because it seems very illogical to me. Words are invented to communicate new concepts.. so obviously someone understood each concept before the word existed. Of course people who have never been introduced to or had the need for a concept will not understand it. If a word was invented to distinguish black mice from other mice, the concept of black mice would have been understood prior to the invention of the word only there had perhaps been no need to put black mice in their own catagory. If the need did arise then somone would have to first come up with the concept before it could be given a name. I do think that words shape the way we catagorize and give importance to concepts, but I believe that people can understand any concept they are introduced to without knowing a word with which to describe it.

Youtube Video- Facial Expression

I'm not sure if this is how we're supposed to post links. I'm not even sure this has much relevance to our discussions. I do think that this is a pretty interesting video that somewhat explains our involuntary ( and possibly voluntary as well ) facial expressions. Here's the link :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDnzwBmsNJs

la la la language?

Can a language that no human understands or has ever understood still be considered a language? Are the methods of communication of animals considered to be languages? And what about chemical messages sent internally throughout living organisms for the function of their life processes? These messages may be very simple but they still convey ideas don't they? Singing is a form of communication which uses language, but what about other forms of music? Is instrumental music a language? It conveys ideas intentionnally from person to person using sounds as symbolism, so it must be. But what about humming? I could hum the tunes to many well known songs such as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", or " O-Canada", and the ideas of stars and Canada would surely be conveyed as listeners thought of the corresponding lyrics. Obviously without first having a language the hummed tunes would not have these meanings, so humming cannot be it's own language... so what is it?

goor xix la flid.... geddit? me neither :P

Today in class we discussed what constitutes a language. I couldn't think of any examples of languages that might be exceptions to the first few criteria Mr. Wall proposed to us. I do believe that it must be possible to convey ideas through language. I can't think of any reason to dispute the rule that it must be possible for multiple beings to learn, understand, and communicate using a language if it is to be one. I'm not as convinced that communication must be intentional for it to be considered a language. Is imagery a form of language? It is certainly a way for people to convey ideas to one another using symbols to represent other things. The communication of ideas through imagery such as paintings and drawings must be intentional, I think, because each element of one of these images was created consiously by their artist. On the other hand, the elements of a photograph can all convey ideas, but they may not have all been intentionally included by the photographer. Does this mean imagery can not be a form of language?