never ending rain

WORDS! .......well kind of,,not realy^^

there are some words -more like sounds actually-in the english language that dose not have a written meaning in an english dictionary. even thou their meaning is widely known in the society.

it is plain obvious to them....also it is always accompanied
with facial excepretions or hand gestures.

the following are some comic examples:

HEY>>>means you , used when calling for someone

OOPS>>>when a mistake has been done

HORAY>>>used to cheer

BANG >>>gun shot sound

YAY>>>when feeling happy

um>>>when wanting to get attention

DUH>>>sign of sarcasm ,said when someone just stated the obvious

hmm>>>said when thinking

yummy>>said when enjoying the taste of food

eww >>>when disgusted

WOW>>>to express amazement

OW=owch>>>when you get hurt

shuu>>>when wanting some animal to go away

^^ Copy rights are all belong to Shouf Elmoisheer
Side Note:
This is when reading insane amounts of comics comes in handy (^___^)d

2010-11-27T03:01:00.000-08:00

language accents
In linguistics, an accent is a manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation.
An accent may identify the locality in which its speakers reside (a geographical or regional accent), the socio-economic status of its speakers, their ethnicity, their caste or social class, their first language (when the language in which the accent is heard is not their native language), and so on.
Accents typically differ in quality of voice, pronunciation of vowels and consonants, stress, and prosody; although grammar, semantics, vocabulary, and other language characteristics often vary concurrently with accent, the word 'accent' refers specifically to the differences in pronunciation and the word 'dialect' encompasses the broader set of linguistic differences; often 'accent' is a subset of 'dialect'.

Non-native accents
Pronunciation is the most difficult part of a non-native language to learn. Most individuals who speak a non-native language fluently speak it with an accent of their native tongue.

The most important factor in predicting the degree to which the accent will be noticeable (or strong) is the age at which the non-native language was learned.[7][8] The critical period theory states that if learning takes place after the critical period (usually considered around puberty) for acquiring native-like pronunciation, an individual is unlikely to acquire a native-like accent.[7] This theory, however, is quite controversial among researchers. Although many subscribe to some form of the critical period, they either place it earlier than puberty or consider it more of a critical “window,” which may vary from one individual to another and depend on factors other than age, such as length of residence, similarity of the non-native language to the native language, and the frequency with which both languages are used.[8] Nevertheless, children as young as 6 at the time of moving to another country often speak with a noticeable non-native accent as adults.[4] There are also rare instances of individuals who are able to pass for native speakers even if they learned their non-native language in early adulthood.[9] However, neurological constrains associated with brain development appear to limit most non-native speakers’ ability to sound native-like.[10] Most researchers agree that for adults, acquiring a native-like accent in a non-native language is near impossible.

BY:

سميره الحارثي

2010-11-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

تختلف اللهجات من شمال المملكة لجنوبها و من شرقها لغربها.
و أيضا تبعا للقبيلة اللتي ينتمي إليها الفرد.
اضغط أدناه لمشاهدة الفيديو

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kKGlnvewU8&feature=related

BY
وفاء المرشد

2010-11-08T03:35:00.000-08:00

how language and culture effect the meaning of words

The meaning associated with a word can vary from language to language and culture to culture. The images that a word conveys, even though the word may be the same, are highly influenced by the culture of the speaker. Thus, one cannot separate a language from the culture in which it is used. The two are interconnected.

For example, the word "coffee" is ambiguous in Japanese with respect to temperature. It can be either hot or cold. Japanese speakers specify whether they want hot or cold coffee. To English speakers, however, it is understood that coffee is hot. If it is not, it is necessary to specify "iced coffee".
In Canada, the word "dollar" refers to the Canadian dollar, but many other countries also use this name for their currency. They include Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica and the United States. When Americans say "dollar", they refer to the American dollar. Therefore, speakers use the word "dollar" to refer to the dollar of their own country, and specify the dollar of another country. To a Canadian, "dollar" means Canadian dollar and to an American, "dollar" means American dollar.

The word "football" is not associated with the same sport in England and the United States. For Americans, "football" is a sport which is mainly played with the hands. They call the World Cup sport "soccer" and the English call the American sport "American football".

To Hungarians, the word "pepper" carries a different image than for English speakers. Though the word can refer to either the fruit or the spice, when used in isolation it usually conveys to English speakers a spice which is often used along with salt. Hungarian speakers, however, usually think of the fruit which is a common ingredient in Hungarian cuisine. Unlike in many countries, Hungarians do not sprinkle their food with salt and pepper. Rather, they use salt and paprika.
The word "breakfast" probably conveys a very different image to French than to Americans. The reason is that the typical French breakfast consists of a croissant and a cup of coffee unlike the American breakfast which may consist of cereal, pancakes, eggs and sausage. In fact, the American breakfast is also common in French Canada. This is the reason that the word for breakfast in French Canada is not "petit dejeuner" but rather "dejeuner". The word "petit djeuner" literally means "small breakfast" but in French Canada it is not small. For this reason, French Canadians use the word "dejeuner" instead.

BY:

ســماح كــايـد

2010-11-07T08:04:00.000-08:00

نشأة اللغة العربية

هنالك العديد من الآراء والروايات حول أصل العربية لدى قدامى اللغويين العرب فيذهب البعض إلى أن يعرب كان أول من أعرب في لسانه وتكلم بهذا اللسان العربي فسميت اللغة باسمه، ورد في الحديث الشريف أن نبي الله إسماعيل بن إبراهيم عليهما السلام أول من فتق لسانه بالعربية المبينة، وهو ابن أربع عشرة سنة بينما نسي لسان أبيه، أما البعض الآخر فيذهب إلى القول أن العربية كانت لغة آدم في الجنة2، إلا أنه لا وجود لبراهين علمية أو أحاديث نبوية ثابتة ترجح أي من تلك الادعاءات.[5]

ولو اعتمدنا المنهج العلمي وعلى ما توصلت إليه علوم اللسانيات والآثار والتاريخ فإن جل ما نعرفه أن اللغة العربية بجميع لهجاتها انبثقبت من مجموعة من اللهجات التي تسمى بلهجات شمال الجزيرة العربية القديمة. أما لغات جنوب الجزيرة العربية أو مايسمى الآن باليمن أجزاء من عمان فتختلف عن اللغة العربية الشمالية التي انبثقت منها اللغة العربية، ولا تشترك معها إلا في كونها من اللغات السامية، وقد كان علماء المسلمين المتقدمين يدركون ذلك حتى قال أبو عمرو بن العلاء (770م) : "ما لسان حمير بلساننا ولا عربيتهم بعربيتنا."

by:
منيفه تركي المويشير

2010-11-07T05:53:00.000-08:00

How Culture Influences Language

Language is a form of expression or communication between humans. Simply putting it, spoken and written communication with pre-set meanings for each word written or uttered is what we refer to as language. Culture, on the other hand, is defined by the activities of people, sometimes governed by a geographical boundary. Every culture is unique in itself. It includes language, art, music, mannerisms, religion, games, dress, rituals, law and belief. Having two such expansively defined fields, how far would one have to go to observe the effect that culture has on language? Answer: As far back as man himself.

Man started to communicate with his few kinsmen through symbols. Mutually understood grunts became spoken communication. Population started to thrive. Groups of people separated and changed. The concept of race was established and thus began the rich diversity of cultures. Large groups were classified into families and each family was then broken down to sub-families and the world as it stands today, is an amalgam of all of them.

Comparative linguists try to pin the origin of a language to its common ancestor. Since cultures themselves have undergone centuries of transition, it’s only natural that languages too would have evolved and changed the same way. Researchers have broadly classified the world of language into three families; European and Asian, Pacific and African, and American Indian.

Each of the above families has had its own cultural traits. The peculiarity of each family shaped the way the language was spoken and understood amongst them. Every miniscule tribe had their own phonetic. Grammar, the order of words, the use of vowels, consonants and the tonal accent too varied between tribes and groups. Thus, different languages from the same region had a lot of similarities, but when examined closely, had an identity of their own. These distinctions helped evolve the respective language over centuries.

Social traits, which are culture dependent, also influenced language in the way different genders or classes within the same tribe or race spoke to one another. Trade jargons were established in multilingual regions.

Over time, languages borrowed sounds, grammar and vocabulary from one another. This doesn’t necessarily mean they originated from the same region. Point in case, the striking derivatives in English taken from Sanskrit and European languages that made use of American Indians'. Independently, languages like English were standardized, but the way the language is spoken in different parts of the world is a reflection of the effect culture has on it. Trousers in Britain and pants in America mean the same but sound nowhere near alike, courtesy the respective cultures.

BY:
رهام مقيبل الحموان

2010-11-07T04:17:00.001-08:00

People adjust the way they talk to their social situation
It is common knowledge that people also adjust the way they talk to their social situation. Socio-situational variation, sometimes called register, depends on the subject matter, the occasion and the relationship between participants — in addition to the previously mentioned attributes of region, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age and gender. Here are some examples.
Constraints on subject matter vary from culture to culture. In American English, it is fine to ask a child or a medical patient, “Have you had a bowel movement today?” However, the same question to an acquaintance might be coarse. Even a good friend would find it at the least peculiar. American English speakers must approach other subjects with care. They wouldn’t dare ask, for example, “Are you too fat for one plane seat?” “What’s your take-home pay?” “Are you sure you’re only 50?” “Do you have a personal relationship with Christ?”

Any of these questions posed at a cocktail party might draw a prompt “None of your business” — or something less polite. However, in other situations, between other participants, those same questions might be appropriate. A public-health official encouraging Americans to lose weight might well ask a general audience, “Are you too fat to fit in one plane seat?” A financial planner speaking to a client certainly should ask, “What is your take-home pay?”

by:

الاء صالح الجظعان

2010-11-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

what is language ?what is speech?

Language is different from speech.

Language is made up of socially shared rules

Speech is the verbal means of communicating.
Speech consists of the following:

Articulation
How speech sounds are made (e.g., children must learn how to produce the "r" sound in order to say "rabbit" instead of "wabbit").
Voice
Use of the vocal folds and breathing to produce sound (e.g., the voice can be abused from overuse or misuse and can lead to hoarseness or loss of voice).
Fluency
The rhythm of speech (e.g., hesitations or stuttering can affect fluency).
When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely (expressive language), then he or she has a language disorder.

When a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she has a speech disorder.

In our example, Tommy has a speech disorder that makes him hard to understand. If his lips, tongue, and mouth are not moved at the right time, then what he says will not sound right. Children who stutter, and people whose voices sound hoarse or nasal have speech problems as well.

Jane has a receptive and expressive language disorder . She does not have a good understanding of the meaning of words and how and when to use them. Because of this, she has trouble following directions and speaking in long sentences. Many others, including adults with aphasia and children with learning disabilities, have language problems.

Language and speech disorders can exist together or by themselves. The problem can be mild or severe. In any case, a comprehensive evaluation by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the first step to improving language and speech problems.

by:
عندا عبدالعزيز الشرعان

2010-11-04T04:37:00.000-07:00

vocabulary sometimes veries

from region to region

Vocabulary sometimes varies by region. The expression lost bread to refer to French toast is a translation of French pain perdu, part of the vocabulary of southern Louisiana. Other vocabulary is not regional but rather is old-fashioned, such as frock for ‘a woman’s dress’ or tarry for ‘wait.’ Some vocabulary may vary by degree of formality, as in the choice among the words barf, upchuck, vomit and regurgitate.
Grammatical constructions also vary. In the Midland region of the United States, speakers use a construction called positive anymore, as in “Anymore you see round bales of hay in the fields.” In other regions, speakers would say, “Nowadays you see round bales of hay in the field.” A grammatical variation associated with AAVE omits the verb be, as in “The teacher in the classroom.” Another variation that is widespread in spoken American English is the double negative, as in “We don’t want no more construction on this road.” Such sentences are not Standard American English

by:

الاء صالح الجضعان

2010-11-02T05:14:00.000-07:00

يا ليل أبو لمبه!

يخقق!!

وش تحسين به!!

تلايط!

(o.O)??

WAS THAT REALY ARABIC

???

click below as suggested by Miss.Hissah

http://www.juof7.com/greet.php?k=n&action=view&id=757&code=1288624974

french learning american accent

2010-10-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

هذا مثال مضحك على اهمية اتقان اللهجة و تأثيرها على الانطباع و نظرة المجتمع للمتحدث ... و ايضا تأثير اللغة الام على اللغة التي نحاول تعلمها أو ايجادتها.

what a funny example that reflect the importance of the accent

and how it really affects the way society view the speaker

2010-10-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

social linguestics

language is effected by many aspects like, age ,profetion,gender

i will view some comics as exampls