h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh, silly me! I see my typing error the other day, has come back and bitten me on the bum.(oops, has that made it worse?) D.

Sorry for being late...


Ok, you expanded it and there's interesting stuff in there! I didn't realise the different states of language development in children but after thinking about it... yes, it's the way you say.

This entry would surely benefit from some and tags (if you're using GuideML, or simply headlines marked by uppercase if not). At the moment you're switching over to new aspects without any visible intro.

I didn't get the idea of the 'inclusive language' para when first reading it. OK, I'm not a native speaker. But there should perhaps be some explanation of the term. (aside: there's first person writing )

All in all: an interesting topic, and would benefit from pointing out the structure and expanding the aspects which are touched!


A Scoutsperson called Bossel

... but I've got to be going now.

I'll have the opportunity to read it tomorrow, though. Looking forward to it.

Seeya
Spiff

I'm starting to think that this may simply be too broad of a topic to be a guide entry. "Language and society" covers thousands of topics, only a few of which are touched on in this entry. I'd suggest that you either a) focus in on one issue in more depth (like the role of language in child development, for example), or b) expand the entry to being a general introduction to the field of social linguistics (while this would be interesting, I'd still think that it would be better off as the front page of a h2g2 university project than as a stand alone entry).

just my 2 cents...

Mikey

I second the motion! Or something like that...

Looks OK, but I think that it would be more visually appealing if written in GuideML. The bulleted list especially. And Headings.

!

It was a very interesting article but I think the title was a bit vague. Perhaps "Gender and Language" would be a more precise one?

Also, in the first paragraph you assert that "all children learn language under normal circumstances". What is "normal"? Perhaps you could make mention of a few cases of children who did not have the opportunity to learn language under normal circumstances and how it affected their lives to show how crucial language is. (Wasn't there a movive- "Emma"? something like that- about a girl with unusual speech patterns? Almost a language of her own.. based on a true story, I think.)

I hope you find your notes- I'll be curious to read the expanded version.

Yes, I second that. "Gender and Language" might be more appropriate, or "The influence of Language on Gender awareness". Whatever, (I am boggling myself with semantics now), the word "gender" probably needs to be in the title somewhere, because that is your principal focus in this piece.

Also, I am sorry, but I didn't get the "vir and aner" reference. These words sort of came out of the blue without any explanation.

I haven't read the piece in detail, so these are just very general comments. I hope they help.

Glad to have your suggestions, people, but I still have not found *any* of the copious notes I had!!! Bad language abounds! (Imagine it, people) I am considering do a Graduate Diploma in Language Teaching, I'll have all the information I need - but who needs another couple years of tragic study... Well, the point is, I have to do a rewrite, and will do that as soon as I can get around to it, I am bearing all the suggestions people have made, in mind!

"all children learn language under normal circumstances". This sentence has been brought to our attention.

For someone writing about language, perhaps you should choose your words more carefully and try not to be ambiguous.

It could mean:

A: Every child on the planet is blessed with the optimum - or at least normal (whatever that is) - surroundings for learning language.
or
B: Given normal circumstances (again, whatever they may be) any child is capable of learning to communicate.

Presumably, because many unfortunate children do not grow up in what we would call "normal" circumstances, you mean B. But it is not clear.

I am following this one closely because I have a related subject in the oven. I am just waiting for some old conversations from about a year ago to come back on the site because a lot of valuable material was contained in those conversations.

I think "most children..." would be a better wording, since "normal" is, by definition, what most people experience.

bookmark

Hey there again, Della!

As on the other one, do you foresee this rewrite happening sometime in the near future, or would you rather us move this thread to the Writing Workshop until it's ready to come back to PR?


Mikey

My father said that in the Indian Army they could tell who had learned the local language (alas, I do not know which one) from their mistress because they learned the female version of the language. This IS good, but does need more work.

Ben

Well, hi again, Mikey! As I have said, I have *lost* all my source info, and despite trying, haven't been able to find it (yet). So, if you could move it to the writing workshop, I'd really appreciate it.

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review' to 'The Writing Workshop'.

Ahem...

I know we're in no hurry in the workshop but after all it's a *work*-shop

If you don't see a chance to hone and polish it then how about removing it from here? There's a 'remove' link down the list at <./>RF2</.> which has been made just to accomplish that

Wilco! (That's 'will comply', I am sorry, I forgot you are an English as a second language speaker. Sorry).

Don't worry Della, we all do!

Nope, can't find it!!!! to remove it. Help?