John, I think Skinner and Chomsky may be an OK place to start, but it wouldn't be a good way to frame the debate. I don't think any of the people developing positions contrary to Chomsky would think of themselves as behaviorist. No one defends Skinner. It's not a conditioning process or thought of in that way. But I agree with your last point. Language has a biological component, and there are competing ways to model that. Craig It strikes me also that studying language behaviors is a great opportunity > to examine how language is seen both as a learned behavior as well as an > innate ability (and a myriad of views in-between). The debate between > Skinner and Chomsky is a good place to start. For a biology teacher, this > may be great material to examine the fine line between biology and > cognition. > > John > > On Thu, Feb 24, 2011 at 9:56 AM, Craig Hancock <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> I have used Tannen in composition classes and students find her >> "relevant" and accessible. If you google her, you can find short >> articles on male/female uses of language and criticisms of our >> "argument culture." I would also suggest Lakoff and Johnson, certainly >> "Metaphors We Live By" as ways to talk about the relationship between >> the way we use language and how we conceive the world and how that >> affects our social interaction. In terms of how we see argument, this >> overlaps with Tannen. >> I don't think you can go wrong with Grice's maxims, probably available >> from a number of sources. >> They may find it interesting that many linguists see language as "a >> complex adaptive system", using metaphors out of biology. Much of that >> is happening at the scholarly level. Geoff Thompson has an >> "Introduction to Functional Grammar" that is intended to be accessible, >> as is David Lee's book on cognitive Linguistics. It seems to me that >> prototype theory links cognition to language. I'm not sure what to >> suggest for reading. Is it covered in contemporary psychology texts? >> I'm not sure if any of that is what they are looking for. >> >> Craig> >> >> >> My first impression is that they are doing discourse analysis of a sort. >> > Perhaps they would benefit from a referral to the literature on speech >> > acts? >> > Or perhaps a general reference to the work of discourse analysts like >> > Deborah Tannen would be helpful? >> > >> > I'll consider this more. I think providing direct help to school >> teachers >> > is >> > something this group should take as an important component of its >> mission! >> > >> > John Alexander >> > >> > On Thu, Feb 24, 2011 at 8:44 AM, Dick Veit <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> > >> >> I received the following request from a high school teacher. Can >> anyone >> >> supply information she and her class would find useful? >> >> >> >> Hello, Professor Veit. >> >> >> >> I am teaching a unit on behavior in an IB Biology course. My students >> >> want >> >> to analyze and categorize topics of human conversation. Such as: >> >> discussion >> >> of subjective or objective ideas, discussion of others, relating >> stories >> >> to >> >> one's own experiences, etc. >> >> >> >> We are having difficulty finding literature sources. I am wondering >> if >> >> you >> >> know of any literature sources on this topic. >> >> >> >> Thanks for your time and consideration. Any help you could give would >> be >> >> greatly appreciated. >> >> >> >> Stacey Skinner, Biology Teacher >> >> St. Paul Central High School >> >> [log in to unmask] >> >> >> >> Dick >> >> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web >> >> interface >> >> at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or >> >> leave the list" >> >> >> >> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >> >> >> > >> > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web >> interface >> > at: >> > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >> > and select "Join or leave the list" >> > >> > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >> > >> >> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web >> interface >> at: >> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >> and select "Join or leave the list" >> >> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >> > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface > at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/