Language and Voice

Faculty Advisor

Mr. Slack

Content Advisors

Dr. Monahan, Dr. Bayley 

Overview

“Language and Voice” is an interdisciplinary pursuit that aims to examine the inner workings of one’s speech processes and the effects our voices can have on others. Along with studying the linguistic and sociological aspects of verbal communication, American Sign Language will be incorporated into this project as an exploration into the world of people that use a different method of communication but still have a voice in our world.

Goals

1. Develop an elementary proficiency level in ASL
2. Becoming knowledgeable in linguistics and the sociological impacts of activism and voicing opinions

Driving Questions

• What is voice?
• How do people who can’t use their physical voice communicate with others?
• How are languages created, and how do people use them?
• How are those who talk quietly or don’t speak much supposed to have a voice in this world?
• How do people use their voices to create change?

Resources and Activities

Example resources

• Linguistics Society of America
• Etymonline.com
• Khan Academy videos from MCAT → Test prep → Unit: Processing the environment → Language
• Crash Course Linguistics (15 video series)
• Psychology in Modules, specifically module 28

Possible Activities

• Practice signing with other people

Units

Unit 1

• ASL and Deaf community
  • ASL lessons through Durham County Public Library (6 weeks)
  • Learning about aspects of the Deaf community

Unit 2

• Questions
  • How are words and languages created?
  • How do people learn languages?
• Linguistics
  • Words that compose speech and language that speech is in
  • Evolution of world languages
    • Evolution within language, evolution of one language into multiple
    • dialect/regional language and slang, specifically in English

Unit 3

• Questions
  • What are the social/cultural (even generational) effects of activism/protests?
  • How do people’s voices impact their societies?
  • How has speaking been used to further a goal? Other uses of speaking?
  • How do people use their voices to create change?
• Societal/Cultural
  • Importance of verbal communication in our world 
    • Looking at influential speeches, speakers, and movements through important eras of history and historical change in both ancient and modern
    • US vs International/cross-cultural

Show of progress will be presented as a blog post detailing important information gathered and learned about during the unit. Blog posts will be uploaded at least once a week.

Final Project: Paper and Presentation

• Culminating paper of Units 1-3
  • 1: ASL and Deaf community
  • 2: Origins of words and languages, linguistics
  • 3: Larger historical/social/cultural impact of activism and voice
• Presentation on ASL learning
  • Audience: advisory and a few others
  • When: after completion of ASL course
  • The presentation will incorporate knowledge of the Deaf community and basic ASL signs