Anthropology

Choose one of the following topics for discussion.

Topic 1: Decoded

Sometimes people code-switch based on level of intimacy or professionalism or social status. Do you ever engage in code-switching in your use of language, and if so, when and how?  Is there a dialect, slang, or form of colloquial speech that is considered offensive, uneducated, or embarrassing in your native language?

Topic 2: Lost in translation

Share an example of a phrase in one language that just doesn’t have the same impact or meaning in another language even if the words are translated perfectly. We talk about these as idioms.  Why does this happen and what does it mean in relation to the way in which language reflects culture?