TSL 3101Introduction to Linguistics

Task: “Miracle Worker”

Instruction: Watch the movie “Miracle Worker” and respond to the following questions.

1. How it relates to the definitions on language and communication from the various writers based on your reading. State instances when this occurs in the movie.

2. How it relates to the criteria of human or animal communication.

Discuss in the next ISL session.

Answers:

1) - Definition of language : the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/language?show=0&t=1359123086) - Definition of communication :

the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium (http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/communication)the activity or process of expressing ideas and feelings or of giving people information (Oxford dictionary )

- SCENE : - As a blind and deaf girl, Helen would use a hand gesture such as rubbing her two fingers on

her check to inform people around her that she wants or needs her mother. Therefore, Helen’s mother would immediately identify and approach her when Helen did the gesture as she knows it is a sign of Helen needing her.

- This also can be seen when Annie’s uses the sign language as a medium to communicate with Helen. Unfortunately, Helen refused and as a protest, she hitting Annie’s face with doll and locked Annie in her room.

- The next scene is during breakfast, where Annie was trying to teach Helen how to eat properly, but Helen refuses by trying to escape. When Annie managed to make Helen stay still, Helen in the end take the food but she spit the food on Annie’s face. As revenge, Annie replied to the rudeness by splashing water on Helen’s face.

2) - Animal produces a particular behavior in response to a particular sound-stimulus, but does not actually ‘understand’ the meaning of the word uttered.- SCENE: - In the movie, this can be seen in the scene where Allen will stop being wild when her

mother or her nanny gives her sweets so that she will stay stills and keep quiet.- Not only that, Helen also understand that she had done something bad when Annie’s shakes

her head and nodding when Helen did something good