Lesson Plan: Create Your Own Language for College Credit
II. While Reading Tasks
Word Inference
- nomadic |nōˈmadik| adjective-people having no permanent abode, and who travel from place to place to find fresh pasture for their livestock.
- spark |spärk| verb-provide the stimulus for (a dramatic event or process): the severity of the plan sparked off street protests.
- popularity |ˌpäpyəˈlaritē| noun-the state or condition of being liked, admired, or supported by many people: he was forced to step down as mayor despite his popularity with the voters.
- linguistics |liNGˈgwistiks| pl.noun [ treated as sing. ]-the scientific study of language and its structure, including the study of morphology, syntax, phonetics, and semantics. Specific branches of linguistics include sociolinguistics, dialectology, psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, historical-comparative linguistics, and applied linguistics.
- pattern |ˈpatərn| noun-a regular and intelligible form or sequence discernible in certain actions or situations: a complicating factor is the change in working patterns.
- evolve |iˈvälv|verb– develop gradually, esp. from a simple to a more complex form: [ no obj. ] : the company has evolved into a major chemical manufacturer
- genres |ˈZHänrə| noun-a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.
- anatomy əˈnatəmē| (abbr.: anat.)-(pl. anatomies) noun -the branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living organisms, esp. as revealed by dissection and the separation of parts.
- culture |ˈkəlCHər| noun-the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively: 20th century popular culture.
- savvy |ˈsavē| (also savviness) informal noun-shrewdness and practical knowledge, esp. in politics or business: the financiers lacked the necessary political savvy.
Reading Comprehension: Word -Recognition
At schools like S.F.A., Wellesley College in Massachusetts and Truman State in Missouri, students take apart the words, sounds, writing and patterns of such conlangs as Dothraki, Na’vi (“Avatar”), Elvish (“Lord of the Rings”) and Klingon (“Star Trek”) to get a sense of how languages evolve to meet the needs of their speakers. Coursework marries the principles of linguistics with the creativity of speculative fiction genres and pop culture.
Grammar Focus: Prepositions
The tongue spoken by the nomadic Dothraki warriors of HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones.
Students need to get a sense of how languages evolve to meet the needs of their speakers.
A savvy bear might hide its snout to blend in with snow when hunting.
Eight verbs are needed in Brandi Woodstock’s New Jeruslanic, including one to ask for something, one to intercede on someone’s behalf and one to plead.
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