Assignment task:
This is a reading from your textbook. Please re-read and give feedback.
"I know that's what I said, but that is not what I meant." Ogden and Richard posit that meanings are in people, not in words. This is a true story...Several years ago I traveled to Africa to help provide some health care. While there, I made it a point to visit with people not only at the clinic, but in the community. After visiting with one gentleman several days in a row, I finally decided to ask him why women there could not wear pants. To give some background, women are required to wear modest clothing which includes skirts that cover their knees. I had become friendly enough with this person to ask him why women had to wear skirts. We went back and forth for a few minutes. He told me that women could wear pants and I was sort of shock and said but none of the women I met do? After about five minutes, I finally realized that we were talking about two different things. I was talking about pants (American word) however, this part of Africa was colonized by the British and their word for pants is trousers. The British word for pants is.....underwear. So, for five minutes I was talking to this guy I had known for three days about why women don't wear underwear. It was a very awkward moment and one I won't forget soon. :)
Describe a situation that demonstrates how language is symbolic and contextual in nature. Besides my example, how does the same language change over different cultural contexts? You do not have to share a personal example, unless you have experienced one. It could be a fictitious example.