Re: CHAT: cultural interpretation [was Re: THEORY: language and the brain]

Quoting Andreas Johansson <andjo@...>:

> Quoting "Thomas R. Wier" <trwier@...>:
>
> > Quoting Andreas Johansson <andjo@...>:
> > > * I've got complaints for the same error in German, tho!
> >
> > That might have more to do with the cultural background of
> > the people you were talking with.  I find that many Americans
> > are very risk-averse when it comes to overt interpersonal
> > conflict with people they don't know well.  It can be
> > considered rude to correct people too frequently, depending
> > on the circumstance.
>
> More to do with cultural background than with than with degree of
> interference with understaning, you mean?
Yes.

> Also, it seems to me that Englishers tend to hear [dZ_0] as /dZ/ rather
> than /tS/. Nativers?
That is the case. This is what you would expect if the contrast
in English is more between aspirated and nonaspirated than between
voiced and voiceless.

 =========================================================================
Thomas Wier            "I find it useful to meet my subjects personally,
Dept. of Linguistics    because our secret police don't get it right
University of Chicago   half the time." -- octogenarian Sheikh Zayed of
1010 E. 59th Street     Abu Dhabi, to a French reporter.
Chicago, IL 60637

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