Language laboratory

Today we had a taster Japanese lesson and discussed similarities and differences between languages. We saw some languages lay more emphasis on precision, some on clarity, some on elegance, still others on issues of respect and social hierarchy. Not only is the vocabulary different, but the way each language is put together is unique. So as a language experiment we worked in small groups and chose our language priorities. We then communicated the following message in a language invented to reflect those priorities:

My name is .....
I am ... years old
My school is Woldingham



Listen to the recordings above and see what you think. Can you hear similarities to languages you know? Can you spot patterns? Are they pleasing to the ear? Obviously languages evolve over centuries, even millenia, but speeding the process up a bit was an interesting experience.