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Introduction
Humor is a cool way to learn. It is great to be able to find out
about something complicated and important and have a few laughs
at the same time. This catalog is not real; it's meant to make
fun of some of the catalogs most people get all the time in the
mail. But the subject is no laughing matter. The Language
Parts Catalog is all about one of the human brain's most
important jobs. The ability to understand and use language affects
almost everything you do in life.
Language is crucial. Some people have really
good language skills, while others have big weaknesses in their
language ability. Kids who have language problems can have a very
difficult time in school and in other aspects of their lives.
Unfortunately, too many students are struggling with language
problems without even knowing that they have these weaknesses.
They may think that they're dumb or just not too bright, but that's
not true. They are smart in ways that don't involve a lot of language.
The Language Parts Catalog can help these kids find out about
the specific language weaknesses that could be interfering with
their learning and even preventing them from enjoying school.
Very few students completely understand what
language is and what it does. That's partly because language is
so complicated. Language ability is made up of many different
parts. It's possible for a person to have some language parts
that work really well and other parts that are a problem. It Is
very sad when a kid has a problem with one or more language parts
and doesn't even know it. It could be that his or her parents
and teacher don't even realize what the problem is. Then no one
can work on improving or fixing it.
The Language Parts Catalog can teach
you about all the most important parts of language. It can also
help you think about your own language ability, including which
parts you think are strong and which ones might be weak, or maybe
even getting in the way of your learning. The Language Parts
Catalog encourages you to make believe that you can order
spare parts for your brain to improve your language ability. You
order whatever new parts you think you need, using the order form
near the end of the catalog. In completing this form, you are
actually rating your own language strengths and weaknesses. Knowing
where you're strong and where you can improve can help you and
others to understand your kind of mind. Of course, new parts for
your brain are not really available (at least yet!). Also, remember
that you are using your imagination while reading through this
catalog, so the parts listed are not actually the names of parts
of your brain. They are functions or jobs your mind does. In many
cases, scientists and doctors don't even know exactly the spot
in your brain where language missions (like knowing the sound
a letter makes) are accomplished.
The Language Parts Catalog is meant
to be an entertaining way to learn all about the parts of language.
Understanding these language parts and what they do can definitely
help you improve your language abilities. As you read on, you
will discover that the language parts fit into six different language
systems, listed below:
• The Language Sound Processing System
• The Word Meaning System
• The Sentence Sense Maker System
• The Discourse Developer System
• The Language Transmission System
• The Language Socializer System
Together these language systems make up your
mind's overall language ability. In this catalog, each system
and its parts are described in a different section. You will soon
find out that the human mind has many different language parts.
These are listed in the table you see above. Don't try to learn
them all now. This table just gives you an overall picture of
the different language parts that will be discussed in this catalog.
Instead of actually receiving new brain
parts in the mail, you might need to get help with the parts of
your language ability that need some fixing up. A language specialist,
a teacher or tutor, and even you (yes, you) can work to improve
specific parts of your language ability. Improving can take a
lot of practice, effort, and time, but it sure is worth it. You'll
appreciate all the incredible things that good language skills
can do as you read through The Language Parts Catalog.
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