Hockett's design features (1963)

Question 1

What are the five main headings?

Answer 1

1-Channel
2-semantic features
3-learning
4-structure 
5-use

Question 2

Channel?

1,2,3-

Answer 2

1-Use of auditory channel- speech is based on sounds.
2-Interchangeability- The same person is able both to transmit and receive messages.
3-Complete feedback- While speaking, ew can monitor what we’re saying.

Question 3

Semantic features?

4,5,6,7-

Answer 3

4-Semanticity- We use symbols to refer to a class of objects or actions in the real word.
5-Arbitrariness- There is no direct connection. between a word and what it refers to.
6-Discreteness- Language is based upon a vocabulary of independent, moveable units.
7- Displacement- We use speech to refer to things in other times or places.

Question 4

Learning?

8,9-

Answer 4

8- Cultural transmission- One generation transmits speech to the next.
9-Learnability- We can learn additional languages from those who speak them.

Question 5

Structure?

10,11,12-

Answer 5

10- Creativity- We can form an infinite range of utterances, many of which we have never heard or said before.
11-Duality of patterning- Smaller units are combined into larger ones.
12- Structure of dependence- All known languages have a hierarchical phrase structure

Question 6

Use?

13,14,15,16,17,18-

Answer 6

13- Control- Speech is used intentionally, unlike involuntary sounds.
14- Specialisation- The forms of speech (sounds, words) serve no other purpose.
15- Spontaneous usage- Speech does not need to be premeditated.
16- Turn taking- We speak, then allow the other to respond.
17- Prevarication- We can use speech to tell lies.
18- Reflectiveness- We can use language to comment on language.