Module 1

Question 1

linguistic competence

Answer 1

a speaker’s implied knowledge of the structure of a language. what we know when we know a language; the unconscious knowledge that a speaker has about his or her native language

Question 2

linguistic performance

Answer 2

the ability to produce and comprehend sentences in a language, use of linguistic competence

Question 3

performance error

Answer 3

an unintended deviation from the immanent rules of a language variety made by a second language learner, includes hesitations and slips of the tongue

Question 4

speech communication chain

Answer 4

the stages in speech communication whereby a message moves between the mind of the speaker and the mind of the listener

Question 5

speech communication chain steps

Answer 5

Production is the process by which a human agent expresses their self through first (1)deciding what message s/he wishes to communicate (cognitive level). They then (2)plan and (3)encode the appropriate linguistic utterance to represent the concept (linguistic level) and, finally, produce this utterance through the suitable co-ordination of the vocal apparatus(4)(5) (physiological level).

Transmission is the sending of the linguistic utterance through some medium to the recipient. As we are only concerned with oral verbal communication here, there is only one medium of consequence and that is air, i.e. the spoken utterance travels(6) through the medium of air to the recipient’s ear.

Reception is the process by which the recipient of a verbal utterance detects(7) the utterance through the sense of hearing (physiological level) and then decodes(8) the linguistic expression (linguistic level). Finally, s/he then infers(9) what is meant by the linguistic expression (cognitive level)

Question 6

noise

Answer 6

the continuous vibrations that travel from one medium to another. It is defined as the unpleasant sound that causes disturbance

Question 7

lexicon

Answer 7

the complete set of meaningful units in a language.

Question 8

mental grammar

Answer 8

the system that all speakers of a language have in their minds, which allows them to understand each other. The mental grammar of every language includes phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics

Question 9

language variation

Answer 9

regional, social, or contextual differences in the ways that a particular language is used

Question 10

descriptive grammar

Answer 10

the grammatical elements and rules of a language as it is actually used

Question 11

evidence that writing and language are not the same

Answer 11

1. Some societies do not have a written language
2. Speech dates back to the beginning of human existence, writing is only from about 3200 BC
3. People everywhere begin speaking during the first two years of life. Learning to write typically builds upon learning to speak.
4. Speech typically conveys more explicit information.

Question 12

reasons some people believe writing to be superior to speech

Answer 12

1. writing is usually more durable or permanent
2. Writing can be edited
3. Writing must be taught

Question 13

prescriptive grammar

Answer 13

the traditional approach of grammar that tells people how to use the English language, what forms they should utilize, and what functions they should serve

Question 14

prescribe

Answer 14

use rules and conventions to tell a speaker the way he should or shouldn’t use a language

Question 15

Charles Hockett’s nine design features (necessary for a communication system to be considered a language)

Answer 15

1. mode of communication
2. semanticity
3. pragmatic function
4. interchangeability
5. cultural transmission
6. arbitrariness
7. discreteness
8. displacement
9. productivity

Question 16

mode of communication

Answer 16

means through which a message is transmitted for any given communication system

Question 17

semanticity

Answer 17

Specific sound signals are directly tied to certain meanings

Question 18

pragmatic function

Answer 18

the useful purpose of any given communication system

Question 19

interchangeability

Answer 19

the property of a communication system by which all individuals have the ability to both transmit and review messages

Question 20

cultural transmission

Answer 20

the process whereby a language is passed on from one generation to the next in a community

Question 21

arbitrariness

Answer 21

refers to the fact that word’s meaning is not predictable from its linguistic form, nor is its form dictated by its meaning. ie. The word ‘car’ is nothing like an actual car.

Question 22

linguistic sign

Answer 22

the combination of a linguistic form and its meaning

Question 23

convention

Answer 23

something that is established, commonly agreed upon, or operating in a certain way according to common practice

Question 24

non-arbitrariness

Answer 24

direct correspondence between the physical properties of a form and the meaning that the form refers to

Question 25

iconic

Answer 25

describes a relationship between form and meaning such that the form of a word bears a resemblance to its meaning

Question 26

onomatopoeia

Answer 26

the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g. cuckoo, sizzle ) It is generally considered a form of sound symbolism.

Question 27

conventionalized

Answer 27

For certain meanings, there is a form that speakers expect to be used in the language community. Well-established words have conventional meanings.

Question 28

sound symbolism

Answer 28

the non-arbitrary mappings that exist between phonetic properties of speech sounds and their meaning

Question 29

discreteness

Answer 29

the boundary between linguistic symbols is clear. Since the linguistic symbols are discrete, the chain of linguistic symbols can be segmented part by part until the smallest linguistic symbols are assigned. Complex messages can be built from these small parts.

Question 30

displacement

Answer 30

the capability of language to communicate about things that are not immediately present (spatially or temporally); i.e., things that are either not here or are not here now

Question 31

productivity

Answer 31

the degree to which speakers of a language use a particular grammatical process, especially in word formation

Question 32

modality

Answer 32

a category of linguistic meaning having to do with the expression of possibility and necessity

Question 33

myths about signed languages (list 4)

Answer 33

1. Signed languages are codes for local spoken languages (derived from those spoken languages)
2. Sign languages are pantomime
   a. They don’t have internal structure
   b. They are completely iconic (most are expressive or conceptual)
3. Signed languages are universally the same

Question 34

differences between codes and languages (list 4)

Answer 34

1. a code is artificially constructed
2. a code represents another language
3. a code borrows its structure from a language
4. a code never has a native speaker
5. a language generally transmits information more quickly and efficiently