Module 1 Chapter 1 Vocab Terms Flashcards
linguistic competence
What we know when we know a language; the unconscious knowledge that a speaker has about his native language
linguistic performance
The observable use of language. The actualization of one’s linguistic competence
performance error
Errors in language production of comprehension, including hesitations and slips of the tongue
speech communication chain
The process through which information is communicated, consisting of an information source, transmitter, signal, receiver and destination
speech communication steps
1-think of what you want to communicate
2-pick out word to express idea
3-put these words together in certain order following rules
4-figure out how to pronounce these words
5-send those pronunciations to your vocal anatomy
6-speak-send the sounds through the air
7-perceive-listener hears the sounds
8-decode-listener interprets sound as language
9-connect-listener receives communicated idea
noise
interference in the communication chain
lexicon
a mental repository of linguistic information about words and other lexical expressions, including their form, meaning, morphological, and syntactic properties. As a part of a descriptive, not mental, grammar, the lexicon is the representation of the mental lexicon, consisting of lexical entries that capture the relevant properties of lexical expressions(personal dictionary)
mental grammar
The mental representation of grammar. The knowledge that the speaker has bout the linguistic units and rules of his native language.
language variation
The property of languages having different ways to express the same meanings in different contexts according to factors such as geography, social class, gender.
descriptive grammar
Objective description of speaker’s knowledge of a language (competence) based on their use of the language (performance)
evidence that writing and language are not the same
1-archeological evidence-writing 1st used 6,000 years ago-spoken language used for hundreds of thousands of years
2-writing does not exist everywhere-56% of languages are unwritten
3-writing must me taught
4-neurolinguistic evidence-writing uses additional areas of the brain compared to speech
5-writing can be edited
reasons some people believe writing to be superior to speech
1-writing can be edited
2-writing must be taught
3-writing is more physically stable
prescriptive grammar
A set of rules designed to give instructions regarding the socially embedded notion of the correct or proper way to speak or write
prescribe
the act of prescriptive grammar telling you what is good or bad. Trying to mold your language to a norm.
Charles Hockett’s nine design features necessary for a communication system to be considered a language
1-mode of communication 2-semanticity 3-pragmatic function 4-interchangeablitiy 5-cultural transmission 6-arbitrariness 7-discreteness 8-displacement 9-productivity
mode of communication
Means through with a message is transmitted for any given communication system
semanticity
Property of having signals that convey a meaning, shared by all communication systems
pragmatic function
The useful purpose of any given communication system
interchangeability
The property of a communication system by which all individuals have the ability to both transmit and review messages (opposed to systems where some can only send messages and others only receive)
cultural transmission
The property of a communication system referring to the fact that at least some aspects of it are learned through interaction with other users of that system
arbitrariness
refers to the fact that a word’s meaning is not predictable from its linguistic form, nor is its form dictated by its meaning
linguistic sign
The combination of linguistic form and meaning
convention
something established, commonly agreed upon, or operating in a certain way according to common practice-certain groups of sounds goes with a particular meaning
nonarditrariness
direct correspondence between the physical properties of a form and the meaning that form refers to
iconic
relationship between form and meaning such that the form of a word bears a resemblance to its meaning
onomatopoeia
Iconic use of words that are imitative of sounds occurring in nature or that have meanings that are associated with such sounds
conventionalized
when something has been established, commonly agreed upon, or operating in a certain way according to common practice. EX-English speakers conventionalized the sound that roosters make as kakaduddu
sound symbolism
Phenomenon by which certain sounds are evocative of particular meaning EX- e sound synonymous with meaning little
discreteness
The property of communication systems by which complex messages may be built up out of smaller parts
displacement
The property of communication systems what allows them to be used to communicate about things, actions, an ideas that are not present at the place or time where communication is taking place. Unique to human language
productivity
The capacity of a communication system for novel messages built out of discrete units to be produced and understood-unique to human language
modality
.s a mode of communication-tells us how a language is produced and how it is perceived
myths about signed languages
1-that signed languages derive from spoken language- they are actually languages in their own right
2-that signed languages are manual codes-not true
3-that there is only one signed language used by deaf speakers all over the world-not true. There are more than 150 documented sign languages.
4-all deaf people or people with hearing loss choose to communicate with a signed language-not true
differences between codes and languages
1-codes are artificially constructed systems representing naturals languages (languages are not)
2-codes have not structure-a codes borrows its structure from the natural language that it represents (language has structure)
3-codes never have native speakers because they are artificial systems (languages have native speakers)
4-codes have increased rate of transmission when compared to languages
5-codes are based on languages rather than being languages themselves
