Phonetics Flashcards
T/F: Language is systemic.
True; that is why we can use study it scientifically
T/F: Every language has it’s own properties.
False; there are universal properties of language
Define langauge competence
A person’s unseen potential to speak a language
Define language performance
The observational realisation of one’s langauge potential
Define performance error
The mistakes someone makes while speaking; DOES NOT reflect one’s competence
Explain the steps of the Speech Communication Chain
1: think of what you want to communicate
2: pick out words
3: put these words together according to linguistic rules
4: figure out how to pronounce these words
5: send pronouncations to your vocal anatomy
6: speak
7: perceive
8: decode
9: connect/recieve the idea
Define phonetics
Speech sounds and the way that they are arranged
T/F: Writing is a more perfect way of communicating than speech
False
Define prescriptive grammar
The socially constructed “rules” regarding the “proper” way to use language
Why is speech more basic than writing?
1: writing must be taught
2: writing does not and has not existed everywhere that speech is
3: writing can be edited
Define descriptive grammar
The rules of language as it is spoken
List the 9 features of language according to Hockett
1: mode of communication
2: semanticy
3: pragmatic function
4: interchangability
5: cultural transmission
6: arbitrariness
7: discreteness
8: displacement
9: productivity
Define mode of communication
Messages can be sent and recieved (otherwise known as modality)
Define semanticity
All signals in a communication system have a distinct meaning or function
Define pragmatic function
Language is used to achieve a goal/serves a purpose
Define interchangability
The ability of individuals to both transmit and recieve messages
Define cultural transmission
There are aspects of language that we can only acquire through communicative interaction with other users of the same language system
Define arbitrariness
The link between form and meaning is not predictable
Define discreteness
Language is built by combining discrete units in order to create larger communicative units
Define displacement
The ability of a language to communicate things that are not present in the space or time that the speakers are discussing them in.
Define productivity
The ability to produce and understand messages that have never been expressed before
What types of modality can language have?
1: Auditory-vocal (spoken)
2: Visual-gestural (signed)
Classify the following:
[p]
Voiceless
Bilabial
Stop
Examples: Pit, tiP, sPit, hiccouGH, aPPear
Classify the following:
[b]
Voiced
Bilabial
Stop
Examples: Ball, gloBe, amBle, BuBBle