Unit 1: Language And Communication

Question 1

What makes human language unique?

Answer 1

Design features: They are features which define language from other types of communication.

Productivity: The ability to make new words.
Displacement: Non existing things, with the future.
Arbitrariness: Absence of any natural or necessary connection between a words meaning and it’s sound of form.
Cultural Variation: Language changes depending on the culture.

Question 2

What is the Shannon and Weaver model?

Answer 2

Shannon and Weaver viewed messages as flowing from the sender to the receiver and recognised the impact of noise or barriers on communication. Model is identified as a transmission model of communication and a two way process.

Information source, Transmitter, Noise source, Receiver, Destination.

Question 3

What is Lasswells’ model of communication?

Answer 3

It represents a one way transmission of messages. Does not take into account noise, simple representation.

Who (speaker), What (message), Channel (or medium), When (audience or listener), effect.

Question 4

What are some features of external noise?

Answer 4

Physical noise from the environment.

Mumbling and speech errors.

Question 5

What are some features of internal noise?

Answer 5

Intercultural: Different cultures responding/ acting differently, causing messages to be received incorrectly.
Ambiguity: Doesn’t have a defined meaning.
Non-literal speech: Unrelated meanings.
Indirect speech: Implies a different meaning.
Context: Taken of context.