Vocabulary and Terminology Flashcards
Linguistic Competence
-the system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language.
-related to the use of language through the expression and interpretation of concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts, and opinions in order to perform oral and written discussions.
Linguistic Performance
-real world linguistic output and may actually reflect on competence but may include speech errors the way a language system is used in communication.
Performance Error
-the performance of a speaker may not be fault free, even though his or her competence is perfect.
Speech Communication Chain
-the transition of information from a speaker, through a connecting medium, to a listener.
Speech Communication Chain Steps
-Encoding of pronunciation elements of the message as articulations (articulatory planning & execution)
-Aeroacoustic processes that generate sound from articulation (speech acoustics)
-Transmission of sound (acoustics)
-Audition of sound (hearing)
-Interpretation of auditory sensations in terms of pronunciation elements (speech perception)
Noise
-a sound that has a psychological component (wanted or not) and a physical component (processed via the ear and brain) Noise has to be detectable, can vary between people.
-Measured in decibels (dB)
Lexicon
-A language is its vocabulary, including its words, signs, and expressions.
Mental Grammar
-All the rules you know about your language
-Linguistic Competence
-Descriptive grammar
Language Variation
-the difference in the way things are said within a single language.
(There is more than one way to say the same thing. Language variation can occur with how words are pronounced.)
Descriptive Grammar
-lay out the grammatical elements and rules of a language as it is actually used.
-written language tends to be more formal and complex than spoken language.
-Spoken sentences also tend to be shorter than those found in essays.
-Oral communication is an informal way, whereas written communication is often in a formal way.
-Writing is the expressive mode of written language and involves using written symbols of language to communicate
Evidence that writing and language are not the same
-Writing is usually more durable or permanent.
-Writing could take more discipline.
-You have to gather your thoughts and literally spell them out. People believe it can make them clearer, both to themselves and audience.
-Speaking is harder in many ways than writing because it is performance. You have to do it live.
-Writing requires more adherence to the rules of grammar, is less forgiving of mistakes.
Reasons some people believe writing to be superior to speech
Prescriptive Grammar
-Rules that tell people how they should speak (and write)
Prescribe
-The ideology and practices in which the correct and incorrect uses of a language or specific linguistic items are laid down by explicit rules that are externally imposed on the users of that language.
Charles Hockett’s nine design features
Mode of communication, Semanticity, Pragmatic function, Interchangeability, Cultural transmission, Arbitrariness, Discreteness, Displacement, Productivity