Vocabulary and Terminology

Question 1

linguistic competence

Answer 1

is the system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language. It is distinguished from linguistic performance, which is the way a language system is used in communication.

Question 2

linguistic performance

Answer 2

an individual’s use of a language, i.e., what a speaker actually says, including hesitations, false starts, and errors.

Question 3

performance error

Answer 3

The speaker has the wrong beliefs about the meaning of a word. Consequently, he produces the intended word, which is semantically inadequate. Therefore, this is a competence error rather than a performance error.

Question 4

speech communication chain

Answer 4

The speech chain describes the stages in speech communication when a message moves between the mind of the speaker and the mind of the listener. … Audition of sound (hearing) Interpretation of auditory sensations in terms of pronunciation elements (speech perception)

Question 5

speech communication chain steps

Answer 5

describe the domain of Speech Science as a scientific discipline within Psychology
give an account of the speech chain as a model of linguistic communication
describe the processes and knowledge involved in communicating information through the speech chain
begin to understand concepts and terminology used in the scientific description of speech communication
demonstrate insights into the size and complexity of language and the remarkable nature of speech
identify some technological applications of Speech Science
identify some of the key people in the history of the field

Question 6

noise

Answer 6

Noise is unwanted sound judged to be unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, noise is indistinguishable from sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arises when the brain receives and perceives a sound.

Question 7

lexicon

Answer 7

the vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge.

Question 8

mental grammar

Answer 8

is the generative grammar stored in the brain that allows a speaker to produce language that other speakers can understand. Also known as competence grammar and linguistic competence.

Question 9

language variation

Answer 9

Variation is a characteristic of language: there is more than one way of saying the same thing.

Question 10

descriptive grammar

Answer 10

A descriptive grammar is a set of rules about language based on how it is actually used. In a descriptive grammar there is no right or wrong language. It can be compared with a prescriptive grammar, which is a set of rules based on how people think language should be used.

Question 11

evidence that writing and language are not the same (list 4 reasons)

Answer 11

writing can be represented in many different languages, languages can be spoken, you can write about a language, language has syntax and semantics while writing uses that language

Question 12

reasons some people believe writing to be superior to speech (list 3 reasons)

Answer 12

when making a point it is much more effective to write it rather than to speak your opinion and try to listen to another, writing is more thought out but speech is spontaneous thoughts, writing can more effectively and professionally portray meaning

Question 13

prescriptive grammar

Answer 13

is a set of rules about language based on how people think language should be used. In a prescriptive grammar there is right and wrong language. It can be compared with a descriptive grammar, which is a set of rules based on how language is actually used.

Question 14

prescribe

Answer 14

advise and authorize the use of (a medicine or treatment) for someone, especially in writing.

Question 15

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

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

Consider some projects that are often part of a world language classroom. For example, students often prepare a travel brochure or poster about a city or country where the target language is spoken. Think of the project with the three modes of communication in mind. The brochure or poster is the Presentational mode.

Question 17

semanticity

Answer 17

the quality that a linguistic system has of being able to convey meanings, in particular by reference to the world of physical reality.

Question 18

pragmatic function

Answer 18

is a general heading under which terminology relating to the various areas of study of language use and interpretation is collected. These areas are variously categorized as either semantic or pragmatic. Discussion.

Question 19

interchangeability

Answer 19

Interchangeable parts, the ability to select components for assembly at random and fit them together within proper tolerances.

Question 20

cultural transmission

Answer 20

Cultural learning, also called cultural transmission, is the way a group of people or animals within a society or culture tend to learn and pass on information. Learning styles are greatly influenced by how a culture socializes with its children and young people.

Question 21

arbitrariness

Answer 21

the quality of being based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.

Question 22

linguistic sign

Answer 22

is an abstract structure whose instances participate in a linguistic system, or language.

Question 23

convention

Answer 23

a way in which something is usually done, especially within a particular area or activity.

Question 24

nonarbitrariness

Answer 24

subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one’s discretion:

Question 25

iconic

Answer 25

relating to or of the nature of an icon.

Question 26

onomatopoeia

Answer 26

the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named

Question 27

conventionalized

Answer 27

conforming or adhering to accepted standards, as of conduct or taste:

Question 28

sound symbolism

Answer 28

the partial representation of the sense of a word by its sound, as in bang, fizz, and slide.

Question 29

discreteness

Answer 29

apart or detached from others; separate; distinct:

Question 30

displacement

Answer 30

the moving of something from its place or position.

Question 31

productivity

Answer 31

the state or quality of producing something, especially crops.

Question 32

modality

Answer 32

a particular mode in which something exists or is experienced or expressed.

Question 33

myths about signed languages (list 4)

Answer 33

that all signed languages are the same, that only deaf people use signed languages, that it uses the same syntax as spoken language, that those who use signed language also have learning disabilities

Question 34

differences between codes and languages (list 4)

Answer 34

codes can be used to hide the meaning of something, codes do not necessarily involve language, codes are not always as commonly used as languages, codes can use languages as part of its structure