W2 Speech, Language and Communication: An Introduction

Question 1

Define and differentiate between the terms speech, language and communication.

Answer 1

Speech: production of sound and words

Language: learned system of words or signs used to express and understand meaning

Communication: exchanging information, involves a sender, receiver and a message
Encoding
Transmitting
Decoding

Question 2

Linguistic features

Answer 2

Verbal
* speaking and listening
Physical
* writing and reading
Manual
* singing

Question 3

Extralinguistic

Answer 3

Paralinguistic
*suprasegmental devices, changes form and meaning of a sentence by acting across elements / segments of a sentence

Metalinguistic
* ability to reflect on language

Non-linguistic
* what you observe

Question 4

Unique properties of human language

Answer 4

Creative, productive, structure dependent
* Produce and understand an indefinitely large number or utterance, with meanings that have never been encountered previously, by combining and recombining a finite number of vocabulary items in a rule governed way

Can talk about anything that occurred at any time

Talk about our ability to create language and reflect on how effectively we do it

Question 5

How is human language different to animal language

Answer 5

Human
Arbitrary
Discrete
Productive (indefinite/ creative)
Meaningful
Displacement
Rule governed

Question 6

Syntax

Answer 6

rules to structure of language elements (grammar)

Question 7

Semantics

Answer 7

system of rules governing the meaning or context of words and word combinations

Question 8

Pragmatics

Answer 8

study of language in context, giving nuances meanings

Question 9

Morphology

Answer 9

morpheme – smallest unit of meaning

Question 10

Phonology

Answer 10

sounds, phones, phonemes – smallest meaning differentiating language units