Week 2 Flashcards
linguistic competence
having the skills and knowledge on what rules are acceptable in a given language
linguistic performance
the use of language and the way people talk
performance error
mistakes made while speaking
speech communication chain
a method of spoken communication to convey information to a listener
speech communication chain steps
linguistic level physiological level acoustic level physiological level linguistic level
noise
communication sounds that influence the meaning of a message
lexicon
dictionary of words
mental grammar
a mental system that allows individuals to understand each other
language variation
the differences of manner when speaking
descriptive grammar
rules about how language is used
evidence that writing and language are not the same (4 reasons)
- spoken language involves speaking and listening skills
- written language involves reading and writing skills
- spoken language is learned intuitively (e.g., mother tongue)
- writing is a means of recording messages visually
reasons some people believe writing to be superior to speech (3 reasons)
- easier to understand complex sentences when written down
- ability to record vast amounts of information
- speech is transient, and listeners may need the speaker to repeat words
prescriptive grammar
tells people the forms of how to speak and what to avoid
prescribe
normative practices of language (spelling, grammar, pronunciation)
Charles Hockett’s nine design features
- mode of communication
- semanticity
- pragmatic function
- interchangeability
- cultural transmission
- arbitrariness
- discreteness
- displacement
- productivity
mode of communication
language is used to transmit messages
semanticity
all signals in a communication system have meaning or function
pragmatic function
language must serve a useful purpose
interchangeability
the ability of language to transmit and receive messages
cultural transmission
genetics and hereditary factors do not influence languages acquired as children, only acquired via interaction
arbitrariness
a word’s meaning is not predictable from its linguistic form, nor its form dictated by its meaning
linguistic sign
an abstract structure that designates objects or phenomena
convention
a principle adopted by a person about how to use a term
non-arbitrariness
not subject to individual determination
iconic
when a sign bears a natural resemblance to what it refers to
onomatopoeia
connection of a sound that is interpreted within the context of language
conventionalized
to simplify
sound symbolism
mappings that exist between phonetic properties of speech sounds and their meaning
discreteness
communication systems in which complex messages can be broken into smaller meaningful units
displacement
ability to refer to things that aren’t present in the communicative situation
productivity
ability to create and understand an infinite amount of new signs
modality
a phenomenon of language is used to discuss possible situations
myths about signed languages (4)
- all individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing know sign language
- American sign language can be easily translated into English
- there is one sign language used in the entire world
- sign language is not a true form of communicating
differences between codes and languages (4)
- a code is not a language
- a language is made up of codes
- a code is a medium that allows signs to be created
- codes are small units that hold meaning whereas language features a vast amount of words and phrases
