Week 2

Question 1

linguistic competence

Answer 1

having the skills and knowledge on what rules are acceptable in a given language

Question 2

linguistic performance

Answer 2

the use of language and the way people talk

Question 3

performance error

Answer 3

mistakes made while speaking

Question 4

speech communication chain

Answer 4

a method of spoken communication to convey information to a listener

Question 5

speech communication chain steps

Answer 5

linguistic level
physiological level
acoustic level
physiological level
linguistic level

Question 6

noise

Answer 6

communication sounds that influence the meaning of a message

Question 7

lexicon

Answer 7

dictionary of words

Question 8

mental grammar

Answer 8

a mental system that allows individuals to understand each other

Question 9

language variation

Answer 9

the differences of manner when speaking

Question 10

descriptive grammar

Answer 10

rules about how language is used

Question 11

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

Answer 11

1. spoken language involves speaking and listening skills
2. written language involves reading and writing skills
3. spoken language is learned intuitively (e.g., mother tongue)
4. writing is a means of recording messages visually

Question 12

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

Answer 12

1. easier to understand complex sentences when written down
2. ability to record vast amounts of information
3. speech is transient, and listeners may need the speaker to repeat words

Question 13

prescriptive grammar

Answer 13

tells people the forms of how to speak and what to avoid

Question 14

prescribe

Answer 14

normative practices of language (spelling, grammar, pronunciation)

Question 15

Charles Hockett’s nine design features

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

language is used to transmit messages

Question 17

semanticity

Answer 17

all signals in a communication system have meaning or function

Question 18

pragmatic function

Answer 18

language must serve a useful purpose

Question 19

interchangeability

Answer 19

the ability of language to transmit and receive messages

Question 20

cultural transmission

Answer 20

genetics and hereditary factors do not influence languages acquired as children, only acquired via interaction

Question 21

arbitrariness

Answer 21

a word’s meaning is not predictable from its linguistic form, nor its form dictated by its meaning

Question 22

linguistic sign

Answer 22

an abstract structure that designates objects or phenomena

Question 23

convention

Answer 23

a principle adopted by a person about how to use a term

Question 24

non-arbitrariness

Answer 24

not subject to individual determination

Question 25

iconic

Answer 25

when a sign bears a natural resemblance to what it refers to

Question 26

onomatopoeia

Answer 26

connection of a sound that is interpreted within the context of language

Question 27

conventionalized

Answer 27

to simplify

Question 28

sound symbolism

Answer 28

mappings that exist between phonetic properties of speech sounds and their meaning

Question 29

discreteness

Answer 29

communication systems in which complex messages can be broken into smaller meaningful units

Question 30

displacement

Answer 30

ability to refer to things that aren’t present in the communicative situation

Question 31

productivity

Answer 31

ability to create and understand an infinite amount of new signs

Question 32

modality

Answer 32

a phenomenon of language is used to discuss possible situations

Question 33

myths about signed languages (4)

Answer 33

1. all individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing know sign language
2. American sign language can be easily translated into English
3. there is one sign language used in the entire world
4. sign language is not a true form of communicating

Question 34

differences between codes and languages (4)

Answer 34

1. a code is not a language
2. a language is made up of codes
3. a code is a medium that allows signs to be created
4. codes are small units that hold meaning whereas language features a vast amount of words and phrases