Chapter 1

Question 1

linguistic performance

Answer 1

The observable use of language.

Question 2

speech communication chain steps

Answer 2

1. Think of what you want to communicate.
2. Pick out words to express idea.
3. Put words together in certain order following rules.
4. Figure out how to pronounce the words.
5. Send pronunciations to your vocal anatomy
6. Send the sounds through the air
7. Perceive: Listener hears the sounds.
8. Decode: Listener interprets sounds as language.
9. Connect: Listener receives communicated idea.

Question 3

Noise

Answer 3

Interference in the communication chain.

Question 4

mental grammar

Answer 4

Are all the rules you know about your language

Question 5

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

Answer 5

1. Archeological evidence – indicates that writing is a later historical development than spoken language.
2. Writing does not exist everywhere
3. Writing must be taught
4. Neurolinguistic evidence – demonstrates that the processing and production of written language is overlaid on spoken language centers in the brain

Question 6

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

Answer 6

1. Writing can be edited so the product of writing is unusually more organized.
2. Writing must be taught and is therefore intimately associated with education and educated speech.
3. Writing is more physically stable

Question 7

Prescribe

Answer 7

like a doctor’s prescription

Question 8

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

Answer 8

1. Mode of Communication
2. Semanticity
3. Pragmatic Function
4. Interchangability
5. Cultural Transmission
6. Arbitrariness
7. Discreteness
8. Displacement
9. Productivity

Question 9

mode of communication

Answer 9

Means through which a message is transmitted for any given communication system.

Question 10

Semanticity

Answer 10

Property of having signals that convey a meaning, shared by all communication systems.

Question 11

pragmatic function

Answer 11

The useful purpose of any given communication system.

Question 12

convention

Answer 12

Something that is established, commonly agreed upon, or operating in a certain way according to common practice.

Question 13

Nonarbitrariness

Answer 13

Direct correspondence between the physical properties of a form and the meaning that the form refers to.

Question 14

Iconic

Answer 14

Relationship between form and meaning such that the form of a word bears a resemblance to its meaning.

Question 15

Conventionalized

Answer 15

Something that is established, commonly agreed upon, or operating in a certain way according to common practice.

Question 16

sound symbolism

Answer 16

Phenomenon by which certain sounds are evocative of a particular meaning.

Question 17

Discreteness

Answer 17

The property of communication systems by which complex messages may be built up out of similar parts.

Question 18

Modality

Answer 18

refers to the means by which messages are transmitted and received.

Question 19

myths about signed languages (list 4)

Answer 19

1. Sign languages derived from spoke languages
2. Sign languages are manual codes
3. Signed languages are completely iconic
4. Signed languages are pantomime

Question 20

differences between codes and languages (list 4)

Answer 20

1. Code is an artificially constructed system for representing a natural language.
2. Signed languages evolved naturally and independently of spoken languages.
3. Codes never have native speakers because they are artificial.
4. Languages do have native speakers.