Semester 2 Lecture 1 Flashcards
What is language?
An exchange of information
A set of spoken, written words that are combined to communicate meaning.
An arbitrary set of symbols, and rules for combining symbols, which can be used to create an infinite variety of messages. (Definitions of language often reflect differences between human language and non-human animal communication systems.
What does language require? and what does human language require a person to do?
An understanding of syntax (grammar) (grammatical rules are associated).
Human language requires a person to
-link words to meanings (form > semantics)
-understand rules that subtly alter the meaning of a phrase (syntax)
-be aware that specific combinations of sounds carry meaning (morphology)
-use language to convey meaning via the way we choose to speak (pragmatics)
What is Hockett’s Design features of language?
13 initial design features of languages extending to 16 features.
(Questioned whether or not language is unique to humans)
Believed that these differentiated human language from non-human language systems.
Unique thing ab humans is that we have all of those features. all human languages have all the features of language.
What are the design features of language that Hockett created?
(VSSADDP
Vocal-Auditory Channel
Specialisation
Semanticity
Arbitrariness
Discreteness
Displacement
Productivity
What is the Vocal-auditory channel feature?
All human languages are usually transmitted through vocal auditory channel
Our vocal cords are specialised in order to help us produce speech
Why is voice the best evolutionary choice for us to communicate?
Frees up your hands
Don’t have to be able to see people to communicate
Carries great distances
What is the feature of specialisation?
Sounds we produce are designed to convey meaning, they aren’t the biological outcome of another activity
eg dog after a run, panting behaviour - communicates they are tired, hot and thirsty, BUT this is not the purpose of the behaviour - the purpose is to keep the dog cool (its the biology)
so the communication are not byproducts of biological processes.
What is the feature of semanticity?
We have specific sounds that denote specific messages that have definitive meaning and words.
so every word we have has specific sounds and meaning to it.
but in the English language there are exceptions to this rule
eg
homophones ( words sound the same and can be used for multiple messages).
such as
aisle, isle, site, sight, leek, leak, sauce and source.
What is the feature of Arbitrariness?
Words are arbitrary and decided by agreement
Whales are huge but the word is relatively small
Microorganisms are tiny but the word is relatively large
so
The words themselves are not representative
but it does convey meaning.
What is the feature of discreteness?
We can break our language down into discrete units and add meaning to different things or a word we are already familiar with
eg
dog
and add an s
to make dogs
denoting plurality and is then perceived categorically rather than continuously
Allowing us to have a better understanding of what we are seeing
What is the feature of Displacement?
Can talk about things that arent immediately in our vicinity
eg people, places, times, things that dont exist or never existed, dreams etc
eg mental time travel in memory
eg bees doing waggle dance communicating to bees in hive where and when to get pollen
eg ants lay a pheromone trail to food source
eg dolphins
What is the feature of productivity?
How do dolphins use communication systems?
Highly intelligent
v social and play use tools and teach behaviour to their young
use a range of high pitched whistles and clicks
used for location but their communicative purpose is little understood (Frankell, 1998)
No evidence that they combine sounds, have grammatical rules, no displacement etc (Harley, 2010).
How are Human communication systems varied and complicated?
We can use body language to communicate to each other
we can use verbal communication which are unique to humans (eg spoken, written, sign)
language allows us to communicate thoughts and concepts to other people
What is the Sapir-Whorf Theory? (Sapire, 1929 & Whorf, 1940).
Idea that language frames the way that we think, allowing us to grapple with difficult concepts, logical problems, philosophical debates
eg in certain languages there are more words for different colours. if you have more words for colours you will be able to perceive and be able to discriminate between different colours as well. so language can really shape things such as our thoughts and perception
Colour perception affected by language - EG russian and english speakers differing perception of colour
Word order affects ability to remember items on a list
Sentences of a language which front load sentences with salient information demonstrates primacy effect - reverse true for languages that back load sentences
so
Language shapes the way that we think
What do cognitive psychologists assume ab language?
Language is based on mental representations (and the world is represented by mental representations)
(the world only exists in the capacity in which we understand it)
How are mental representations developed?
experience with sensory input
How are the store of mental representations for language developed?
Through experience with language
we learn language by being immersed through that language
How do we activate our mental representations of words we hear?
To things we are seeing or doing.
We understand that the word is tied to a meaning of something.
The more we interact or engage w coffee the more we understand ab coffee and what it means to us
What does mental representation for comprehension rely on?
Input (in the form of sounds)
eg sound waves we are receiving
that will activate a mental representation of that sound
so what is sounds like in terms of its phrenology
the actual representation of sound is linked to meaning
the output we get from this is comprehension
we understand the things that have been said to each other
What happens when we produce speech?
the input is the concept for the communication (before speaking to someone you have to know what you are trying to say)
this will then allow me to activate the meaning
eg the concepts i am trying to impart
then it can be linked to existing representations for the relevant sounds that communicate this information
the output there would be the speech or written word or gesture that communicates that meaning
(speech, writing, gesture)
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