Unit 1: Complexities of defining communication

Question 1

What are the characteristics of language?

Answer 1

Language is made up of units

Question 2

What is a phoneme?

Answer 2

In speech, it is the smallest unit of sound that can distinguish two words. Eg. B in bat Chang to s in sat

Question 3

What is a morpheme?

Answer 3

The smallest meaning full unit. A morpheme is phonemes linked together …the smallest until that convey meaning.

Question 4

Language can be expressed by different mediums.

Answer 4

Speech or writing. With sign language having its own distinct characteristics.

Question 5

What is a phrase?

Answer 5

A group of words that form a larger unit but don’t make up a sentence of their own.
Eg. her expensive new car

Question 6

What is a clause?

Answer 6

A group of words that form a syntactic unit, with a subject and a verb. Eg. Her expensive new car broke down unexpectedly where her expensive new car is the subject and broke down is the verb.

Question 7

What is a sentence?

Answer 7

It is made up of one or more clauses.

Question 8

What is phonetics?

Answer 8

The study of the properties of speech sounds, eg. Ooo, ooh, uhh or clip/flop noises. Independent of language…..sounds

Question 9

What is phonology?

Answer 9

A study or investigation of the role of sounds in language.

Question 10

What is IPA?

Answer 10

International Phonetic Alphabet

Question 11

Why is language systematic?

Answer 11

The meaning of a language is dependant on units being arranged in a particular systematic way, according to a set of rules.

Question 12

What are the common rules for spoken language?

Answer 12

1 :phonological rules……which sound appears in which position in a word.
2:syntactic rules determine which words can appear in which arrangements in a sentence.

Question 13

What is the relationship between a word and its meaning?

Answer 13

Arbitrary

Question 14

What does arbitrary mean?

Answer 14

There is no iconic or natural connection between a word (signifier) and its meaning (the signified) or object it signifies.
Eg chair….no shape or sound with word makes you automatically connect to the concept of a piece of furniture used for sitting.

Question 15

Language then is a system of arbitrary ……?

Answer 15

Signs

Question 16

Language can be expressed through different mediums for example….

Answer 16

Set……
I set fire to the building
The jelly is set
Game, set and match

Question 17

What is the dictionary definition of a word, explicit or direct meaning?

Answer 17

Denotation

Question 18

What is a connotation?

Answer 18

The second, possible or likely meaning or sometimes what we may think.
Eg. HOME , Denotation is a place where people live. Connotation could suggest, privacy, intimacy,warmth, security.

Question 19

How can language be creative?

Answer 19

Noam Chomsky observed: knowing a language means knowing a finite set of rules for producing an infinite number of sentences

Question 20

What does it mean to say language is productive?

Answer 20

We draw upon the rules of our language to create any number of novel (unusual) structures. Eg. Hey, look , a green computer just flew past the window!

Question 21

How can language be culturally transmitted?

Answer 21

Evidence suggests that language is not instinctive or innate but that it is learned by exposure to others.
Innate= existing at birth.
Again Noam Chomsky suggests the human mind is somehow programmed to acquire and use language….any language, whichever an infant is exposed to.

Question 22

What distinguishes human language from animal forms of communication?

Answer 22

Displacement

Question 23

What is displacement?

Answer 23

Being able to talk about objects ,me vents or ideas that are outside of the here-and-now….eg. What would you do if you won the lottery?

Question 24

What is communication?

Answer 24

Difficult to define, communicative patterns, processes and interactions.

Question 25

Considered a human phenomenon, the fact we give names to our children, animals, new products....what is the term given to the process.

Answer 25

Naming

Question 26

What is metalinguistics?

Answer 26

Metalinguistics is a way to talk about language. It is the idea of duality or our ability to talk about language

Question 27

Language is recognised as special why?

Answer 27

``` #1 Christian creation.....God created the animals gave them to Adam who named them all. #2 Mayan.......the creators told the birds and animals, talk and scream according to your kind. They could not speak as humans to hail the creator ...so were punished and their flesh has been eaten by man! ```

Question 28

Reasons for diversity of languages are

Answer 28

Comparison of words from languages like French, Portuguese, Spanish have evolved from a parent language LATIN.

Question 29

What is the key to humans developing language?

Answer 29

BIPEDALISM....or walking on two feet in an upright posture. The upright posture along with use of tools increased mans neurological structure.

Question 30

What is the linear model of communication?

Answer 30

Sender ------------------message-------------->receiver This is too simplified as messages are not transmitted head to head Shannon-Weaver model::::: next step see next question.

Question 31

What is the Shannon-Weaver model?

Answer 31

Signal Information source------>transmitter------>receiver----->destination Noise source. Internal noise ...eg. Attitudes, expectations External noise ...eg. Cars, music, other voices Internal or external noise can alter the message transmission

Question 32

Which ways can culture effect communication or act as a noise?

Answer 32

It can effect or interfere with communication due to different ways of thinking, traditions, beliefs etc

Question 33

In communication, who is the sender and who is the receiver?

Answer 33

The speaker is the sender and the hearer is the receiver

Question 34

Explain the contextual model of communication

Answer 34

CONTEXT..time, location, topic, etc CHANNEL Encoding. Decoding Sender-------------------message-------------------receiver ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Noise The context of the communication effects the exchange and the possible 'noise' or factors affecting the interpretation of the message.