Vocab

Question 1

linguistic competence

Answer 1

system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language.

Question 2

linguistic performance

Answer 2

the actual use of language in concrete situations

Question 3

performance error

Answer 3

errors in speech production and perception

Question 4

speech communication chain

Answer 4

describes the stages in speech communication when a message moves between the mind of the speaker and the mind of the listener.

Question 5

speech communication chain steps

Answer 5

1: sender has a thought, the thought must be encoded
2: selection of words - lexicon is inventory of words that represents your thoughts, you pull from it to form words/phrases and combine them
3: following Rules - use syntax to properly phrase thoughts
4: Nerve Impulses - signals get transported through neural pathways to motor nerves
5: Muscle Movements - nerves driving our vocal muscles to produce sound which then activates the lungs, moves tongue to articulate, the lips, the hand, and your face
6: Sound Waves - when noise comes out you are producing sound waves

Question 6

noise

Answer 6

interference in the communication chain

Question 7

lexicon

Answer 7

the words used in a language or by a person or group of people.

Question 8

mental grammar

Answer 8

the generative grammar stored in the brain that allows a speaker to produce language that other speakers can understand.

Question 9

language variation

Answer 9

varying pronunciation (accent), word choice (lexicon), or morphology and syntax

Question 10

descriptive grammar

Answer 10

set of rules about language based on how it is actually used.

Question 11

evidence that writing and language are not the same

Answer 11

1: archaeological evidence over 6000 years ago
2: writing doesn’t exist everywhere
3: writing must be taught
4: writing can be edited

Question 12

reasons some people believe writing to be superior to speech

Answer 12

1: writing can be edited
2: writing must be taught
3: writing is more physically stable

Question 13

prescriptive grammar

Answer 13

set of rules designed to give instructions regarding the socially embedded notion of the “correct” or “proper” way to speak or write

Question 14

prescribe

Answer 14

use rules and conventions to tell a speaker the way he should or shouldn’t use a language

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

means through which a message is transmitted for any given communication system

Question 17

semanticity

Answer 17

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

Question 18

pragmatic function

Answer 18

the useful purpose of any given communication system

Question 19

interchangeability

Answer 19

the property of a communication system by which all individuals have the ability to both transmit and review messages

Question 20

cultural transmission

Answer 20

property of a communication system referring to the fact that at least some aspects of it are learned through interaction with other users of the system

Question 21

arbitrariness

Answer 21

refers to the fact that word’s meaning is not predictable from its linguistic form, nor is its form dictated by its meaning

Question 22

linguistic sign

Answer 22

the combination of a linguistic form and its meaning

Question 23

convention

Answer 23

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

Question 24

nonarbitrariness

Answer 24

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

Question 25

iconic

Answer 25

describes a relationship between form and meaning such that the form of a word bears a resemblance to its meaning

Question 26

onomatopoeia

Answer 26

iconic use of words that are imitative of sound occurring in nature or that have meanings that are associated with such sounds

Question 27

conventionalized

Answer 27

the adjective to describe a convention in society

Question 28

sound symbolism

Answer 28

phenomenon by which certain sounds are evocative of a certain meaning

Question 29

discreteness

Answer 29

the property of communication systems by which complex messages may be built up out of smaller parts

Question 30

displacement

Answer 30

the property of some communication systems that allows them to be used to communicate about things, actions, and ideas that are not present at the place or time of communication

Question 31

productivity

Answer 31

the capacity of a communication system (unique to human language) for novel messages built out of discrete units to be produced and understood

Question 32

modality

Answer 32

mode of communication

Question 33

myths about signed languages

Answer 33

1: Signed languages are codes for local spoken languages 2: Sign languages are pantomime 3: They don't have internal structure 4: Signed languages are universally the same

Question 34

differences between codes and languages

Answer 34

1: a code is artificially constructed 2: a code borrows its structure from a language 3: a code never has a native speaker 4: a language generally transmits information more quickly and efficiently