Vocab and Terminology

Question 1

linguistic competence

Answer 1

the unconscious knowledge that a speaker has about her or his native language

Question 2

linguistic performance

Answer 2

the observable use of language

Question 3

performance error

Answer 3

errors in language production or comprehension, including hesitation and slips of the tongue

Question 4

speech communication chain

Answer 4

the process through which information is communicated ,consisting of an information source, transmitter, signal, receiver, and destination

Question 5

speech communication chain steps

Answer 5

thinks of what you want to communicate, pick out words to express the idea, put these words together in a certain order, figure out how to pronounce these words, send those pronunciation to your vocal anatomy. speak, perceive. decodes, connect

Question 6

noise

Answer 6

interference in the communication chain

Question 7

lexicon

Answer 7

mental repository of linguistic information about words and other lexicon expressions

Question 8

mental grammar

Answer 8

knowledge that a speaker has about the linguistic units rules of his native language

Question 9

language variation

Answer 9

property of languages having different ways to express the same meanings in different context according to factors such as geography, social class, gender

Question 10

descriptive grammar

Answer 10

objective description of speaker’s knowledge of a language bases on their use of language

Question 11

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

Answer 11

1. archeological evidence
2. writing does not exist everywhere
3. . writing must be taught
4. writing can be edited

Question 12

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

Answer 12

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

Question 13

prescriptive grammar

Answer 13

the standard by which society makes judgments of right or wrong

Question 14

prescribe

Answer 14

tell us how to speak or write , someone idea of what is good or bar like a doctors prescription

Question 15

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

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 system

Question 18

pragmatic function

Answer 18

the useful purpose of any given communication system

Question 19

interchangeability

Answer 19

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

relation to language, refers to that fact that a world’s meaning is not predictable from its linguistic form, nor it its from dictated by its meaning

Question 22

linguistic sign

Answer 22

combination of a linguistic form and 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

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

Question 26

onomatopoeia

Answer 26

iconic use of words that are imitative of sounds occurring in nature or that have meaning that are associate with such sounds

Question 27

conventionalized

Answer 27

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

Question 28

sound symbolism

Answer 28

phenomenon by which certain sounds are evocative of a particular meaning

Question 29

discreteness

Answer 29

the property of communication systems by which compress messages may be built up put of smaller parts

Question 30

displacement

Answer 30

property of some communication system that allows the to be uses to communication about things, actions, and ideas that are not present at the place or time where communication is taking place

Question 31

productivity

Answer 31

the capacity of a communication system for novel message built out of discrete units to be produced and understood

Question 32

modality

Answer 32

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

Question 33

myths about signed languages (list 4)

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 (list 4)

Answer 34

1. a code is artificially constructed
2. a code represents another language
3. a code borrows its structure from a language
4. a code never has a native speaker