Vocabulary and Terminology

Question 1

Linguistic performance

Answer 1

The observable use of language. The actualization of one’s linguistic competence.

Question 2

Performance error

Answer 2

Errors in language production or comprehension, including hesitations and slips of tongue.

Question 3

Speech communication chain

Answer 3

The process through which information is communicated, this thing of an information source, transmitter, signal, receiver, and destination.

Question 4

Speech communication chain steps

Answer 4

1. Think of what you want to communicate.
2. Pick out words to express the idea.
3. Put these words together in a certain order following rules.
4. Figure out how to pronounce these words.
5. Send those pronunciations to your vocal anatomy.
6. Speak: 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 5

Noise

Answer 5

Interference in the communication chain.

Question 6

Lexicon

Answer 6

Mental repository of linguistic information about words and other lexical expressions, including their form, meaning, morphological, and syntactic properties. As a part of a descriptive, not mental, grammar, the lexicon is a representation of the mental lexicon, consisting of lexical entries that capture the relevant properties of lexical expressions.

Question 7

Mental grammar

Answer 7

The mental representation of grammar. The knowledge that a speaker has about the linguistic units and rules of his native language.

Question 8

Language variation

Answer 8

The property of language is having different ways to express the same meanings in different contexts according to factors such as geography, social class, gender, etc.

Question 9

Descriptive grammar

Answer 9

Objective description of a speaker’s knowledge of a language (competence) based on their use of the language (performance).

Question 10

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

Answer 10

1. archaeological evidence-writing is later in history than spoken language. 2. Writing does not exist everywhere-some spoken languages do not have a written form of that language. 3. Writing must be taught-spoken language is acquired naturally being able to write in a language is not. 4. Nero linguistic evidence-while spoken language involves several distinct areas of the brain. Writing requires these and additional areas.

Question 11

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

Answer 11

1. Writing can be edited-this means the end product is better organized with fewer hesitations or incomplete sentences that you would find in speech. 2. Writing must be taught-it is associated with education and educated speech. One being taught how to write does not necessarily give them a better grasp of spoken language. 3. Writing is more physically stable-writing is supposed to be permanent. Once something is written down, it can be filed for later use and printed for publication. While speech once it has been spoken, if not reported, usually gets forgotten.

Question 12

Prescriptive grammar

Answer 12

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

Question 13

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

Answer 13

Mode of communication, semanticity, pragmatic function, interchangeability, cultural transmission, arbitrariness, discreteness, displacement and productivity.

Question 14

Mode of communication

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Semanticity

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Pragmatic function

Answer 16

The useful purpose of any given communication system.

Question 17

Interchangeability

Answer 17

The property of a communication system by which all individuals have the ability to both transmit and review messages (as opposed to systems where some individuals can only send messages and others can only receive messages).

Question 18

Cultural transmission

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Arbitrariness

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Linguistic sign

Answer 20

The combination of a linguistic form and meaning.

Question 21

Convention

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Nonarbitrariness

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Iconic

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Onomatopoeia

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Conventionalized

Answer 25

Something that is established, commonly agreed-upon, or operating in a certain way, according to common practice. When arbitrary relationship of a linguistic sign and its meaning is conventionalized, the linguistic sign bears a constant relationship only because people consistently use that linguistic sign to convey that meaning.

Question 26

Sound symbolism

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Discreteness

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Displacement

Answer 28

The property of some communication system that allows them to be used to communicate about things, actions, and ideas that are not present at the place or time where communications taking place.

Question 29

Productivity

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Prescribe

Answer 30

To set or lay down authoritatively for direction or control; give as a law or direction.

Question 31

Modality

Answer 31

A mode communication, how it is produced and how it is perceived.

Question 32

Myths about signed languages (list 4)

Answer 32

1. Signed languages derived from spoken languages rather than being languages in their own right. 2. Signed languages don’t consist of words at all, but rather involve signers using their hands draw pictures in the air act out what they are talking about. 3. Signed languages do not have any internal structure and the words in sign language completely iconic. 4. There is only one sign language is used by deaf speakers all over the world.

Question 33

Differences between codes and languages (list 4)

Answer 33

1. A code is an artificially constructed system for representing a natural language has no structure of its own, but borrows its structure from the natural language that it represents. Signed languages on the other hand, it will naturally and independently of spoken languages they are distinct from each other. 2. Codes never have native speakers because their artificial systems languages on the other hand, do have native speakers. 3. Manual codes are based on natural languages rather than being languages. 4. True language whether spoken or signed is a more efficient way of communicating then signed codes.