Week 2 Flashcards
linguistic competence
having the skills and knowledge on what rules are acceptable in a given language
linguistic performance
the use of language and the way people talk
performance error
mistakes made while speaking
speech communication chain
a method of spoken communication to convey information to a listener
speech communication chain steps
linguistic level physiological level acoustic level physiological level linguistic level
noise
communication sounds that influence the meaning of a message
lexicon
dictionary of words
mental grammar
a mental system that allows individuals to understand each other
language variation
the differences of manner when speaking
descriptive grammar
rules about how language is used
evidence that writing and language are not the same (4 reasons)
- spoken language involves speaking and listening skills
- written language involves reading and writing skills
- spoken language is learned intuitively (e.g., mother tongue)
- writing is a means of recording messages visually
reasons some people believe writing to be superior to speech (3 reasons)
- easier to understand complex sentences when written down
- ability to record vast amounts of information
- speech is transient, and listeners may need the speaker to repeat words
prescriptive grammar
tells people the forms of how to speak and what to avoid
prescribe
normative practices of language (spelling, grammar, pronunciation)
Charles Hockett’s nine design features
- mode of communication
- semanticity
- pragmatic function
- interchangeability
- cultural transmission
- arbitrariness
- discreteness
- displacement
- productivity
mode of communication
language is used to transmit messages
semanticity
all signals in a communication system have meaning or function
pragmatic function
language must serve a useful purpose
interchangeability
the ability of language to transmit and receive messages
cultural transmission
genetics and hereditary factors do not influence languages acquired as children, only acquired via interaction
arbitrariness
a word’s meaning is not predictable from its linguistic form, nor its form dictated by its meaning
linguistic sign
an abstract structure that designates objects or phenomena
convention
a principle adopted by a person about how to use a term
non-arbitrariness
not subject to individual determination
