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Questions and Answers
What is a distinctive feature of human language that allows for communication while performing other actions?
What is a key difference between human language and some animal languages?
What is a characteristic of human language that enables users to monitor and correct their speech?
What is an example of a language that exhibits arbitrariness?
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What is a characteristic of human language that allows for the transmission of knowledge and culture across generations?
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What is a feature of human language that allows for the creation of novel expressions and meanings?
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What is unique to humans among the language features mentioned in the text?
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What is an example of displacement language in animals mentioned in the text?
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What is a characteristic of human language that allows for infinite sentence length?
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What is a characteristic of animal communication mentioned in the text?
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What type of dance does a bee perform to communicate the location and quality of nectar within 1 m of the hive?
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What is a characteristic of human language that allows for Creativity?
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What is the primary way fluent speakers combine words according to language rules?
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What is the term for a group of words that can be substituted for a single word in a sentence?
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What is the process called when a speaker moves a phrase or word to a different position in a sentence?
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What is the fundamental aspect of human language that allows for the creation of complex sentences?
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What is unique about the communication systems of animals compared to human language?
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What is the role of rules in forming linguistic units such as words, phrases, and sentences?
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What is the term for the abstract, underlying patterns that govern language formation?
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What is the common attribute of the words 'sel', 'salt', and 'sout' in their respective languages?
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What is unclear about an animal's sign or signal?
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What is the term for the ability of language units to be recombined in different orders?
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What is a characteristic of human language acquisition?
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What is a feature of animal communication systems that differs from human language?
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Which birds are known to require social teaching to learn their song?
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Study Notes
Distinctive Features of Human Language
- Allows communication while engaging in other activities, enabling multitasking.
- Capable of self-monitoring and correcting errors in real-time during speech.
- Creativity permits the formation of novel expressions and meaningful combinations.
- Infinite sentence length is achievable through flexible word arrangement.
Differences Between Human and Animal Language
- Human language uniquely enables transmission of knowledge and culture through generations.
- Communication systems in animals lack the complexity and nuanced structure found in human languages.
Arbitrariness and Displacement
- An example of arbitrariness is language where symbols do not inherently relate to their meanings.
- Displacement language example in animals includes calls that refer to past or future events, transcending immediate contexts.
Linguistic Structure and Rules
- Fluent speakers combine words according to syntactic rules to create coherent sentences.
- A phrase that substitutes for a single word is termed a "phrase substitute."
- Moving a phrase or word within a sentence for emphasis or clarity is known as "reordering."
Patterns and Acquisition
- The fundamental aspect enabling complex sentence formation is the ability to manipulate language structures.
- The term for abstract patterns governing language formation is "grammar."
- Language acquisition in humans is characterized by an innate ability to learn.
Animal Communication Features
- Animal communication systems often lack the generative aspects that define human language.
- Social learning is noted in specific birds that require interaction to develop their singing abilities.
Bee Communication
- Bees perform a "waggle dance" to convey information about nectar's location and quality, effective within 1 meter of the hive.
Language Systems and Characteristics
- Human language allows for reordering and recombination of language units for diverse expression.
- Words sharing similar forms, like 'sel', 'salt', and 'sout', exhibit common phonetic attributes across different languages.
- Ambiguity in animal signals often leaves their intent unclear, contrasting with the specificity of human communication.
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Description
This quiz covers the typical features of human language, including the use of vocal-auditory channels, total feedback, arbitrariness, and more. Test your knowledge of the characteristics that define human language.
