Podcast
Questions and Answers
In the context of communication, what constitutes a 'signal' according to the adaptationist view?
In the context of communication, what constitutes a 'signal' according to the adaptationist view?
- A response elicited by another organism's behavior.
- An act or structure that has evolved to alter the behavior of another organism. (correct)
- Any observable behavior of an organism.
- The transfer of information between individuals.
Which of the following best describes the 'informational view' of communication?
Which of the following best describes the 'informational view' of communication?
- Communication is solely based on verbal exchanges.
- Communication is primarily about adapting to the environment.
- Communication occurs exclusively between animals.
- Biological signals carry 'information'. (correct)
Which aspect differentiates language from general communication in humans?
Which aspect differentiates language from general communication in humans?
- Transfer of information between individuals.
- A structured system governed by hierarchical rules. (correct)
- Use of sounds to convey messages.
- Involvement of nonverbal cues.
What does it mean for a communication system to be 'generative'?
What does it mean for a communication system to be 'generative'?
What does it mean for linguistic signals to be 'referential'?
What does it mean for linguistic signals to be 'referential'?
How does syntax influence language comprehension?
How does syntax influence language comprehension?
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'semantics' in language?
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'semantics' in language?
How does pragmatics contribute to understanding language?
How does pragmatics contribute to understanding language?
What are phonemes?
What are phonemes?
What is the primary focus of morphology in linguistics?
What is the primary focus of morphology in linguistics?
Which statement accurately describes language?
Which statement accurately describes language?
Which is an example of the complexity that morphology brings to language?
Which is an example of the complexity that morphology brings to language?
What is the relationship between communication and language?
What is the relationship between communication and language?
Considering universal features of language, what role does semantics play?
Considering universal features of language, what role does semantics play?
What distinguishes human language from animal communication?
What distinguishes human language from animal communication?
What is a key takeaway regarding language modality?
What is a key takeaway regarding language modality?
Which of the following is true about sign languages?
Which of the following is true about sign languages?
What is the main role of pragmatics in language?
What is the main role of pragmatics in language?
Which statement captures a universal component of language?
Which statement captures a universal component of language?
In what way does studying language evolution broaden our understanding of communication?
In what way does studying language evolution broaden our understanding of communication?
If a linguist is studying how context influences the interpretation of a speaker's statement, which aspect of language are they focusing on?
If a linguist is studying how context influences the interpretation of a speaker's statement, which aspect of language are they focusing on?
A researcher is investigating how children learn to combine words into meaningful phrases. Which area of linguistics is most relevant to this study?
A researcher is investigating how children learn to combine words into meaningful phrases. Which area of linguistics is most relevant to this study?
A scientist discovers a new species that communicates through complex patterns of light flashes. To understand their communication system as a language, what should they look for?
A scientist discovers a new species that communicates through complex patterns of light flashes. To understand their communication system as a language, what should they look for?
Which of the following scenarios exemplifies the importance of pragmatic understanding?
Which of the following scenarios exemplifies the importance of pragmatic understanding?
How does morphology contribute to the generative property of language?
How does morphology contribute to the generative property of language?
A child refers to all four-legged animals as 'dogs'. Which aspect of language development does this best illustrate?
A child refers to all four-legged animals as 'dogs'. Which aspect of language development does this best illustrate?
Which of the following represents an example of hierarchical structure in language?
Which of the following represents an example of hierarchical structure in language?
In the context of language development, how does the understanding of pragmatics evolve in children?
In the context of language development, how does the understanding of pragmatics evolve in children?
A person suffers a brain injury and can no longer understand the meaning of words, although they can still hear and pronounce them correctly. Which aspect of language is most likely affected?
A person suffers a brain injury and can no longer understand the meaning of words, although they can still hear and pronounce them correctly. Which aspect of language is most likely affected?
If a researcher is comparing the babbling sounds made by infants from different language backgrounds, which area of linguistics are they most likely studying?
If a researcher is comparing the babbling sounds made by infants from different language backgrounds, which area of linguistics are they most likely studying?
When considering what makes animal communication different from human language, which factor plays a crucial role?
When considering what makes animal communication different from human language, which factor plays a crucial role?
How does the concept of 'referential' signals in language relate to human cognition?
How does the concept of 'referential' signals in language relate to human cognition?
What would be an example of how practical 'pragmatics' comes into play?
What would be an example of how practical 'pragmatics' comes into play?
What does that phrase 'language is modality-independent' mean?
What does that phrase 'language is modality-independent' mean?
What allows different world languages and cultures to build new ways to communicate and use language?
What allows different world languages and cultures to build new ways to communicate and use language?
Which languages have the greatest number of phonemes?
Which languages have the greatest number of phonemes?
What is the definition of a homonym?
What is the definition of a homonym?
Flashcards
Communication Definition
Communication Definition
The act of transferring information from one individual, group, or place to another, using verbal or nonverbal mediums.
Sender
Sender
The person or group who starts the communication process.
Message
Message
The information being conveyed in the communication process.
Receiver
Receiver
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Communication (Adaptionist View)
Communication (Adaptionist View)
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Signal
Signal
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Response
Response
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Language
Language
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Generative Language System
Generative Language System
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Referential Signals
Referential Signals
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Phonemes
Phonemes
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Pragmatics
Pragmatics
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Morphology
Morphology
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Semantics, Syntax, Phonology, Pragmatics and Morphology
Semantics, Syntax, Phonology, Pragmatics and Morphology
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Syntax
Syntax
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Modality Independent
Modality Independent
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Study Notes
- There will be practice exam questions and quizzes during the course
- These will help with preparing for exams and consolidating learning
- There are 10 lectures covering core themes
Course Structure
- Introduction
- Primate communication and language evolution
- Ape language research and brain evolution
- Language and the brain
- Development of language
- Speech
- Words and syntax
- Gestures and multi-modality
- Communication, cognition, and culture
- Bilingualism & Revision
- There will be a focus on evolutionary/comparative approaches
- It is advised to engage in reading, discussion, and research to expand upon the lectures
- Accompanying text: Psychology by Schacter et al. (2022)
- It's helpful to ask questions and expand learning through reading
Today's Objectives
- Overview core themes
- Define communication
- Define language
- List universal features of language
- Language across modalities
Communication
- Transferring information from one individual, group, or place to another
- Usually involves a variety of mediums, verbal & nonverbal, such as sound, text, olfactory, light, electricity, or bodily movements
Key elements of communication:
- Sender: Initiates the communication
- Message: The information being conveyed
- Receiver: Receives the communication
Adaptionist View
- Communication equals the relation between a signal and its response
- Communication has evolved to increase a species' survival
- Signal: An act/structure evolved to alter another organism's behavior
- Response: An act/structure evolved to be affected by the signal
Informational View
- Biological signals carry information about the
Types of Communication
- Vocal
- Gestural
- Facial
- Bodily
- Olfactory
- Visual
Language
- A sophisticated symbol-based communication system governed by hierarchical rules
- A structured system of communication used to convey meaning, typically through sounds, gestures, or symbols
- An open and generative communication system that can change over time
- New signals can be combined to create new meanings
- Linguistic signals are referential and can convey specific meanings
- Speech, gestures, & writing refer to things in the world
- Specific meanings, not arbitrary
Hierarchical Structure of Language
- Very important and involves:
- Semantic: The meaning of words, phrases, and sentences
- Syntactic: Arrangement/combination of words
- Morphological
- Phonological: Sounds of words
Features of language
- Open & generative system
- Linguistic signals are referential and can be symbolic
- Complex hierarchical structure governed by syntactic rules
Universal Features of Language
- Syntax
- Semantics
- Phonology
- Pragmatics
- Morphology
Syntax
- Rules & principles that govern the structure of a language, i.e., grammar
- Rules governing how words are combined
- Governs sentence structure and determines word order
- Sentence components are organized to make an effect on the outcome
Semantics
- The meaning of linguistic units, like words, signs & gestures
- The relationship between a symbol and what it
- Define how words and
Phonology
- Organization of speech sounds, sound system of language
- Phonemes: Smallest units of sound that are recognisable as speech
- meaningless sounds which combine to form meaningful units
- Languages have different amounts of phonemes
- Pira the language has the least phonemes (10-11)
- The Khoisan language of the San people in Namibia may have over 200
Languages with low amounts Phonemes
- Austronesian Language Introduction - Hla'alua (Saaroa) Tribe (Taiwan) – has around 17 phonemes
Pragmatics
- How context contributes to meaning
- Social rules that shape how a language is used in context
- Context is really important for understanding meaning
Words with multiple meanings
- Homonyms
- Two or more words that share the same spelling or pronunciation but have different meanings
Morphology
- Structure of words & the rules of how they are formed ('morph' means shape or form')
- Morphemes: Smallest meaningful units of language
- Meaningless sounds (phonemes) combine to make
- Simple words contain one morpheme
- Complex words have multiple morphemes
Modality-Independent Languages
- Speech
- Sign-language which contains all the same linguistic features as spoken languages & develops at the same pace in childhood
- Written-language
Summary
- There are many different types of communication across the animal kingdom
- Language is a sophisticated communication system governed by rules and hierarchical structure
- Universal components of language include semantics, syntax, phonology, pragmatics, and morphology
- Language is a modality-independent system that combines both speech and gesture
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