Introduction to Language System

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Questions and Answers

What is the nature of language?

The method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use words in a structured and conventional way.

How does the Merriam-Webster Dictionary define language?

As the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community.

How do linguists define a language?

An abstract system of symbols and meanings governed by grammatical rules.

What is the difference between a language and a dialect?

A language is an abstract system of symbols and meanings, while a dialect is sometimes viewed as a subset or 'type' of a particular language, spoken in a specific geographical area or by a particular group of people. Signup and view all the answers

According to Noam Chomsky, what is language?

A system which relates meanings to substance, a mental phenomenon that is innate, and all children in the world acquire a mother language. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two elements of language, as per John W. Oller, Jr.?

Cognitive, active (linguistic features of the language) and emotive or affective. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main idea behind Searle and Austin's perspective on language?

Language involves not just saying something, but also doing something like promising or asking. Signup and view all the answers

According to Malinowski, where does meaning reside in language?

Meaning resides in the context of the situation, not just in the words themselves. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of shared presuppositions in communication, according to Widdowson?

For communication to take place, the sender and receiver of the message should have shared presuppositions. Signup and view all the answers

According to Joseph Greenberg, what is language?

Language is a system of signals conforming to the rules of grammar, culturally transmitted behavior patterns shared by a group of individuals. Signup and view all the answers

How does Charles Carpenter Fries define language?

Language is speech, and speech is language. The written record is a secondary representation of the language. Signup and view all the answers

According to Roger T. Bell, what is language?

Language is a code, a set of elements and forms composed of sound, letters, and their combinations used for communication. Signup and view all the answers