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Questions and Answers
What distinguishes human beings from other living beings?
How do plants and animals communicate according to the text?
In what ways can we communicate besides using language?
What is the primary skill associated with the oral form of language?
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What is the first characteristic of language mentioned in the text?
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Which of the following best describes language as per the text?
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What type of sign shares a physical resemblance with the object it represents?
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Which statement about language arbitrariness is true?
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Which term refers to the relationship between a sign and the object it stands for based on physical proximity?
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What does the text suggest about the creative potential of language?
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In what way are onomatopoeic words different in various languages?
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Why must members of a language community learn the words and nuances of the language according to the text?
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Study Notes
Language Characteristics
- Language is a unique characteristic that distinguishes human beings from other living beings.
- It is a system that allows humans to communicate and express themselves in a way that is not possible for plants and animals.
Language vs. Communication
- Language and communication are related but distinct concepts.
- Communication involves exchanging information through various means, including gestures, facial expressions, and grunts, whereas language is a specific system of symbols and rules.
Language Skills
- Language skills can be broken down into four main categories:
- Receptive skills: LISTENING and READING
- Productive skills: SPEAKING and WRITING
Systematic Character of Language
- Language is a system that operates according to a set of rules and patterns.
- Examples of language's systematic character include the use of personal pronouns, word formation, and sentence structure.
Symbolic Nature of Language
- Language involves the use of signs and symbols to represent objects, ideas, and concepts.
- There are three types of signs:
- Icons: signs that share a physical resemblance with the object they represent
- Indices: signs that have a physical connection to the object they represent
- Symbols: signs that have a conventional or cultural relationship to the object they represent
Arbitrary Nature of Language
- The words and meanings we assign to them are based on convention and cultural agreement.
- There is no inherent connection between a word and its referent; meaning is arbitrary and learned through cultural transmission.
- Examples of arbitrariness include the different words for "mother" in various languages.
Productive (Creative) Nature of Language
- Language allows for creative expression and imagination.
- Poets, authors, and speakers can use language to create new meanings, exaggerate, mislead, or tell stories.
- The possibilities for language use are endless, with no limit to the number of sentences, words, and utterances that can be made.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the distinctions between language and communication, and how they are unique to human beings. Explore the differences in speaking and writing abilities across various living beings.
