Nature of Language: Definition & Spelling

Which of the following is an essential component for identifying a means of communication as a language?

Animals cannot communicate with each other; only human beings communicate.

What three elements do linguists agree are necessary for a means of communication to be categorized as a language?

The process of acquiring a first language is known as language ________.

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What distinguishes human language from animal communication?

Monkeys can fully organize the sounds and gestures they use into a meaningful system with rules, similar to human language.

Language is a wonderful and [BLANK] human capacity.

When people from different linguistic backgrounds interact, it may result in ________ ________, which can lead to new forms of language.

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What does it mean when linguists say a language has a 'sound system' (phonology)?

If you speak English as your first language and travel to a country where they speak only Mandarin Chinese, you will be able to communicate with them effectively from the start.

When speakers who do not share the same language begin to create understandable forms of communication, this is referred to as what?

The sounds that animals produce often reflect their ________.

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Which of the following best describes language change resulting from language contact?

Language learning only occurs in formal settings like schools.

Give an example of a language difference primarily found in spelling between American English and British English.

A group of people that uses the same language is called a speech ________.

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In the context of language, what is a 'lexicon'?

Americans and British people belong to the same speech community and have only minor language differences.

Humans communicate through speech because they come from the same [BLANK] [BLANK].

We call the languages we acquire as we group as ______, which we also know as first language

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If a person only knows a little English and goes to China to work, what concept describes their attempt to communicate with Chinese-speaking residents?

If a new language emerges as a result of communication between people who do not share the same language, this new language form will not be understandable to both groups of people.

What is an example of a word that could be used to utter, raise a question, or give a statement?

When a language is used by people, understanding each other is ______ because they come from the same speech community.

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Which of the following is true about language?

If you are a monkey, you can signal its partner that it is sharing food with them.

What is the difference between language acquisition and language learning?

They may not utter a word (_____!), raise a question (Want some food?), or give a statement ( I'd like to share this food with you.)

Match the phrase with the correct meaning: