2What is Language_removed.pdf

What is Language? Defining language is not easy. We might say it is a means of communication: — Speakers encode meanings into sounds (or hand shapes). — Listeners decode speech sounds (or hand shapes) into meaning. What is Language? But is language just a way of communicating? Surely, we can all...

What is Language? Defining language is not easy. We might say it is a means of communication: — Speakers encode meanings into sounds (or hand shapes). — Listeners decode speech sounds (or hand shapes) into meaning. What is Language? But is language just a way of communicating? Surely, we can all understand the sentence: Me wants some chocolate now. But native speakers of English know that the sentence above is a not a well-formed English expression. So even though I can communicate my desire with this sentence, this sentence isn’t quite English. Language must be more than just communication – it must also involve what speakers know about their language.