Language Features and Myths Xiaofei Lu APLNG 200 August 31, 2009

2 Features of communication systems  Mode of communication  Semanticity  Pragmatic function  Broadcast transmission and directional reception  Rapid fading

3 Features of communication systems  Interchangeability  Complete feedback  Specialization  Arbitrariness

4 Features of communication systems  Discreteness  Cultural transmission  Prevarication  Learnability

5 Features of communication systems  Duality of patterning  Reflexiveness  Displacement  Productivity

6 Discussion  Which features do the traffic light and bee dance systems possess respectively?  Which features are shared among all communication systems?  Which features are unique to human language?  What happens if any of the features is missing from language (e.g., arbitrariness)?

7 Discussion  Is there any non-arbitrary aspect in human language?  Consider the following words: Slack, slouch, sludge, slime, slosh, slash, sloppy, slut, slang, sly, sloth, slaver, slog, slap, slum Can you find other groups of words like this? What does this suggest to you?

8 Why do you study language?  A window for understanding a fundamental aspect of what it is to be a human  A reflection of individual identify, and social and cultural aspects of society  Practical applications: language learning and teaching, human-computer interaction, speech therapyhuman-computer interaction speech therapy

9 Knowing a language  Linguistic competence and linguistic performance  What do you know when you know a language?  How is competence stored? Lexicon and mental grammar

10 Descriptive vs. prescriptive grammar  Descriptive grammar Some English speakers use double negatives for negation  Prescriptive grammar Do not end a sentence with a preposition Do not use double negative  What is taught in school? What do you believe in? What should linguists use?

11 Truths and misconceptions about language  Unwritten languages are primitive  African American Vernacular English lacks grammar  It’s easier to learn Chinese if your ancestry is Chinese  Some languages are intrinsically harder to learn than others  The language or dialect you speak affects whether you distinguish between certain sounds  Some dialects of English are inferior to others

12 Truths and misconceptions about language  There is an adjective that means ‘hungry’ in every language  Some languages put verbs at the end of the sentence  Every language has a way to mark the past tense of verbs  Some languages have a special verb tense used for gossip and hearsay  Native Americans speak different dialects of the Native American language