The Study of Language: Understanding Communication in Humans and Animals
Language is described as an arbitrary system of vocal symbols used for communication. Animals communicate through various methods, such as sounds, visual cues, and scents. Human language involves duality, allowing for the combination of sounds to convey meaning. Animals lack the ability to break down communicative signals into distinct parts. Language also enables displacement, referring to past and future events. The structured patterns in human language allow for clear communication.
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The Study of Language Chapter Two What is language ? Asst. Prof. Huda Abed Ali English Department
Language: Scientifically means an arbitrary system of creative vocal symbols used as means of communication among human beings. Use of Sounds Signals Animals generally communicate using four methods : Visual,auditory,tactile and chemical. All the methods above are to show affection ward off threats or attract a mate. For example: Dogs are bark when approached by a stranger. Arbitrariness There is a strong link between the actual signals and a message an animal wishes to convey
For example: Bees are dance when the have nectar. Many animals are communicate by smell and send message to others : Elephants are showing affection by entwine their trunks .
The need for learning Animal learning : The alternation of behavior as a result of individuals experience .When an organism can perceive and change its behavior it is said to learn. For example: The rat that solves a maze in the laboratory.
Duality Human language Speech production: At a physical level individual discreet sounds(e.g .G,D) Means nothing separately. At another level ,they take only meaning when they are combined together in various ways (e.g:Today). Human language is organized at two levels:
1_At one level distinct sounds. 2_At another level distinct meaning. Animals Communication Animals communicative signals are fixed and cannot be broken down into separate parts. For example
Meow is not M+O+W. Displacement Being able to refer to past and future time and to other locations .It allows users of language to talk about things and events not in present in immediate environment. In animals Communication is generally lack this property.
PATTERNING Human language do not juxtapose sounds and words in a random way. Instead ring the changes on a new well defined patterns. Three combinations of burglar ,loudly,sneezed The burglar sneezed loudly. Loudly sneezed the burglar.
STRUCTURE DEPENDENCE Structure independent grammar has been ruled out as a possible characterization of natural language through examples such as : Fred has seen Bill .Has Fred seen Bill ? The man who was sleeping is here . Was the man who sleeping here . 1. 2.
The Origin of language Language probably developed in east Africa round 100,000 years ago. Three preconditions must have existed: Firstly, human had to view the world in certain common ways :they noticed objects and actions. Secondly, they were able to produce a range of sound a spin off of walking upright according to one view.
The role of language Social chit chat the meaningless small talk of everyday life may have played a key role as it does today. Hallo ,how nice to see you .How are you ? Is not the weather terrible ?keep in touch via talking .could have replace the friendly indulged in by primates . It has even been called grooming talking.
