Language

Language vs. Communication

Characteristics of Languages and Communication Systems

1. Composed of Meaningful Symbols

What is Linguistics?

Language

Linguistics is the scientific study of language.

A linguist is a person who studies language in order to discover how it works and describe reasons behind why it works the way it does.

The sounds “c”, “a”, and “t” combine to form the English word “cat” - this is a type of symbol. The spoken and written words symbolize:

The red, yellow, and green lights in a traffic signal are also symbols. They each have their own meaning of “stop”, “yield”, and “go”.

• Animals can communicate, but they do not use language to do so.
• Humans use communication systems for different purposes (think about baseball signals!)… but humans also use language!

So, what’s the difference between a communication system and a language?

1. Composed of meaningful signals/symbols

2. Symbols are organized by rules and used systematically

3. Symbols may be arbitrary or iconic

4. Members of a community share the same communication system

Non-linguistic Symbols

What is a “Symbol”?

2. Symbols are organized by rules and used systematically

4. Symbols may be arbitrary or iconic

3. Members of a community share the same communication system

Arbitrary Symbol

Iconic Symbol

Language

Communication

Systems

Every language has specific rules and organization:

“The dog chased the cat”

Animals

Like humans, animal species have their own communication systems; dogs bark; cats meow, bees “dance”; whales sing!

Consists of a form and a meaning.

For example:

Form

English: sounds ‘c’ ‘a’ ‘t’

ASL: handshape, location,

Movement, orientation

(see video)

Meaning in both languages:

Baseball hand signals are organized in a specific way and have specific rules to convey the correct meaning

We already know that a symbol is composed of a form/meaning pair...

A symbol is arbitrary when the connection between its form and meaning does not make logical sense.

A symbol is iconic when the its form resembles its meaning in some way.

Humans

Speakers of English in America

Speakers of English in other places of the world

Users of American Sign Language

Users of Morse code, baseball signals, road signs, traffic signals

www.handspeak.com

This is a movie. Hover your mouse over the bottom to press play.

Why Language is Unique

Linguistic Symbols

It is productive: Language users can produce an infinite number of new messages; communication systems have a limited number of messages

Why Language is Unique

It can show relationship between symbols: "The boy drives carelessly"

The adverb, “carelessly” describes the verb, “drives”.

CAT in ASL, however is iconic; the sign visually resembles a cat’s whiskers.

“Cat”

Speakers of English agree that “c”, “a”, and “t" means:

It can add new symbols: The word “internet” did not exist until the inception of the World Wide Web; at that time “internet” was slowly added to our everyday vocabulary.

It can discuss complex topics, including language itself, as well as things in the past, future, and non-immediate situations

It can show relationship between symbols

The boy drives carelessly

The adverb, “carelessly” describes the verb, “drive”.

It can discuss complex topics

Humans can discuss anything from nuclear physics to the fish that got away...animals cannot.

It can add new symbols

The word “internet” did not exist until the inception of the World Wide Web; at that time “internet” was slowly added to our everyday vocabulary

It can be broken down into smaller parts

A single symbol or group of symbols can have multiple meanings

www.handspeak.com

It changes across time:

“Groovy”, “rad”, “cool”, “sick”, “tight”, “legit”

ASL: #HA-HA, #LOL

This is a movie. Hover your mouse over the bottom to press play.

More Reasons Language is Unique

It can be used “interchangeably” by all users

Why Language is Unique cont.

Why Language is Unique

Users monitor their use: Users may make mistakes, but can correct themselves

It changes across time

“Groovy”, “rad”, “cool”, “sick”, “tight”, “legit”

ASL: #HA-HA, #LOL

A single symbol or group of symbols can have multiple meanings

“Bat” can symbolize either

It can be broken down into smaller parts

The word “cats” can be broken down into the word “cat” and the plural marker “-s”, and further into the sounds “c”, “a”, “t”, and “s”.

The ASL sign CAT can also be broken down into handshape, location, movement, and palm orientation.

Parts of the system must be learned from interaction

or

It can refer to the past, the future, and non-immediate situations.

Language users can learn other variants of the same language

Language vs. Communication

Why Language is Unique

• Baseball Signals
• English
• Morse Code
• ASL
• French Sign Language
• Dog or Cat Vocalizations/Behavior
• Manually Coded English (SEE1 SEE2)
• Traffic Lights and Road Signs

Users monitor their use

Users may make mistakes, but can correct themselves

Parts of the system must be learned from interaction

Children do not sit in a classroom and learn their native language, but must interact with other users to acquire it

Language users can learn other variants of the same language

If a person moves to a different region of their country, they are able to acquire regional dialects.

It can be used to discuss the language

Users of English can discuss English and users of ASL can discuss ASL, but bees cannot discuss their “dancing”