Transcript Human Language vs Animal Communication

The Nature and Functions of
Language
Properties of Language
In any communication system, a
code is used to transmit messages.
A code is a complex pattern of
association of the units of a
communication system. Humans have
a highly elaborated code called
language, made up of words and the
rules that combine them.
(In language those units could be
sound units; meaningful units, such
as words, or meaningful units that are
larger than words, such as phrases,
clauses and sentences).
The study of language has identified
several features of properties of
langauge that differentiate human and
animal codes.
1. Arbitrariness means that human languages
use neutral symbols. There is no
connection between the linguistic form and
its corresponding linguistic meaning/ the
thing being referred to / concept.
For example, something as large as a
‘whale’ can be referred to by a very short
word. Similarly, there is no natural
connection between the word ‘dog’ and the
four-legged animal it symbolises. It can be
called by other names in other languages.
Onomatopoeic words such as "meow"
or "bark“, “cuckoo”, “pop”, “bang”,
“slurp”, and “squish”are often cited as
counter-examples, based on the
argument that they are pronounced like
the sound of the objet they refer to.
However, the similarity is very loose.
Give one example.
2. Cultural transmission and tradition
indicates that human beings hand their
languages down from one generation
to another.
Human language is not something
inborn. However, the potential to
acquire a language is innate. Humans
have the genetic potential to learn to
encode their messages by acquiring
the rules or grammar of their language
4. Duality of patterning /(double
articulation)
Language is organised in 2 layers, the
basic sound units of speech or discrete
sounds e.g. /p/,/e /,/n/, - only
meaningful when combined. The
discrete parts of a language can be
recombined in a systematic way to
create new forms. Duality of patterning
refers to the ability to recombine small
units in different orders.
5 Displacement the ability to refer to
things far removed in time and place.
The speaker can talk about things
which are not present, either spatially
or temporally. For example, human
language allows speakers to talk
about
the present, the past and the future.
They can also talk about things that are
physically distant (such as other countries,
the moon, etc.). They can even refer to things
and events that do not actually exist (not
present in reality) like Santa Claus or the
destruction of Tara in Gone with the Wind.
Animal communication is almost exclusively
designed for this moment, here and now
7. Productivity is the ability to produce and
understand virtually unlimited number of
utterances ( novel sentences) from a limited
number of words. A person can talk about
anything he likes because of the ability to
generate novel meanings
8. Openness is the ability to add new words, phrases
or other meaningful units to a language. Humans
can coin new words at will, hence adding new
lexical items.
Both properties are part of the creativity aspect of
human language.
11.Reciprocity/ Interchangeability
Any speaker or sender of a linguistic
signal can also be a listener or
receiver. The speaker can both
receive and broadcast the same
signal.