1. What is Language?

Created @August 13, 2021 11:40 AM

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What is Language?
Humans are the only living thing capable of using language to communicate.

Animals are only able to communicate by producing sounds or by gestures or body

movements which often reflect the state of their emotions.

Language
-follows a set of rules:

grammar- system of rules

phonology- a sound system

vocabulary- words

These are the set of requirements for identifying a means of communication as a

language. The monkey will produce sounds and gestures, but will not be able to
organize the sounds into a meaningful system with rules. What the monkey is producing
is not a language in the strictest sense of the word. Human beings on the other hand,
are able to communicate their desire to share food through several ways that are
understandable to other human beings. The may utter a word (Food!), raise a question
(Want some?) or simply give a statement (I'd like to share this with you.)

Speech Community
When people use the same language, they follow the same set of rules in using the
language. Therefore, they belong in the same speech community.

1. What is Language? 1
 A group of people sharing the same language or dialect.

Language Acquisition
When people acquire languages. It is the process by which humans acquire the
capacity to perceive and comprehend language.

Mother Tongue- language acquired while growing up. Also known as the first
language.

The other languages acquired are referred to as second languages.

Language Contact
when two different languages come in contact. It is the social and liguistic ohenomenon
by which speakers of different languages interect with one another, leading to a transfer
of liguistic features.

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