语言学课后练习之练习(1)Language

语言学导论课外补充练习（1）

language

1.State the nature of language briefly with examples.

2.Why is it said that the language system is unique to human beings?

3.What are the characteristics of human language?

4.What are the social functions of language?

5.Do animals other than humans have their own languages?

6.Exemplify how animals communicate with each other.

7.Can language be viewed only as a system of communication? Why not?

8.How did language come into being? What is the relationship between the origin

of language and the origin of human beings?

9.Rewrite each of the following lists of words into natural order.

（1）Five /the /fresh /potatoes

（2）Pretty /American /girls /the two

（3）Airlines /brand /France-made /new /the two

（4）Fashions /Chinese /the /latest /three

（5）Beginning /hardworking /two /the /workers

10.Fill in the blanks with the proper words.

（1）_______ function means language can be used to “do” things.

（2）_______ function means the use of language to reveal something about the feelings and attitudes of the speaker.

（3）Most imperative sentences are associated with _______ function.

（4）The sentence “What’s it like?” shows ______ function.

（5）Greetings shows _______ function.

（6）“We are most grateful for this.” shows______ function.

（7）Propaganda shows ________ function.

（8）________ refers to contexts removed from the immediate of the speaker.

（9）For________, reference is not the only, not even the primary goal of communication.

（10）Halliday’s metafunctions include ________, ___________, _____________.

（11）Linguistics should include at least five parameters:_________ __________ ___________ ____________ _________________.

.11.Say the following are true or false. If it is false correct it

（1）Language distinguishes us from animals because it is far more sophisticated than any animals communication system.

（2）There is not a certain degree of correspondence between the sequence of clauses and the actual happenings.

（3）The theories discussed in the textbook about the origins of language are not at most a speculation.

（4）The definition,“ Language is a tool for human communication.” has no problem.

（5）The definition, “language is a set of rules”, tells nothing about its functions.

（6）Hall, like Sapir, treats language as a purely human institution.

（7）Chomsky’s definition about language is the same as Sapir’s.

语言学课外单元补充习题答案

Language（Exercise 1）

1. State the nature of language briefly with examples.

Answer: modern linguists have proposed various definitions of language such as: Language is “a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotion s and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols.” (Sapir, 1921) Language is “the institution whereby humans communicate and interact with each other by means of habitually used oral-auditory arbitrary symbols.” (Hall, 1968) Language is “a set (fin ite or infinite) of sentences, each finite in length and constructed out of a finite set of elements.” (Chomsky, 1957)

“语言是人跟人互通信息，用发音器官发出来的，成系统的行为的方式。”（赵元任）

Each of these definitions has its own special emphasis. However, there is a generally accepted definition: Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication. The definition has captured main features of human language: (i) language is a system; (ii) language is arbitrary; (iii) language is vocal; (iv) language is human-specific; and (v) language is to communicate. (Students should illustrate these points more clearly)

2. Why is it said that the language system is unique to human beings?

That language is human specific means that language is different from the communication systems other forms of life have, such as bird songs and bee dances. (More about this point can be found in the illustration of the design features of language)

3. What are the characteristics of human language?

Human language is characterized by its design features, which refers to the defining properties of human language which distinguish it from animal communication system. American linguist Charles Hockett specified 13 features (some of them discussed in our textbook):

1. Mode of communication: vocal-auditory;

2. Rapid Fading: Message does not linger in time or space after production.

3. Interchangeability: individuals who use a language can both send and receive any permissible message within that communication system.

4. Feedback: users of a language can perceive what they are transmitting and can make corrections if they make errors.

5. Specialization: the direct-energetic consequences of linguistic signals are usually biologically trivial; only the triggering effects are important.

6. Semanticity: there are associative ties between signal elements and features in the world; in short, some linguistic forms have denotations.

7. Arbitrariness: there is no logical connection between the form of the signal and its meaning.

nature of language. Language is a complicated notion. A proper definition should be based on the structures, features and functions of language. Moreover, if language is defined merely as a system of communication, then language is not unique to humans. (More on this see the answers above.)

8. How did language come into being? What is the relationship between the origin of language and the origin of human beings?

There are many theories about the origin of language. Four theories are introduced in the textbook1(PP. 9-19). You can find more information about this problem on the internet, or in the library.

The relationship between the origin of language and the origin of human beings is an open question. Students can discuss it according to your understanding.

9. Rewrite each of the following lists of words into natural order.

Five /the /fresh /potatoes: The five fresh potatoes

Pretty /American /girls /the two: The two pretty American girls

Airlines /brand /France-made /new /the two: The two new brand France-made airlines

Fashions /Chinese /the /latest /three: The latest three Chinese fashions

Beginning /hardworking /two /the /workers: The two beginning hardworking workers

10. Fill in the blanks with the proper words.

（1）Performative function means language can be used to “do” things.

（2）Emotive/expressive function means the use of language to reveal something about the feelings and attitudes of the speaker.

（3）Most imperative sentences are associated with directive function.

（4）The sentence “What’s it like?” shows interrogative function.

（5）Greetings shows phatic function.

（6）“We are most grateful for this.” shows expressive function.

（7）Propaganda shows evocative function.

（8）Displacement refers to contexts removed from the immediate of the speaker.

（9）For Jakobson, reference is not the only, not even the primary goal of communication.

（10）Halliday’s metafunctions include Ideational, Interpersonal and Textual functions.

（11）Linguistics should include at least five parameters:_________ __________ ___________ ____________ _________________.

11. Say the following are true or false. If it is false correct it

1) Language distinguishes us from animals because it is far more sophisticated

than any animals communication system. (T)

2) There is not a certain degree of correspondence between the sequence of

clauses and the actual happenings. (F) The order of clauses are always matching the actual sequence of happenings.

3) The theories discussed in the textbook about the origins of language are not at

most a speculation. (F) (more about this on P.10)

1The textbook refers to Linguistics: A Course Book edited by Hu Zhuanglin, Beijing University Press, 2001.

4) The definition“Language is a tool for human communication.” has no problem.(F) The definition just focuses on the function of language, which does not include the nature and features of language.

5) The definition, “language is a set of rules”, tells nothing about its functions. (T)

6) Hall, like Sapir, treats language as a purely human institution. (F) (See the answer to the question 1)

7) Chomsky’s definition about language is the same as Sapir’s. (F) (See the answer to the question 1)