CSULA ENGL 4101 Quiz #1

This is an English linguistics first quiz.

What is lingusitics?

scientific study of language

What are design features of a language?

1. Mode of Communication

2. Semanticity

3. Pragmatic Function

4. Interchangeability

5. Cultural Transmission

6. Arbitrariness

7. Discreteness

8. Displacement

9. Productivity

Mode of Communication

transmitted —> received; voices for most human languages alongside sign language (hand, arm, face movement for sign language)

Semanticity

signals in communication system with meaning or function

ex: pizza

Pragmatic Function

must serve some useful purpose

ex: helping others to stay alive, influencing others’ behaviors, and figuring out more about the world

Cultural Transmission

aspects of language that we can acquire

Arbitrariness

language is arbitrary — but conventional sign system

linguistic sign —> referent (real objects)

ex: cat —> an actual animal of a act

linguistic sign: signifier (Form) —> signified (Meaning/Concept)

• no inherent one-tone connection between signifier and signified

• it can be random in language

Interchangeability

the ability of individuals to both transmit and receive messages

Discreteness

language composed of many discrete units

ex: He is fast ([h], [i], [i], [z], [f], [ae], [s] & [t]

Displacement

ability of a language to communicate about things —> something that doesn’t exist; displaces reality

Productivity

no fixed set of ways in which units can combine

possible to constant infinite sentences (amount)

Linguistics Competence

• ability to use language

• “hidden” knowledge

• unseen potential to speak the language

• from the mind

Linguistic Performance

• observable realization of their potential

• produce and comprehend language; reveal some of our linguistic knowledge

mental grammar

rules to produce and comprehend

descriptive grammar

deduced on deserving linguistic performance

prescriptive grammar

“correct” ways to use a language; mainly used in writing as well

What is phonetics?

study of phones (sounds) of a language; minimal units that make up a language

Acoustic Phonetics

study of transmission and the physical properties of speech sounds

Auditory Phonetics

how humans process sounds

Articulatory Phonetics

the way how speech is produced

Segments

• discrete units of speech stream

• split into categories

  • consonants

  • vowels

Suprasegmental

stress, tone, and intonation; apply to entire strings of consonants and vowels

Consonants

impede airflow while vowels require air to come out (slight narrowing)

Vowels

are a building block to determine how a word sounds

Syllable Structure

Rhyme

consists of vowel and any consonants that come after it

ex: man, plan, ran

Onset

consonant in the beginning

ex: man, plan, ran

Nucleus

there are vowels that contain within it which make up the word sound

ex: cats, skin

Coda

it’s at the end of the word (the tail)

ex: cats, skin

Types of Vowels

• monothongs

  • simplevowels

  • single configuration of the vocal trait

• dipthongs

  • complex vowels

  • multiple configuration of the vocal trait

How vowels does the English alphabet have?

20 vowels

articulatory

positioning of some part of vocal tract

voiced

closed, but it makes a sound via vibration

voiceless

no vibration or noise coming out from glottis

whisper

half opened and half closed larynx

bilabial

bringing both lips close together

ex: [p], [b], [m], [w], and w with the circle below

labiodental

lower lip against the upper teeth

ex: [f], [v]

interdental

tip of the tongue protuding between the front teeth

Aveolar

tongue tip out or near the front of the upper alveolar ridge

ex: [z], [t], [s]

Post-aveolar

made a bit farther back from the alveolar ridge

English has four post-alveolar sounds

Palatal

made with the body of the tongue near the center of the hard portion of the roof of the mouth

ex: [j]

English only has one

Velar

produced near the velum (soft palate)

• there are three: [k], [g], and one more with the ng

Glottal

when the air is constricted at the larynx

Accent

differences are restricted to primarily phonology

Dialect

morphological structures, syntax, lexicon, and semantics (same language but different varieties)

Language

distinct histories, distinct orthographies, geopolitical boundaries == different language

What is L1?

• considered as first language

• geography as the first line of demarcation (Utah accent, Maine accent)

What is L2?

• considered as the second language of the first language

• L2 is very different from L1

• breakthrough of native phonology into the target language