Chapter 1
Review of terms and concepts: the nature of communication
1. Communication is __________.
2. The consequence of communication is __________.
3. Language is one form of __________.
4. Language is a code made up of a __________and a __________.
5. All codes have __________.
6. A grammar refers to the rules for combining various types of linguistic elements.
There are also rules for combining units of sound. The study of these rules is called
__________. __________ deals with how words are constructed. How these
words are combined into larger units is called . And the study of
meaning is called __________.
7. Most of the rules of a language are known __________.
8. A person’s internalized knowledge of a language’s grammar and lexicon is called
__________.
9. The way we actually speak is called our __________.
10. Language resides in the __________.
11. The three ways in which humans can communicate linguistically are through
__________, __________, and __________.
12. Language is not dependent on __________ or __________.
13. Nonverbal communication appears to be like a “dance” that includes spatial
arrangement, physical appearance, facial expressions, and touching behavior, which
appear to be coordinated. This “dance” involves __________.
14. Bees do not learn any aspects of their “dance.” This statement is __________ (true or
false).
15. Bees communicate the __________, __________, and __________of a food source to
members of their hive through elaborate dances.
16. In addition to the visual channel of communication, bees use the __________ channel
of communication by leaving __________at the source of the food supply.
17. Multiple channels of information or multiple messages over the same channel of
communication that indicate the same information are called __________.
18. Bird calls, as compared to bird songs, are generally __________ and __________.
Songs, on the other hand, are __________ and __________.
19. Bird songs of different species are often the same or similar. This statement is
__________ (true or false).
20. Language is impressive for its __________.
21. The ability to coin new words is called __________, and the related ability to create
new combinations of words (sentences) and to understand sentences that you have
never heard before is called __________.
22. The number of messages that humans can generate by using language is potentially
__________. This __________ (is or is not) true of most nonhuman communication
systems.
23. One word is independent of another. Therefore, words are __________ units.
24. The units of language are __________ in that they have no direct relationship to what
they refer to.
25. The ability to say false or fictional things is called __________.
26. The fact that most nonhuman communication is initiated by something that occurs in
the environment led to the characterization of nonhuman communication as being
primarily __________ whereas most human communication is __________
27. Everyone believes that apes have really learned to use a human linguistic system in
the same way that humans use language. This statement is __________ (true or false).
28. __________ is an ape-language researcher mentioned in the text who does not believe
that the apes are really learning language.
29. Some of the criticisms of the conclusion that apes are communicating linguistically
(in the narrow sense as described in Box 1.1) are __________.
30. Most ape-language researchers believe that their critics have unfairly assessed them.
This statement is __________ (true or false)
31. The area of the brain that is involved in the production of speech is called
__________, whereas the area of the brain that is involved with the comprehension of
speech is called __________.
32. In general, the __________ (right or left) hemisphere of the brain (houses) the main
language processing areas.
33. Language may not be an all-or-nothing phenomenon. What are some evolutionary
explanations for this statement?
End-of-chapter exercises
1. What are some of the functions of communication?
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2. What elements do all communicative systems have in common?
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3. What is the difference between linguistic competence and linguistic performance?
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4. In general, what do the terms lexicon and grammar mean?
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5. What are three main ways in which humans can communicate linguistically?
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