1. Lingulstic system and linguistic function (cf. a Sharp tooł) Language is a system [STRUCTURE] of signs used for (FUNCTION)communication. phonology-morphology-syntcoc vs. semantics/pragmatics

1.1.    The origin of language:

(a)    Judeo-Christian tradition: divine origin

(b)    J. J. Rousseau: iroitating the sounds of naturę (cf. iconicity and sound symbolism)

(c)    Plato and others: language as a social convention

1.2.    To know a language is (a) to understand and (b) to produce messages

1.3. Language as one of the semiotic systems. Semiotics deals with systems of signs (musie, road signs...)

2.1. Paralanguage (aon-verbal communication):

Mnesics (bodily posturę, facial expxession, gesture), proxemics (distance) etc.

3. Language and communication.

A cybemetic model of communication. Communication chain/speech chain.

SENDER [ENCODING]»»> Communication channel»>»RECEIVER [DECODING]

1. message

2. [they] must know the same codę 3. outside reality

levels:psycholinguistic/neurolinguistic/anatomical-articulatory/acoustic/anatomical-auditory/neurolinguistic/psycholinguistic The Conduit Metaphor

(& extralinguistic aspects: cf the mushroom omlette, the gastric uleer, the apple juice seat, altemative sources ...)

4. Design features of language

Mammalian communication:

(a)    vocal auditory channel [mouth, nose, ears]

(b)    broadcast transmission and directional reception

[signal travels in all direction and can be łocalised within hearing distance]

(c)    rapid fading [the signal lasts only for a definite period of time]

(d)    interchangeability [sender - receiver]

(e)    total feedback [sender can hear his own message]

M a n and o t h e r primates:

(f)    specialisation [communication is the only purpose of sending a signal]

(g)    semanticity [the signal conveys meaning]

(h)    arbitrariness [the relation between sound and meaning is conventional]

Humań:

(i)    discreteness [a lg unit, eg sound may be indeterminate in terms of physical properties]

(j)    duality of patteming [lg units are composed of two levels: sound and meaning]

(k)    openness [creativity/productivity: we can create and understand novel utterances]

(l)    displacement [beyond "here¹* and "now"]

(m)    cultural transmission [lg is acguired in the process of leaming the whole culture]