What is speech considered as?
A motor act and a mode of communication
Speech is one of the tools used for communication.
Define language in the context of communication.
A set of symbols and the rules for using them
Language serves as the code used in communication.
What is communication?
The act of transferring information between two or more people
Speech and language are tools used to communicate.
List the characteristics of language.
- A social tool
- Rule governed
- Generative
These characteristics define how language functions in society.
What are the five parameters of language?
- Syntax
- Morphology
- Phonology
- Semantics
- Pragmatics
These parameters help in understanding the structure and function of language.
What is considered the organizing principle of language by some sociolinguists?
Pragmatics
Pragmatics determines the other four aspects of language when communicating.
What is a dialect?
A language-rule system spoken by an identifiable group of people
Dialects vary from the ideal language standard.
What approach assigns status based on the amount of variation from the standard in dialects?
The deficit approach
This approach contrasts with the sociolinguistic approach, which recognizes all dialects as valid.
What does the sociolinguistic approach recognize about dialects?
All dialects are valid and related forms of a language
No relative status is assigned to different dialects.
List factors related to dialectal differences.
- Geography
- Socioeconomic level
- Race and ethnicity
- Situation or context
- Peer-group influences
- First or second-language learning
These factors contribute to the variation in dialects.
Give examples of dialects mentioned.
- African American English
- Latino English
- Asian English
These examples illustrate the diversity of dialects in English.
How do dialectal considerations affect society?
They affect education, employment, and perceived status
Dialectal differences can influence opportunities and social perceptions.
Define Morphology, Morpheme, Phonology, Phonemes, Syntax, Semantics, and Pragmatics
Morphology
The branch of linguistics that studies the structure of words and how words are formed from smaller meaningful units.
Morpheme
The smallest unit of meaning in a language.
Examples:
dog (a free morpheme)
-s (a bound morpheme meaning “plural”)
Phonology
The branch of linguistics that studies the sound system of a language and how sounds are organized and patterned.
Phoneme
The smallest unit of sound that can change meaning in a language.
Examples:
/p/ vs. /b/ in pat vs. bat
Syntax
The branch of linguistics that studies how words are arranged to form phrases and sentences (sentence structure).
Semantics
The branch of linguistics that studies meaning in language (word meaning and sentence meaning).
Pragmatics
The branch of linguistics that studies how context influences meaning and how language is used in real situations (what speakers intend vs. what is literally said).
Discuss Pragmatics
Pragmatics is one of the most practical and interesting parts of linguistics because it focuses on how people actually use language in real life, not just what words literally mean.
Here’s a deeper look:
What Pragmatics Studies
Pragmatics looks at how meaning is shaped by context, including:
Who is speaking
Who they’re speaking to
Where and when the conversation happens
The speaker’s intention
Social rules and expectations
Key Concepts in Pragmatics
1. Speaker Intention
What someone means may differ from what they say.
Example:
“Can you open the window?”
Literally: Are you physically able?
Pragmatically: Please open the window.
- Context
The same sentence can mean different things in different situations.
Example:
“It’s cold in here.”
Could mean:
A simple observation
A request to close a window
A complaint
- Implicature (Implied Meaning)
This is meaning that is suggested but not directly stated.
Example:
“Some of the students passed.”
Often implies: Not all of them passed.
- Deixis (Context-Dependent Words)
Words whose meaning depends on context:
Person deixis: I, you, they
Place deixis: here, there
Time deixis: now, yesterday, later
Example:
“Meet me here tomorrow.”
You must know who is speaking, where “here” is, and when “tomorrow” is.
- Speech Acts
What actions we perform with language:
Requesting: “Can you help me?”
Promising: “I’ll call you later.”
Apologizing: “I’m sorry.”
Ordering: “Sit down.”
We don’t just speak — we do things with words.
- Politeness & Social Rules
Pragmatics explains why we phrase things differently depending on social roles.
Example:
To a friend: “Move.”
To a boss: “Would you mind moving a bit?”
Same goal, different pragmatics.
Why Pragmatics Matters
Pragmatics helps explain:
Why misunderstandings happen
How sarcasm works
Why jokes are funny
How indirect requests function
How children learn social language rules
Why AI sometimes struggles with human conversation
Example Showing Pragmatics vs Semantics
Sentence:
“That was brilliant.”
Semantics: Means something was excellent
Pragmatics: Could actually mean the opposite if said sarcastically
Contrast speech, language, and communication
Although closely related, speech, language, and communication are distinct concepts.
Speech refers to the physical production of sounds used to express language. It involves articulation, voice, and fluency (e.g., how clearly someone pronounces words).
Language is a symbol system used to represent ideas and meaning. It includes rules for forming words and sentences and can be spoken, written, or signed.
Communication is the broader process of sending and receiving messages. It includes language and speech but also nonverbal behaviors like gestures, facial expressions, body posture, and tone of voice.
In short: speech is how language is expressed, language is the system of symbols, and communication is the overall exchange of meaning.
How non-linguistic aspects contribute to communication
Not all meaning is conveyed through words alone. Other aspects of communication include:
Tone of voice: can show emotion, sarcasm, or seriousness
Facial expressions: reveal feelings such as happiness, anger, or confusion
Gestures and body language: reinforce or replace spoken messages
Eye contact: shows attention and intent
Proximity and posture: communicate comfort, dominance, or friendliness
These elements help listeners interpret intent, emotion, and emphasis, often clarifying or even changing the meaning of spoken words.
Language as social, rule-governed, and generative
Language has three key properties:
Social:
Language exists to allow humans to interact, share ideas, and build relationships. It develops through social interaction and varies across cultures and communities.
Rule-governed:
Language follows systematic rules (grammar, syntax, phonology) that allow speakers to understand each other. Even when we break rules, we usually do so intentionally.
Generative:
With a limited number of sounds and words, humans can create an infinite number of new sentences, including ones never spoken before.
Five components of language + morpheme and phoneme
Language consists of five interrelated components:
Phonology – the sound system of a language
Morphology – how words are formed from meaningful units
Syntax – how words are arranged into sentences
Semantics – meaning of words and sentences
Pragmatics – how language is used in context
Phoneme:
The smallest unit of sound that changes meaning
Example: /b/ vs /p/ in bat vs pat
Morpheme:
The smallest unit of meaning
Example: dog or -s (plural)
Together, these components allow humans to produce meaningful, structured, and socially appropriate language.
How dialects relate to each other and the parent language
Dialects are variations of a parent language that share the same core grammar and vocabulary but differ in pronunciation, word choice, and sometimes grammar.
All dialects:
Are mutually intelligible
Are linguistically equal
Reflect cultural and regional identity
For example, Southern American English, African American Vernacular English (AAVE), and Midwestern English are all dialects of American English, not separate languages.
Factors contributing to dialect development and U.S. examples
Dialect development is influenced by several factors:
Geography
Physical separation leads to different speech patterns
Example: Southern vs. New England accents
Social Class
Vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar can differ by socioeconomic group
Example: formal vs. working-class speech styles
Ethnicity & Cultural Identity
Communities develop unique speech patterns tied to identity
Example: African American Vernacular English (AAVE)
Immigration & Language Contact
Interaction with other languages influences dialects
Example: Spanish influence in Tex-Mex English
Historical Settlement Patterns
Who settled where shaped regional dialects
Example: British, German, and Dutch influences in different U.S. regions
Together, these factors explain the wide variety of dialects found across the United States today.
Describe Form, Content, Use
In language development and linguistics, form, content, and use describe the three major dimensions of language:
Form (Structure of Language)
Form refers to how language is built and organized.
It includes:
Phonology – sounds of the language
Morphology – word formation
Syntax – sentence structure
Example:
“The dogs are running.”
Form includes plural -s, correct verb tense, and proper word order.
Content (Meaning of Language)
Content refers to what language means.
It includes:
Semantics – word meanings and sentence meanings
Vocabulary knowledge
Concept understanding
Example:
Knowing that dog refers to an animal and running means moving fast.
Use (Function of Language)
Use refers to how language is used in social contexts.
It includes:
Pragmatics
Turn-taking
Topic maintenance
Adjusting speech for different listeners
Using language for different purposes (requesting, greeting, persuading, etc.)
Example:
Saying “Can I have that?” instead of grabbing something shows appropriate language use.
How They Work Together
To communicate successfully, all three must work together:
Form: Correct structure
Content: Correct meaning
Use: Appropriate context
Someone might have:
Good form but poor use (e.g., speaks in full sentences but can’t hold a conversation socially)
Good content but weak form (knows words but not grammar)
Good use but limited content (social but small vocabulary)
When analyzing the semantics of utterances, what does analyzing semantics have to do with?
Across this interaction, semantics includes:
Labeling objects (cow, pig, barn)
Describing actions (go moo, jump, fall)
Understanding relationships (in the barn, out of the fence)
Tracking events over time
Sharing meaning through play
When analyzing emotion in an utterance, like when there is an exclamation point, the correct parameter is:
✅ Pragmatics
Here’s why:
Pragmatics focuses on how language is used in context, including speaker intent, emotion, and social meaning.
An exclamation point often signals strong feeling, surprise, excitement, or emphasis.
Even if the sentence is short and simple (“Oh no!”), pragmatics helps us understand the emotional content and how it affects the interaction.
When you want to analyze emotion, tone, or intention for utterances, think ____________
Pragmatics
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Week 135
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Week 2 Ch. 1 and Parts of Speech98
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Week 2 Parts of Speech (Chat GPT)142
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Week 2 Speech, Language, and Communication67
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Week 3 Neurobasis of Language Development111
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Week 3 Theories of Language Development205
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Week 4 Language Learning and Teaching Processes in Young Children109
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Week 4 Neurological Development112
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Week 5 Early Language Development150
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Week 6 Identifying and Counting Mean Length Utterances131
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Week 6 Preschool Development of Mean Length Utterances189
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Week 6 Preschool Pragmatic...116
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Week 7 Early School Age Language Development171
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Week 7 Language and Literacy Introduction to Literacy112
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Week 8 Adolescent and Adult Language Development102
