General
Humans are the only species that communicate with each other?
No, many animals and even plants do that
What is a dialect?
A dialect is a variant of a language?
When a pidgin language becomes the mother tongue of a population.
What is a pidgin?
It is a simplified, makeshift language that develops to fulfill the communication needs of people who have no language in common.
What is the major advantage of human language?
It is a learned symbolic communication system that is infinitely flexible.
Why is human language unique?
Because it is the only symbolic system that is learned instead of biologically inherited.
What is a regional dialect?
It is a dialect associated to a geographically isolated speech community.
What happens when a pidgin changes into a creole?
Over several generations, their vocabulary enlarges.
How are pidgins formed?
They combine a limited amount of the vocabulary and grammar of the different languages
Why do languages evolve?
Languages evolve in response to changing historical social conditions.
What are symbols?
Symbols are sounds or things which have meaning given to them by the users.
What is a social dialect?
It is a dialect spoken by a speech community that is merely socially isolated.
What is the name of the place where a French-American pidgin became the creole language and it is still spoken by the majority of the population?
Haiti
Do people who speak pidgins have a native language?
Yes, they do
What was mentioned as a good example of language evolution?
Slang words.
How were symbols in a language originally given meaning?
The meaning of symbols in a language is originally assigned arbitrarily.
Do all societies have distinct dialects?
No, they are far more common in large-scale diverse societies
Is it common for speakers of creole to speak another language?
Yes, they usually speak another "standard" language
Who uses pidgins? What for?
people who need to occasionally interact for commercial and other reasons.
What is the definition of language as contrasted to speech?
It is a set of rules for generating speech.
What is a word?
one or more sounds that in combination have a specific meaning assigned by a language.
Are the communication systems developed by deaf people dialects or languages? Why?
Although they are not spoken, they are languages because they are effective communication systems with standardized rules.
What is disglosia or "code switching"?
it is a phenomenon that happens in societies with different dialects, where people may quickly switch back and forth between dialects depending on the situation and the person they are talking to at the moment.
What is the name of the most well-known pidgin?
The Pidgin English in New Guinea
What does speech refer to?
Speech is a broad term referring to patterned verbal behavior.