Features of a language- Notes and MCQs

Features of a language

Ø CF Hockett coined the term “design features" about the characteristics of a language.

Ø Language is Verbal, vocal or Speech: Speech is primary to writing; many languages in the world have no writing system. Most languages are spoken.

Ø Language is sound: It is made of sounds, produced by organs of speech.

Ø Language & means of Communication: to express thoughts feelings desires. Someone says it is not a means of communication, but language itself is communication. It is not like a boat (means) to cross the river (Communication).

Ø Language shows displacement: Language has no boundaries. It goes beyond time & space. It connects present, past and future. Ex: We can talk about past, present and future. We can sit in the classroom and talk about the events of the world. Animals can’t do this. They can only think about the food, in presence of food only. Bees show displacement with waggle dance in which they share information about the direction and distance to patches of flowers yielding nectar and pollen, to water sources, or to new nest-site locations with other members of the colony.

Ø Language a social phenomenon:  Without a society, language dies. Humans acquire it not by independent, but of society.

Ø Language is extendible: we can't set a standard length of a sentence. Ex: Exercises in textbooks on creativity asking students to extend a conversation/a poem or story etc.,

Ø Language is creative: No two sentences are alike in a book. A dog/crow does not caw/bark differently, but we use/create number of new sentences every day.

Ø Language is non instinctive & Conventional: it is not created in one day; it came out of evolution and conventions.

Ø Language is Organic (has life) and dynamic (Changes & grows): Languages has life. they die, grow and expand. Changes occur at different levels in sounds, spellings, words, sentences and meanings.

Ø Language is not inherited. It is acquired by learning: It is learnt, not by heredity. Animals inherit, but we don’t (we learnt). Each of us has innate ability to acquire language (LAD). We acquire through imitation, insights and Cognitive perceptions.  Ex: Cuckoo at crow's-nest inherited; Child at Other environment learnt.

Ø Language is arbitrary: each language has its own system of speech sounds and words for different objects. There isn't any reason between any given feature of language and its meaning. Simply, there is no logic or reason between words and objects they refer.

o  Ex: No reason why we call a dog- Kukka (in Telugu); Nayi in Tamil; Kutta (in Hindi).

Ø There are some Onomatopoeic (echo words). such as buzz of bees, hiss of snakes, meow of cats which are same in some languages (not same in all languages)

Ø Language is symbolic: It is a system of arbitrary vocal and graphic symbols.  

o  A word (symbol) àsome ideal object (symbolizes)

Ø Language is systematic: It can be divided into subtypes of phonology (sounds), Graphology (writing), Morphology (Construction of words) syntax (construction of sentences), semantics (meaning related to words/ sentences & Grammar (rules). All languages have grammar, but the grammatical system differ from language to language.

Ø Language has duality of structure - One system operates within other:

o   1^st level- sounds in words;

o   2^nd level- words in sentences.

Ø Language is modifiable: Languages changes according to the needs of society Ex: Modern English - aroused from old English; Pali & Pakriti - aroused from Sanskrit.

Ø Language is unique: All languages evolved from & Indo-European families. Each is different from other because of geographical social and cultural differences habits influence language, so each language is special.

Ø Language is a skill: Language acquisition is based on four skills. We use cognitive behavioral & psycholinguistic attitudes to learn language. It is not a subject to study, but a skill to be practiced and perfected.

o  L1àNo trainingàacquired àunconscious

o  L2 à with trainingà learnt à Conscious

Ø Language exhibits prevarication:  prevarication is the ability to tell lies.  It helps us to think. We can imagine things and be creative, and imagine fairy tales. Only human beings can lie. Ex: All the stories aren't true. Aesop's fables, Panchatantra.

Ø Language exhibits/transmits culture. It is a product of culture of the people. Teacher must teach the pupils to use the language according to the culture. Language is learnt and transmitted to generations. It is not genetically inherited. Ex: using thank you, I'm sorry, please.

Ø Language exhibits redundancy: Language repeats itself; it has an ability to repeat an idea without using same woods & structure. Listener can understand the full meaning even if a part of sentence is not carefully heard.

 

MCQs: FEATURES OF LANGUAGE

1. Which feature of language allows humans to talk about imaginary or hypothetical events (e.g., unicorns or future plans)?

A. Displacement

B. Prevarication

C. Arbitrariness

D. Redundancy

 

2. The statement "There is no logical connection between the word dog and the animal itself" illustrates:

A. Displacement

B. Arbitrariness

C. Duality of structure

D. Prevarication

 

3.    Which feature explains that language can generate infinite sentences from finite rules?

A. Creativity/Productivity

B. Redundancy

C. Cultural Transmission

D. Organic Growth

 

4.    The ability of language to transmit culture across generations is called:

A. Cultural Transmission

B. Displacement

C. Symbolism

D. Prevarication

 

5. "Bees use a waggle dance to communicate the location of food." How does this compare to human language?

A. Bees exhibit displacement like humans.

B. Bees have limited displacement; humans can discuss abstract concepts.

C. Both use duality of structure.

D. Bee communication is arbitrary.

 

6. Which feature allows listeners to understand a sentence even if part of it is unclear (e.g., "Please pass the _ _ _ _ [salt]")?

A. Redundancy

B. Prevarication

C. Extendibility

D. Modifiability

 

7. The phrase "Language is a skill, not a subject" highlights:

A. Its symbolic nature

B. Its reliance on practice and use

C. Its arbitrariness

D. Its duality of structure

 

8. Which feature distinguishes human language from animal communication systems?

A. Displacement and Creativity

B. Use of sounds

C. Emotional expression

D. Redundancy

 

9. "Languages grow, change, and even die over time." This describes which feature?

A. Prevarication

B. Arbitrariness

C. Displacement

D. Organic and Dynamic Nature

 

10.  The ability to lie or create fictional stories is termed:

A. Prevarication

B. Redundancy

C. Displacement

D. Cultural Transmission

 

11. Which term refers to the two-layered structure of language (sounds → words; words → sentences)?

A. Duality of Structure

B. Extendibility

C. Symbolic System

D. Non-instinctive Acquisition

 

12. A child raised in isolation will not develop language. This supports the idea that language is:

A. Arbitrary

B. A Social Phenomenon

C. Innate

D. Redundant

 

13. Onomatopoeic words like buzz or meow are exceptions to which feature of language?

A. Arbitrariness

B. Displacement

C. Creativity

D. Symbolism

 

14. Which feature explains why English evolved from Old English over centuries?

A. Prevarication

B. Redundancy

C. Modifiability

D. Displacement

 

15. "Language is a system of vocal and graphic symbols." This defines its:

A. Symbolic Nature

B. Arbitrariness

C. Creativity

D. Displacement

 

16. Which feature of language allows humans to discuss past, present, and future events?

A. Arbitrariness

B. Displacement

C. Duality of structure

D. Prevarication

 

17. The statement "Language is not inherited but acquired" aligns with which feature?

A. Non-instinctive

B. Creativity

C. Organic growth

D. Symbolic nature

 

18. What does the term "arbitrariness" mean in language?

A. Fixed rules for word formation

B. No logical connection between words and their meanings

C. Use of gestures for communication

D. Systematic grammar

 

19. Which feature explains that language can repeat ideas using different words (e.g., redundancy)?

A. Extendibility

B. Redundancy

C. Displacement

D. Duality

 

20. "Duality of structure" refers to:

A. Sounds and gestures

B. Sounds in words and words in sentences

C. Written and spoken forms

D. Grammar and vocabulary

Answer Key: Features of language
1.A	2.B	3.A	4.A	5.B	6.A	7.B	8.A	9.D	10.A
11.A	12.B	13.A	14.C	15.A	16.B	17.A	18.B	19.B	20.B