LING 201 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Vocal Folds
26 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Thousands of years of evolution have created a unique capacity for language not found in other species. The organs necessary for speech have retained their original purposes of either breathing or eating, but they have also become linguistically specialized. Move food to teeth and back of throat. Humans are also equipped to perceive sound. Newborns respond differently to human voices than to other sounds. Native speakers- those who acquire a language as children in a natural setting (i. e. a home, as opposed to a classroom) Language necessitates creativity, the ability to produce and understand new words and sentences when necessary. Language also necessitates systematic constraints that define the boundaries of linguistic innovation. Linguistic competence- the ability to produce and understand an unlimited number of utterances, both new and familiar, as well as being able to understand incorrect utterances. Grammar- the mental system that allows human beings to form and interpret sounds, words and sentences in their respective language.
