Exam 9: Why Is Understanding Human Language Important

Define and discuss the six design features of language that were singled out in the text. Using an example, identify why they are important for understanding human language use.

A language with no native speakers that develops in a single generation between members of communities that possess distinct native languages is a

Imagine you are provided with audio tapes in another language, which no additional information. Using concepts from the Module, describe how you would determine the characteristics of the language and derive meaning.

Which of the following statements about language endangerment do linguistic anthropologists consider correct?

Human communication extends beyond unspoken and spoken language.

What did Evans-Pritchard discover in the early twentieth century about Azande language practices?

Define phonology and morphology. How do these two constructs interact to help linguistic anthropologists understand language?

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, many anthropologists and linguists have become involved in projects ______ languages with small numbers of native speakers.

Which of the following statements correctly presents a position taken by those whose language is dying?

Recent research has led to the conclusion that pidgins and creoles are the same forms of language.