Criteria of the System of Communication
in order for it to be considered a language, characteristics of language, and its building blocks.
#LanguageCurriculum
5. A language uses Symbols, which
are sounds, gestures, or written
characters that represent objects,
actions, events, and ideas.
Reference: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/alamo-
sociology/chapter/reading-elements-of-culture
6. Symbols enable people to
refer to objects that are in
another place or events that
occurred at a different time.
Reference: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/alamo-
sociology/chapter/reading-elements-of-
culture/
7. A language is meaningful
and therefore can be
understood by other users
of that language.
Reference: www.sparknotes.com copyright 2020
8. A language is generative, which
means that the symbols of a
language can be combined to produce
an infinite number of messages
Reference: www.sparknotes.com copyright 2020
10. ο± Language is organized
hierarchically, from phonemes
to morphemes to phrases and
sentences that communicate
meaning.
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Reference: www.sparknotes.com
copyright 2020