1. The Properties of Human Language
• Unique system of communication
• Informative signals: signals which you have
not intentionally sent body language
• Communicative signals: signals you use
intentionally to communicate something
1
2. 2
Properties of human language
• Displacement
• Human language refers to the past, present and future-
last night, at school, I’m flying to Paris next week
• Abstract concepts: Things that do not exist in real life, e.g.
superman, batman, Santa Claus
3. Properties of human language
• Arbitrariness
– no natural connection between a linguistic
form and its meaning= arbitrary
relationship
– Dog in English and ب
ل
كin Arabic.
3
4. 4
Properties of human language
• Productivity
o Humans are capable of creating new expressions for
new objects- infinite
o a language user can manipulate his linguistic
resources open endedness
5. 5
Properties of human language
• Cultural transmission
– We acquire language with other speakers not from
parental genes
– The first language is acquired in a culture
– A Korean child living in USA.
6. 6
Properties of human language
• Duality
– Two levels: distinct sound & distinct meaning
• Physical level at which we can produce individual sounds e.g. n, b,
i.
• Meaning level: when we produce sounds in combination e.g.: nib,
Bin
