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Animal and Human Communication, Speech and Writing

Animal and human spee

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12 views2 pages

Animal and Human Communication, Speech and Writing

Animal and human spee

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sundarms404
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© © All Rights Reserved
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 Animal Communication and Human Communication

Charles F. Hockett (1958: 569-586) distinguishes human language from animal


communication using the following features:
1. Duality: human language operates at the level of sounds and words; but animal
language is unitary, and cannot be analysed further.
2. Productivity: animals have only a fixed repertoire that is not exhaustive.
3. Arbitrariness: Animal communication is iconic. One symbol represents the object it
stands for, and nothing else.
4. Interchangeability: The same human being can be the sender and receiver (listener
and speaker) of messages.
5. Displacement: Human language is context-free, but animal communication is context-
bound.
6. Specialisation: The act of communication does not require total physical movement in
a human being. Human beings can talk while walking, eating, or knitting. But animal
communication requires complete physical attention.
7. Open-ended system: Animal communication has only a limited number of signals for
a limited number of messages, and is hence a closed system. Human beings can
produce infinite number of sentences using words, and is hence an open-ended
system.
8. Dynamic and modifiable: human languages evolve and get modified with time; but
animal communication remains static.
9. Cultural transmission: Animal communication is genetically determined, but human
beings acquire language.
Also, refer to the table on pages 21-22 in your textbook to find the differences
between speech and writing.

 Speech and Writing


Language manifests as both speech and writing. However, speech is considered to be
primary, and writing secondary. The following may be considered the reasons:

Speech Writing

Comes first in any language Is secondary, has the history of only a


community, as old as humankind. few centuries.
In individual life also, speech Writing is learned later in life as a
comes first and as an automatic conscious process.
process.
Speech is more frequently used in Used lesser in daily life
daily life. communication.
The basic form of language. An attempt at representing the spoken
form with the help of certain symbols.
Language essentially exists in the There are languages that do not have a
spoken form. written form. Eg. Tulu
(Also, refer to the pages 23-24 in your textbook to learn about the advantages of speech
over writing and writing over speech.)

 Theories of the Origin of Language (Refer Pages 17-18 in your textbook.)

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