Answer to Question 1
Semantics is the study of meaning in a language. Semanticists are concerned with how words and sentences express meaning. In semantics, denotation is the strict dictionary definition of a word. Connotation is a word's emotional overtones, presuppositions, and other nonexplicit meanings. Taken together, denotation and connotation form the meaning of a word.
Answer to Question 2
When we listen to someone speak, we do not rely solely on the auditory signals we hear. We also use visual input to understand others. The McGurk effect demonstrates powerfully how we integrate what we hear with what we see. It involves the synchrony of visual and auditory perceptions: When watching a movie, an auditory syllable is perceived differently depending on whether you see the speaker make the sound that matches the pronunciation of the syllable or make another sound that does not match the syllable spoken. Imagine yourself watching a movie. As long as the soundtrack corresponds to the speakers' lip movements, you encounter no problems. Suppose, however, that the soundtrack indicates one thing, such as da. At the same time, the actor's lips clearly make the movements for another sound, such as ba. You are likely to hear a compromise sound, such as tha. It is neither what was said nor what was seen. You somehow synthesize the auditory and visual information. You thereby come up with a result that is unlike either. For this reason, poorly dubbed movies can be confusing. You are vaguely aware that the lips are saying one thing, and you are hearing something else entirely.