Author Question: What is language and what is communication? How does nonhuman primate communication differ from that ... (Read 98 times)

sammy · **on:** Jul 10, 2018

What is language and what is communication? How does nonhuman primate communication differ from that of humans?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Describe three specific examples from the text of how humans communicate meaning without verbal language.

What will be an ideal response?

laurnthompson · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 10, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: The ideal answer will include:
1. Communication refers to any sending and receiving of meaningful messages.
2. Language is based on a systematic set of learned symbols, is shared among a group, and is passed on to younger generations.
3. Nonhuman primates communicate with call systems, which are limited to a set of particular actions that communicate specific meanings.
4. Human language, by contrast, is productive and can create an infinite range of meaningful messages.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: The ideal answer will include:
1. Sign languages include all of the features of verbal languages. They are typically used by the hearing impaired, but their use can be found in various cultural contexts.
2. American Indian groups use silence to communicate a range of meanings, often related to ambiguity or uncertainty.
3. In Japan, kimono sleeve length communicates facts about the wearer including age and marital status.
4. Eye contact has different meaning in different cultures. It is expected and valued in Euro-American conversations, but considered impolite or lewd in many Asian cultures.
5. The meaning of head coverings for women differs between cultures: In Egypt, head covering is done by lower or middle-class women; in Kuwait, the reverse is true.