What is language?

What is language?

• A. A random assortment of sounds with no structure
• B. A rule-governed system composed of symbols that is shared by a group of people
• C. The mental image of a word
• D. A single sentence in a conversation

Answer: (B)

Language is a rule-governed system of symbols shared by a group of people to communicate. Signs—whether spoken, signed, or written—have agreed meanings within a community, and their arrangements follow grammatical rules to express ideas, questions, and messages. This social, conventional structure with patterned rules distinguishes language from a random assortment of sounds, from the mental image of a word, or from a single sentence in conversation.

Language is a rule-governed system of symbols shared by a group of people to communicate. Signs—whether spoken, signed, or written—have agreed meanings within a community, and their arrangements follow grammatical rules to express ideas, questions, and messages. This social, conventional structure with patterned rules distinguishes language from a random assortment of sounds, from the mental image of a word, or from a single sentence in conversation.