Language as a system of signs

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Chapter 2 Language as a system of signs

The primary function of language is communication — it enables us to talk about the world around us and the worlds within us. This chapter explores those fundamental aspects of language that allow it to fulfill that function and compares language to other types of communication systems.

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When you’ve completed this chapter, you’ll be able to:

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understand different ways in which humans use signs to represent the world, and

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understand the way in which human languages differ fundamentally from other sign systems.

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