"Whatever else we are, above all else we are communicating animals, and one of the most important ways we communicate with one another is through language and words," writes the author of this chapter. The section goes on to discuss how we learn a language when we are very young and start to speak recognizable words by the age of one. A key term from this chapter is phenomes, which are the basic units of sounds by which morphemes, words and sentences are represented. This fact leads to one of the more interesting parts of the chapter, in which the author points out that there are hundreds of thousands of words in the English language, however all of these words are created out of just three dozen sounds. This was a very interesting point being made because it shows just how complex the English language can be, yet how simple it is at the same time. I also thought it was very fascinating when the author pointed out that once a child masters a language they will be able to speak and create sentences they’ve never heard or seen. Language is the basis and cornerstone of our culture and it affects everything we do in life.
3 words that play an important role in the history of our country:
• Life
• Liberty
• Happiness
3 words that play an important role in my life:
• Opportunity
• Hope
• Determination
2 words that have changed meaning over time:
• Hot
• Fresh
2 words that are new and popular right now:
• Sexting
• Tweeting
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