THE STUDY OF
MEANING

THE STUDY OF
MEANING

The systematic study
of meaning

The systematic study 
of meaning

Disciplines are concerned with
the systematic study of ‘meaning’

Psychology

How the human seeks
meaning and works with them

Philosophy

How any particular fact that we know
as true is related to other possible facts

Linguistics

How language works

The nature of language

The nature of language

Only humans have a language that allows them
that produce and understand always new
messages and that they do so without any
external stimulus

Human language is free of stimuli.

Human language is creative

Language and the individual

Language and the individual

Language acquisition in children.

Development of language skills

Language acquisition process

Parental imitation
Expression and communication

Stages of language acquisition

Production of two-word sentences

Development of more complex sentences

Skills in asking questions and negative statements

Imitation of sounds and words

Influence of the environment on language acquisition

Social interaction and language development

Exposure to spoken and sign language

Language knowledge

Productive and receptive vocabulary

Combining words into sentences

Knowledge of phonology, syntax and morphology

Language grammar

Semantics, phonology, syntax and morphology

Implicit and explicit knowledge of language

Description and explanation of grammar by linguists

Demonstrating semantic
knowledge

Demonstrating semantic 
knowledge

Speakers can make known to other speakers their

Thoughts

Thoughts

The following are ten aspects of any speaker’s semantic knowledge

Speakers must know if something is or not meaningful in their language

Speakers agree when two sentences have the same meaning and when they don't.

Speakers agree when two words havethe same meaning

Students recognize when sentences are contradictory.

Students recognize when words have different meanings.

Synonyms and antonymous must have some common to be the same or different.

Some sentences have two meanings. It is called ambiguous.

Speakers know how language is used when people interact, that is to say, for a question, there will be a lot of possible answers.

Sentences or statements may be related so that one is true the other must also be true.

Speakers know that a message in a sentence may presuppose other pieces of knowledge.

This hability

requires

Vocabulary knowledge

Pronunciation Knowledge

Meaning of the things