EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO.

LANGUAGE AND HUMANS

MODULE OVERVIEW

This unit examines the relationship between language and human cognition by
exploring key theories and evidence from both human and non-human communication. It
presents Charles Hockett’s features of language and M.A.K Halliday’s functions of language
to explain how language is structured and used in everyday life. The unit also investigates
animal communication, including modes of transmission, levels of consciousness, and
experiments with animals such as Viki, Kanzi, Gua, Koko, etc. Through these topics,
learners will understand what distinguishes human language from animal communication
and how language connects to thought, culture, and learning. The unit aims to develop
analytical skills, deepen appreciation of language as a uniquely human faculty, and foster
critical reflection on communication across species, with relevance to real-life interaction,
education, and linguistic study.

PRETEST
Direction: Read each question carefully. Choose the letter of the correct answer.

1. Who proposed the Design Features of Language?

A. Michael Halliday
B. Charles Hockett
C. Koko
D. Kanzi

2. Human language can talk about the past and future. This feature is called:
A. Displacement
B. Grammar
C. Instinct
D. Auditory

3. Words do not naturally look or sound like what they mean. This is called:
A. Arbitrariness
B. Productivity
C. Migration
D. Reflex

4. The ability to create many new sentences is called:

A. Cultural Transmission
B. Productivity
C. Chemical Communication
D. Tactile Communication

5. Learning language from parents and society is called:

A. Instinctual Behavior
B. Cultural Transmission
C. Duality
D. Prevarication

6. Who proposed the 7 Functions of Language?

A. Charles Hockett
B. Michael Halliday
C. Nim Chimpsky
D. Washoe

1
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

7. Saying “I am happy” is an example of what function?

A. Personal
B. Regulatory
C. Heuristic
D. Imaginative

8. Asking questions to learn is called:

A. Instrumental
B. Personal
C. Heuristic
D. Interactive

9. Animals mainly communicate through:

A. Sentences
B. Signals
C. Essays
D. Grammar rules

10. A dog barking is what type of communication?

A. Visual
B. Chemical
C. Auditory
D. Duality

11. Animals leaving pheromones is an example of:

A. Tactile Communication
B. Chemical Communication
C. Auditory Communication
D. Grammar

12. Migration of birds is an example of:

A. Critical Thinking
B. Cultural Transmission
C. Instinctual Behavior
D. Displacement

13. Which animal learned many signs?

A. Kanzi
B. Koko
C. Akeakamai
D. Phoenix

14. Kanzi used ____ to communicate.

A. Spoken sentences
B. Lexigrams (symbols)
C. Essays
D. Whistles only

15. Humans can talk about language itself. This is called:

A. Reflexiveness
B. Instinct
C. Auditory
D. Visual
16. The ability to lie is called:

2
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

A. Productivity
B. Prevarication
C. Displacement
D. Duality

17. Human language has rules for combining words. This system is called:
A. Grammar
B. Pheromones
C. Migration
D. Tactile

18. Telling a fantasy story is what function?

A. Regulatory
B. Instrumental
C. Imaginative
D. Heuristic

19. Animals do NOT have full human language because:

A. They cannot communicate
B. They lack all design features of language
C. They cannot make sounds
D. They cannot move

20. Human language is considered unique because:

A. Only humans can bark
B. It has complete design features
C. It uses pheromones
D. It is always written

INTRODUCTION
Language is an essential part of human interaction, shaping how people think, learn,
and relate to one another. In everyday life, individuals use words to express emotions, share
ideas, and build relationships, often without realizing how special and complex this ability is.
This raises an important question: What makes human language different from the sounds
animals produce? A dog may bark, but only humans can talk about the past, plan for the
future, or imagine things that do not exist.

This unit explores that uniqueness by examining how language works and how it is
used in real-life situations. The ideas of Charles Hockett, who described the special features
of human language, and M.A.K. Halliday, who explained its functions in communication,
provide a foundation for understanding language as more than just words and grammar.
Language is shown as a system closely linked to thought, culture, and social interaction.

By relating these concepts to familiar contexts—such as classroom interactions,

family discussions, and everyday communication—this unit underscores the significance of
studying language. Learners are encouraged to examine how humans and animals convey
meaning, and how the interpretation of messages varies across different situations. In this
way, the lesson demonstrates that language is a fundamental human faculty that not only
facilitates thought and learning but also enables meaningful connections with others and the
surrounding world.

3
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

a) Recognize the features that distinguish human and animal language.

b) Identify the functions of language distinct to humans.
c) Identify contextual community and school learning activities in relation to language
functions.
d) Discuss and present how animals communicate with humans and other animals with
or without consciousness.
e) Imply tenets of language teaching and learning through analyzing the cases/
experiments on apes with human language.

PRESENTATION OF THE LESSON

Preliminary Activity: Jumbled Letters

Instructions:
Divide the class into 4 groups.
The 4 groups will assemble the jumbled letters for 3 minutes.
The group with the most item assembled will be the winner.

1. MIAIGATNEVI
Clue: A function of language that is used in storytelling and imaginative play, creating
fictional scenarios and characters.

2. NSECIONSCUSSO
Clue: The quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself.

3. LITECAT
Clue: A type of animal communication refers to the use of touch as a means to convey
messages and meanings.

4. SEATYCMNITI
Clue: It pertains to the different specific meanings of words and expressions.

5. DISPLEMENTCA
Clue: Talking about things that are not present in time or space.

Hockett’s Design Features of Language

The design features of language were proposed by Charles F. Hockett, an American

linguist who studied how human language differs from animal communication systems. In
the 1960s, Hockett identified thirteen basic features that characterize human language. He
later added three more—prevarication, reflexiveness, and learnability—bringing the total to
sixteen. According to Hockett, all human languages, even the simplest ones, exhibit these
features, while animal communication systems display only some of them. These features
explain not only how language works physically, but also how it conveys meaning and
reflects human creativity and culture.

1. Vocal-Auditory Channel
Human language is primarily produced through speaking and received through
hearing. This reflects the traditional view that language is mainly oral. Although this definition
did not originally account for sign languages, modern interpretations include visual and
tactile forms of communication as valid channels of language.

4
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

2. Broadcast Transmission and Directional Reception

When a person speaks, the sound spreads in all directions, yet listeners are able to
determine where it comes from. In signed languages, gestures are visible to anyone within
sight, and observers can identify who is producing the signal. This feature is shared by many
animal communication systems.

3. Rapid fading (Transitoriness)

Linguistic signals are temporary. Spoken words vanish shortly after they are
produced, and signed gestures disappear once they end. Unlike speech or signing, written
forms of communication are more permanent and can be preserved over time.

4. Total Feedback
Speakers can hear their own speech and immediately adjust it if necessary. Similarly,
signers can see and feel their gestures while producing them. This allows constant
monitoring and correction during communication.

5. Interchangeability
Humans can both send and receive the same types of messages. Any speaker can
produce any sentence in their language, regardless of whether the message is true or false.
This differs from certain animal systems in which only specific members can produce
particular signals, such as chemical markers used exclusively by queen ants.

6. Semanticity
Language signals are associated with specific meanings. Words and expressions
consistently refer to particular objects, actions, or ideas, allowing communication to be
meaningful and interpretable.

7. Arbitrariness
Most linguistic signs have no natural or logical connection to what they represent. For
example, the word car does not resemble an actual car. Different languages use different
words for the same object, which further shows that the relationship between form and
meaning is based on convention rather than nature. Although some words show partial
resemblance to sounds in the environment (such as onomatopoeia), the majority of
language remains arbitrary.

8. Specialization
Linguistic signals exist mainly for communication. Human speech and signing are
usually intentional acts meant to convey meaning. In contrast, some animal behaviors, such
as panting in dogs, may incidentally communicate information but primarily serve biological
functions like cooling the body.

9. Discreteness
Language is composed of small, distinct units that are combined according to rules.
These units are perceived as separate categories rather than continuous signals. For
instance, plural forms in English are marked by specific sounds that function as clear
grammatical indicators rather than as gradual changes in volume or intensity.

10. Duality of Patterning

Language operates on two levels. At one level, meaningless sound combine to form
meaningful units such as words and morphemes. At another level, these meaningful units
combine to create sentences and larger messages. This layered structure allows a limited
number of sounds to generate countless expressions.

11. Displacement

5
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

Humans can talk about things that are not present in time or space. They can
discuss past events, future plans, imaginary situations, and abstract ideas. This feature sets
human language apart from most animal communication, which is usually limited to
immediate circumstances.

12. Productivity
Language users can create and understand an unlimited number of new
expressions. Through grammatical patterns, speakers can form sentences they have never
heard before. New words and expressions constantly emerge, showing that language is
flexible and dynamic.

13. Cultural Transmission

Although humans are born with the capacity for language, they must learn a specific
language through social interaction. Language is acquired from parents, caregivers, and the
surrounding community. This process connects language closely with culture and
distinguishes it from genetically inherited communication systems.

14. Prevarication
Humans are capable of producing false or misleading statements. They can lie,
invent stories, and talk about things that do not exist. Animal communication systems
generally lack this ability, as their signals are tied to immediate reality.

15. Reflexiveness
Humans can use language to talk about language itself. They can analyze grammar,
explain meanings, and discuss how communication works. This ability to reflect on language
is unique to human beings.

15. Learnability
Language can be taught and learned. Humans are able to acquire more than one
language, especially during childhood. Although learning becomes more difficult with age,
people can still study and master new languages later in life.

Conclusion
Hockett’s design features provide a framework for understanding what makes human
language different from other communication systems. They show that language is not
merely a set of sounds, but a structured, meaningful, creative, and socially transmitted
system. Through these features, human language enables communication across time,
space, and imagination, making it one of the most complex and distinctive human abilities.

Halliday’s 7 Functions of Language

Michael Halliday is a British linguist who studied child language acquisition (Hulatt &
Freitos, 2023). In 1975, he published the seven Functions of Language, also called
“developmental functions” or “micro functions”.

(Hulatt & Freitos, 2023) Functions of language:

• Instrumental – is a language used to fulfill needs or desires, such as requesting food

or comfort.
Example:
o “I want…”
o “Can I have…”
o “I need…”

6
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

• Regulatory – is used to command, persuade, or request someone to do something,

controlling their behavior.
Example:
o “Hold me.”
o “Come with me.”
o “Go away.”

• Interactive – is used to form relationships, express emotions, and strengthen bonds

with others.
Example:
o “Love you, mummy.”
o “Thank you!”
o “Do you like apples too, Mike?”

• Personal – used to express personal opinions, emotions, and identity, as well as to

seek information about the world.
Example:
o “I learned how to ride a bike when I was five.”
o “I’ve got a pet dog!”
o “Me happy.”

• Heuristic – is associated with discovery and explanation, often through questions

and self-narration.
Example:
o “What’s that?”
o “Tell me why…”
o “What for?”

• Representational – is used to request and relay information between people,

exchanging facts and experiences.
Example:
o “The sun is hot”
o “The kitchen light isn’t working.”
o “I made this bracelet to symbolize our friendship.”
• Imaginative – is used in storytelling and imaginative play, creating fictional scenarios
and characters.
Example:
o “Let’s pretend I’m a wizard.”
o “A dragon flew by our house last night!”
o “This box is a spaceship.”

Non-Human Communication

What is Non-Human Communication?

o also called “Animal Communication”
o is the way anything non-human communicates without the use of words.

How do animals communicate?

o they communicate through signals: Tactile, visual, chemical, auditory signal.

Do animals have language?

7
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

o Animals do communicate, but they do not have language in the same way
humans do.

5 Specific Qualities of Human Language:

1. Displacement – It allows language users to talk about things and events not present
in the immediate environment. Humans can refer to past and future time, Animal
communication is generally considered to lack this property.

a. Ex: If a dog barks, it senses danger (at the moment), but can’t talk about
yesterday’s danger.

2. Productivity – also called 'creativity' or 'open-endedness'. It means that the potential

number of utterances in any human language is infinite. Humans are continually
creating new expressions and novel utterances by manipulating their linguistic
resources to describe new objects and situations while the communication systems
of animals are limited.

3. Grammar – it is a system of rules that tells us how to combine words to form

meaningful sentences. Humans follow systematic rules in combining words to create
meaningful sentences. This allows unlimited expression. In contrast, animal
communication does not have a structured grammatical system.

4. Cultural Transmission – Cultural transmission in language is the process by which

language is passed on from one generation to the next through social learning,
imitation, and interaction, rather than through genetic inheritance.

a. Ex: If you are born in the Philippines and you are a Filipino and adopted by
American parents, you will speak fluent American English in United States
while your physical appearance will still be a Filipino. Unlike animals,
communication ability is transmitted biologically, so they are unable to learn
other languages.

5. Duality of Patterning – it is a fundamental feature of human language where a

limited set of meaningless sounds (phonemes) combine to form an unlimited number
of meaningful units (morphemes/words).

Language must have all the language features to be considered language.

Transmission in Animal Language

Types of Animal Communication (The Animal Care, 2025):

1. Auditory Communication
➢ Animals use sounds to express their feelings.
Ex.
• A dog barking (Some use sounds to alarm their fellow animals.)
• Monkeys (Some to impress their mates)
• Frogs

8
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

[Link]

Note: Not every animal can produce sounds, even though it sounds like the most basic form
of communication; some of these animals are jellyfish and ants.

2. Visual Communication
➢ It is based on visible signals, like gestures and postures, facial expressions,
camouflaging, etc. Sometimes it might not seem obvious but they can be
understanded through inspection. Here are the examples, respectively:

o Ex. Great apes' sign language, dogs' tail wagging, monkeys' fear grin, and
octopuses changing their color for defense.

[Link]

3. Tactile Communication
➢ It is the most common form of animal communication, and it requires touching and
the participants to be nearby. That’s why it is more common in the same species.
Ex.
o Social bonding- wolves
o Infant care and grooming- elephants
o Showcase of dominance- hippos

[Link]

4. Chemical Communication
➢ Animals leave pheromones (a chemical substance that could be in the form of urine,
smell, saliva) behind in the environment for different reasons.

9
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

Types of Pheromones:
o Relater pheromones- Used for attracting mates; rapid response but quickly
removed.
o Primer pheromones- Delayed effect but lasts longer.
o Alarm pheromones- Released to warn or alert other animals.
o Food trail pheromones- Used to lead members towards a food source.
o Sex pheromones- Attract and encourage mating.

Animal Consciousness

Are animals really conscious? To what extent can they think? How does human
consciousness differ from animal consciousness? And how does their way of communication
prove that we really have a higher consciousness level from them?

These are some questions that will be answered in this lesson. So, what are we
waiting for? Let’s discover and learn more.

• Consciousness
➢ The quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself (Merriam-
Webster, n.d).

o Ex. self-awareness (basic sense that you exist), language (internal voice), memory
(store and retrieve knowledge)

[Link]
daydreaming/

• Animal Consciousness
➢ The quality or state of self-awareness within an animal (Torre, 2024).

o Ex. toolmaking and problem solving (primates, dolphins, and some birds), dreaming
(octopuses changing colors while sleeping), joy (bumblebees playing with small balls
without a reward)

[Link]

• Critical Thinking
➢ The ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment (Ryan, 2022).

10
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

o Ex. problem-solving, planning, interpretation.

[Link]

• Instinctual Behavior
➢ Innate behaviors are genetically programmed and do not require learning or
experience. It is usually a response in order to survive (Fiveable, 2025).

o Ex. Humans- Reflexes of babies

Animals – Migration of birds (for survival and reproduction)

[Link]

• Language Capacity
➢ Animals can communicate with each other but they are not considered to have a
language (Torre, 2024).

• Animal Language
➢ Animals cannot form words, phrases, and sentences, but they have various ways to
communicate (Torre, 2024).

11
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

• Animal Communication
➢ It may happen between animals of the same species or different species. Moreover,
different kinds of animals can transmit information to one another. (Torre, 2024)

[Link]
[Link]

[Link]
[Link]

Experiments on Languages and Animals (Viki, Kanzi, Gua, Koko, etc.)

Animals have language capacity because they have a unique way of communicating
with each other. However, they are not considered to have a language because unlike
humans, they do not possess the ability to speak or put words together to form structured
sentences.

Since humans share approximately 96% to 99% of its DNA with apes, scientists and
linguists began to wonder about the linguistic potential of animals and if human language
can be taught to non-humans for communication.

Through the years, various experiments were conducted to present how animals
can communicate with humans and to determine if language can be taught to them.

1. The First Scientific Attempt on Orangutan

In 1916, the first attempt to teach language to apes was done in the USA where they
tried to teach an orangutan how to speak.
Unfortunately, the animal died due to high fever
while repeating two words that it had to learn:
“papa” and “cup”.

2. Gua: The Chimp Raised with a Human

Sibling
Gua is a female chimpanzee adopted by
Winthrop and Luella Kellogg in the 1930s and

12
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

raised with their own son, Donald. They treated Gua as a human child to see if she would
learn language through imitation and social interaction. Gua was able to keep pace and
sometimes even outpaced the development of Donald in language comprehension wherein
he was able to understand a hundred words before the age of two. Although Gua was able
to imitate, she did not develop spoken language. The experiment was terminated because
the human child began imitating the ape’s behaviors.

3. Viki the speaking chimpanzee

Viki is among the first experiments in ape
language. She is a female chimpanzee adopted
by Keith and Catherine Hayes of the Yerkes
Laboratories of Primate Biology. They raised her
like a human infant to see if she could learn
human words. She was given speech therapy
where the Hayes’ manipulated her lower jaw and
moved her lips. She was able to utter four words
on her own: mama, papa, cup, up. She died at
the age of seven because of viral meningitis

4. Washoe the signing chimp

Since chimpanzees naturally gesture a lot,
psychologist Allex and Beatrice Gardner thought
that they can also learn how to sign language. In
1966, they began teaching simplified American
Sign Language (ASL) to a female chimp named
Washoe. She is the first non-human to learn to
communicate using ASL. When Washoe died in
2007, she knew about 250 signs and could put
different signs together to make simple
combinations like “Gimme Sweet” and “You Me
Go Out Hurry”. Washoe learned without direct
instruction but by observing humans around her who were signing amongst themselves.
She first learned how to sign “open”. However, comprehension was not focused on during
the experiment.
5. Nim Chimpsky
After the success of teaching modified ASL
to Washoe, psychologist Herbert Terrace decided
to replicate the project to another chimpanzee
named Nim Chimpsky (named after linguist Noam
Chomsky). Nim was able to use up to four signs to
form sequences such as “more drink”, “tickle Nim”,
“banana Nim eat.” Terrace concluded that Nim
never learned language, but he had merely been
trained to imitate his teachers to get rewards.

6. Chantek the orangutan

Chimpanzees are not the only talking apes.
In 1978, anthropologist Lyn Miles began studying a
male orangutan named Chantek. Chantek learned
150 modified ASL signs, showed signs of being
self-aware and he could also recognize himself in
a mirror. He could also signify objects, actions,
proper names, attributes and pronouns. By the
age of 8, Chantek was able to invent different sign
including “no+teeth” to indicate that he would not

13
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

use his teeth during rough play. He acquired vocabulary items but like the other apes, has
little syntax or the correct use of grammar.

Chantek lived under constant supervision in the University of Tennessee at

Chattanooga where he went to classes regularly and was beloved by the academic
community. Chantek died of a heart disease at the age of 39.

7. Koko
Hanabiko “Koko” is a female gorilla, born
in 1971, who received both speech and sign
input from her trainer Francine Patterson of
Stanford University. Koko gain popularity not
just because of its language experiment but
also because of her adopting a kitten as a pet
and naming him “All Ball” which the public
perceived as her ability to rhyme.

Koko has 10 hours of speech and sign exposure with help in molding the hand for
sign making. She could make a new word to describe new object by combining previously
known once. For instance, he signs “finger + bracelet” for a ring. Koko has an active
vocabulary of more than 1,000 signs of what Patterson calls “Gorilla Sign Language (GSL)”.
This gives her impressive achievements compared to chimps and can be compared to a 3-
year-old human child. In addition to signs, since Koko was exposed to spoken English from
an early age, she can understand approximately 2,000 words spoken in English. It is
claimed that Koko can comprehend in speech whatever she can understand in sign.

8. Kanzi
Unlike other experiment that uses sign
language, Kanzi is a bonobo that uses different
combinations of lexigrams (visual word symbol)
or symbols to communicate. In 1980s,
psychologist Sue Savage-Rumbaugh was trying
to teach Kanzi’s mom, Matata, to use lexigrams
but instead, Kanzi was the one who mastered
the symbols. He can understand spoken
English and knows approximately 400 symbols.
When he “speaks”, his lexigram usage follows
rules of grammar and syntax.

Aside from apes, experiments on other animals were also made. This includes the
study on dolphins but unlike on apes, the focus is more on their comprehension rather that
speech production.
Louis M. Herman’s team at the University
of Hawaii confirmed dolphins have good
memories, can mimic sounds, and quickly update
information. Herman and his team taught two
dolphins, Akeakamai and Phoenix, different
artificial languages— Akeakamai learned gesture-
based signs (with a human doing the signing at
the edge of the pool), and Pheonix learned
sound-based ones (with a computer doing the
whistling, through loudspeakers in the pool). The
grammar was quite simple, but did possess features like word order dependence, to test
whether the dolphins were sensitive to syntax as well as semantics. The goal was to see if

14
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

dolphins could learn a human-made language and understand their cognitive skills. The
dolphins were tested with commands using reversible structures (e.g., "pipe hoop fetch" vs.
"hoop pipe fetch") following the rule: Untransportable Object + Transportable Object +
Action. This process helped assess the dolphins' ability to understand language, syntax,
and their capacity to learn new linguistic rules.

While these experiments were able to show that animals can have the qualities of
language like displacement, semanticity, symbolic transfer and productivity, none of them
were able to have all the qualities needed to prove that they can use the language of
human. This shows that human language is unique to humans.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Learning Activity 1: What’s my feature?

Instructions: Read each scenario carefully. Identify the feature of language by Charles
Hockett, that is exhibited in each scenario.

1. A child learns to speak English by listening to and interacting with their parents.
2. A student writes an essay about the history of the English language.
3. A politician makes a promise they don't intend to keep.
4. A teacher explains that the word "cat" has no physical resemblance to an actual cat.
5. A person tells a friend, "I saw a movie last night."
6. During a phone call, you can hear your own voice echoing slightly.
7. A baby babbles, producing sounds that will later be combined into words.
8. A referee uses a whistle to signal a foul during a basketball game.
9. People use different words to express the same idea in different languages.
10. A radio broadcasts a news report that can be heard by anyone within range.

Learning Activity 2: Halliday’s Functions of Language

Instructions: Match the given sentences in Column A with the correct function of language
from Column B. Write the letter of the function on the space before each number.

Column A: Column B
___ 1. “Can you open the window?”
A. Instrumental
___2. “I feel happy today!”
B. Regulatory
___3. Asking questions to learn about the world. C. Interactive
D. Personal
___4. Telling a story about a magical adventure.
E. Heuristic
___ 5. Greeting a friend and chatting casually. F. Representational
G. Imaginative

Learning Activity 3: Compare Me!

15
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

Using your knowledge of human language and non-human communication, complete the
Venn diagram to show their similarities and differences.

HUMAN NON-HUMAN

GENERALIZATION

Human language is more complex and organized compared to animal

communication. Animals usually communicate for basic needs like finding food, warning
others of danger, or attracting a mate. Humans, however, use language to share ideas,
express emotions, discuss opinions, and talk about things that are not happening right now.
Our language has structure and rules, and it is learned and passed down from one
generation to another. Because of this, language is closely connected to human thinking and
awareness.

Reflect on these questions to deepen your understanding and relate key insights from our
lesson about language and humans:
➢ How does human language show our ability to think and reason?
➢ What makes human communication different from animal communication?
➢ Why is learning from others important in developing language?
➢ Does the complexity of language show the depth of human consciousness?

ASSESSMENT

Instruction: True or False. Read the statements carefully, then write TRUE if the statement
is correct and FALSE if it is wrong. Write your answer on separate sheet of paper.

1. Rapid fading means speakers can hear their own speech and immediately
adjust it if necessary.

16
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

2. The design features of language were proposed by Charles F. Hockett, a

German linguist who studied how human language differs from animal
communication systems.

3. Instrumental is a function of language used to fulfill needs or desires, such as

requesting food or comfort.

4. Innate behaivors requires learning or experience. It is usually a response in

order to survive.

5. There are seven types of pheromones.

6. Personal is a funtion of languange associated with discovery and explanation,

often through questions and self-narration.

7. Critical Thinking refers to the ability to effectively analyze information and form a
judgment.

8. Animals can form words, phrases, and sentences, and they have various ways
to communicate.

9. Animals communicate through tactile, visual, chemical, and auditory

communication signals.

10. Prevarication means that humans are capable of producing false or misleading
statements.

11. Humans share approximately 98% to 99% of its DNA with apes.

12. Representational function of language is used to request and relay information

between people, exchanging facts and experiences.

13. Reflexiveness is about using language to talk about language itself.

14. Animals have language capacity because they have a unique way of
communicating with each other.

15. Animal language is the quality or state of self-awareness within an animal.

POSTTEST

Instructions: Write the letter of the correct answer before the number.

1. Can both send and receive the same types of messages. Any speaker can produce any
sentence in their language, regardless of whether the message is true or false.
a. Total Feedback
b. Broadcast Transmission and Directional Reception
c. Interchangeability
d. Semanticity

2. Can use language to talk about language itself. They can analyze grammar, explain
meanings, and discuss how communication works. This ability to reflect on language is
unique to human beings.

17
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

a. Reflexiveness
b. Learnability
c. Prevarication
d. Cultural Transmission

3. Can be taught and learned. Humans are able to acquire more than one language,
especially during childhood. Although learning becomes more difficult with age, people can
still study and master new languages later in life.
a. Reflexiveness
b. Learnability
c. Prevarication
d. Cultural Transmission

4. Can create and understand an unlimited number of new expressions. Through

grammatical patterns, speakers can form sentences they have never heard before. New
words and expressions constantly emerge, showing that language is flexible and dynamic. a.
Semanticity b. Broadcast Transmission and Directional Reception c. Productivity d. Duality of
Patterning

5. It is primarily produced through speaking and received through hearing. This reflects the
traditional view that language is mainly oral.
a. Rapid Fading (Transitoriness)
b. Arbitrariness
c. Specialization
d. Vocal-Auditory Channel

6. She is a female chimpanzee adopted by Winthrop and Luella Kellogg in 1930s and raised
with their own son, Donald.
a. Nim Chimpsky
b. Chantek the orangutan
c. Gua the Chimp
d. Viki the chimpanzee

7. She is the first non-human to learn to communicate using ASL.

a. Washoe the Chimp
b. The first scientific attempt on orangutan
c. Koko
d. Kanzi

8. Learned 150 modified ASL signs, showed signs of being self-aware and he could also
recognize himself in a mirror. He could also signify objects, actions, proper names, attributes
and pronouns.
a. Washoe the Chimp
b. The first scientific attempt on orangutan
c. Koko
d. Kanzi

9. She is a female gorilla, born in 1971, who received both speech and sign input from her
trainer Francine Patterson of Stanford University. She gained popularity not just because of
its language experiment but also because of her adopting a kitten as a pet and naming him
“All Ball” which the public perceived as her ability to rhyme.
a. Washoe the Chimp
b. The first scientific attempt on orangutan
c. Koko
d. Kanzi

18
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

10. Was able to use up to four signs to form sequences such as “more drink”, “tickle Nim”,
“banana Nim eat.”
a. Nim Chimpsky
b. Chantek the orangutan
c. Gua the Chimp
d. Viki the chimpanzee

11. The quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself.
a. Animal Consciousness
b. Critical Thinking
c. Consciousness
d. Instinctual Behavior

12. It is the animals’ use of sounds to express their feelings.

a. Auditory Communication
b. Tactile Communication
c. Visual Communication
d. Chemical Communication

13. It is a Pheromone that is used for attracting mates.

a. Sex Pheromones
b. Alarm Pheromones
c. Primer Pheromones
d. Relater Pheromones

14. It is the most common form of animal communication, and it requires touching and the
participants to be nearby.
a. Auditory Communication
b. Tactile Communication
c. Visual Communication
d. Chemical Communication

15. It is based on visible signals, like gestures and postures, facial expressions,
camouflaging, etc. Sometimes it might not seem obvious but they can be understanded
through inspection.
a. Auditory Communication
b. Tactile Communication
c. Visual Communication
d. Chemical Communication

16. It is a language used to fulfill needs or desires, such as requesting food or comfort.
a. Interactive
b. Imaginative
c. Personal
d. Instrumental

17. Used to express personal opinions, emotions, and identity, as well as to seek information
about the world.
a. Heuristic
b. Representational
c. Regulatory
d. Personal

18. It is used in storytelling and imaginative play, creating fictional scenarios and characters.
a. Interactive

19
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

b. Imaginative
c. Personal
d. Instrumental

19. It is used to request and relay information between people, exchanging facts and
experiences.

a. Heuristic
b. Representational
c. Regulatory
d. Personal

20. It is used to form relationships, express emotions, and strengthen bonds with others.
a. Interactive
b. Imaginative
c. Personal
d. Instrumental

REFERENCES

Animal and Language Learning. Scribd. Retrieved February 26, 2026, from
[Link]

Animal Experiment for Education. Slideshare. Retrieved February 26, 2026, from
[Link]
pptx/267952015

Cheney, D. (1997). Why Animals Don’t Have Language. Retrieved February 26, 2026, from
[Link]

Clores, L. (2025/2026). Experiment on Languages and animals. Studocu. Retrieved

February 26, 2026, from [Link]
community-college/bsed-english/experiment-on-languages-and-animals/117509795

Fiveable. (2025). Instinctual Behavior Definition - AP Psychology Key Term. Retrieved from
[Link]

Hulatt, L., & Freitas, G. (2023). Halliday’s functions of language. StudySmarter.

[Link]

Ryan, E. (2022). What Is Critical Thinking? Definition & Examples. Retrieved from

Shatnawi, H. (2025, May 29). Hockett’s design features of language. [Link].

[Link]
[Link]?m=1

The Animal Care. (2024). How Do Animals Communicate: 4 Types of Animal Communication
You Need to Know. Retrieved from [Link]
communicate-4-types-of-animal-communication-you-need-to-know/

Torre, C. (2024). Group-five-EL-101-Animal-Consciousnes. Retrieved from

[Link]

20
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

Ungvarsky, J. (2024). Halliday’s functions of language. StudySmarter.

[Link]

21
EL 101- Language, Culture, and Society MODULE NO. 2

Answer key

Pre-test Assessment Post test

1. B 1. False 1. C
2. A 2. False 2. A
3. A 3. True 3. B
4. B 4. False 4. C
5. B 5. False 5. D
6. B 6. False 6. C
7. A 7. True 7. A
8. C 8. False 8. D
9. B 9. True 9. C
10.C 10. True 10. A
11.B 11. False 11. C
12. C 12. True 12. A
13.B 13. True 13. D
14. B 14. True 14. B
15. A 15. False 15. C
16. B 16. D
17. A 17. D
18. C 18. B
19. B 19. B
20. B 20. A

22