This unit addresses some of the common myths that people believe about languages, and responds to these misconceptions with fundamental truths about human language:
- All languages have a grammar.
- All languages & grammars are equally valid, in linguistic terms.
- All languages have some universal properties in common.
- Every language changes over time.
- Most of our knowledge of the mental grammar of our language is unconscious.
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Check Yourself
1. It’s important to study Latin because Latin is more logical than other languages.
2. Spending too much time texting will ruin your ability to write proper English.
3. The dictionary gives the only correct meaning and pronunciation for words.
Answers
