Assignment 1: Reading Response
Freddie
1. How are the aliens’ language and communication style in the story different from human language (oral, pictographic, phonetic, etc.)?
Orally, the alien language sounded vaguely like that of a wet dog shaking the water out of its fur, which described on page 2, while human language has a distinct pronunciation, coherent sentences and pauses between words.
In the pictographic style, the alien’s language isn’t word-divided, its sentence is written by joining logograms, for the consistent words. Instead of alphabetic script, the aliens have logographic script.
In the phonetic style, the alien’s writing of sentences can’t be simply divided into individual words and recombine them. This form of writing is reminiscent of primitive sign systems, which required a reader to know the context of a message in order to understand it. However, humans have a systematic system of language. We can separate sentences into individual parts that combines and form a complete sentence.
In the consistency between written and oral communication, the alien’s writing constitutes a completely separated language from their speech, while humans ‘writing highly aligns with their speech.
2. How does the physical structure of our body inform the way we communicate? How about the aliens?
Human beings use their orifices as inputs and outputs to receive messages from eyes, ears or nose, and give out messages by their mouse, sometimes even eyes. Humans also use their limbs to make certain movement. I think the aliens also uses their limbs, though they may have seven, to make the attempt of similar movements as human’s to complete this communication.