Imagine that a race of extraterrestrials came to earth. These extraterrestrials quickly learned to use Earth words to convey meaningful messages, but they never created new combinations of words or learned how to use rules to create meaningful sentences. Their communications would
A) not be generative or structured, but would be symbolic.
B) lack all the elements of language.
C) not be symbolic, but would be generative and structured.
D) have all the requirements for language.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The extraterrestrials would be able to convey meaningful messages using Earth words, which means they would have symbolic communication. However, their lack of ability to create new combinations of words or use rules to create sentences means their language would not be generative or structured.

Imagine That a Race of Extraterrestrials Came to Earth