Talking to her grandmother about her new computer, Reina uses such words as "web" and "tweet". Reina's grandmother wonders what spiders and birds have to do with Reina's computer. What can we conclude about the nature of language based on Reina's grandmother's confusion?
A) Words are fickle.
B) All language is symbolic.
C) Computer language is static.
D) Misunderstandings are humorous.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

All language is symbolic, meaning words are symbols that represent ideas, objects, or concepts. Reina's grandmother's confusion arises from interpreting the words "web" and "tweet" in their traditional, literal sense (related to spiders and birds, respectively), rather than understanding them as symbolic representations of concepts related to computer and internet technology. This highlights the symbolic nature of language, where the same word can represent different ideas in different contexts.

Talking to Her Grandmother About Her New Computer, Reina Uses