For this assignment, you will have to read Units 1 and 2 of Tutorial Letter 501.
Question 1
Language as a semiotic system “… is thought of as a system where the individual
elements – signs – take their overall meaning from how they are combined with other
elements” (Carter & Goddard, 2016, p. 45). Bearing this quotation in mind, study
TEXT A before you answer the questions that follow.
You may also refer to Table 1 (Aspects of language) which is attached but can also
be found on page 8 of Tutorial Letter 501.
TEXT A
What will 2021 bring? Never before have we started a new year with so many
questions, to which there are so little answers (or are there)?
A friend gave my 10-year-old grandson a little round grey object as a birthday
present recently, and I just could not figure out what it was, or why he was so
excited about it than the new swimming trunk decorated with huge and colourful
toucans that I gave him.
It turned out to be a mini smart speaker, or more precisely, an Artificial intelligence
voice-controlled assistant called a Google Home Speaker, apparently designed to
control the home by voice command, leaving your hands free to do other things.
After a swift little DIY procedure requiring a small screwdriver, he connected
another small device between the speaker and his bedside lamp . . .
After my bewildered questions . . . , he informed me that this little critter can
communicate with Google and is activated by him saying, “Hey Google”. He can
then ask Google whatever he wants to know.
Source: Celliers, A. (2021). The Gardener. (p.96)
1.1 Construct two different sentences using the same words from the following
sentence: (4 marks)
Never before have we started a new year with so many questions, to which
there are so little answers (or are there)?.
The words in the new sentences must be arranged differently from the original
sentence. The sentences must be grammatically correct.
1.2 Which language aspect has helped you to re-arrange the words in 1.1? (1 mark)
1.3. In your own words, explain the language aspect you used in 1.2? (2 marks)
1.4 In TEXT A there are words that are conjoined into one.
Question 1
Language as a semiotic system “… is thought of as a system where the individual
elements – signs – take their overall meaning from how they are combined with other
elements” (Carter & Goddard, 2016, p. 45). Bearing this quotation in mind, study
TEXT A before you answer the questions that follow.
You may also refer to Table 1 (Aspects of language) which is attached but can also
be found on page 8 of Tutorial Letter 501.
TEXT A
What will 2021 bring? Never before have we started a new year with so many
questions, to which there are so little answers (or are there)?
A friend gave my 10-year-old grandson a little round grey object as a birthday
present recently, and I just could not figure out what it was, or why he was so
excited about it than the new swimming trunk decorated with huge and colourful
toucans that I gave him.
It turned out to be a mini smart speaker, or more precisely, an Artificial intelligence
voice-controlled assistant called a Google Home Speaker, apparently designed to
control the home by voice command, leaving your hands free to do other things.
After a swift little DIY procedure requiring a small screwdriver, he connected
another small device between the speaker and his bedside lamp . . .
After my bewildered questions . . . , he informed me that this little critter can
communicate with Google and is activated by him saying, “Hey Google”. He can
then ask Google whatever he wants to know.
Source: Celliers, A. (2021). The Gardener. (p.96)
1.1 Construct two different sentences using the same words from the following
sentence: (4 marks)
Never before have we started a new year with so many questions, to which
there are so little answers (or are there)?.
The words in the new sentences must be arranged differently from the original
sentence. The sentences must be grammatically correct.
1.2 Which language aspect has helped you to re-arrange the words in 1.1? (1 mark)
1.3. In your own words, explain the language aspect you used in 1.2? (2 marks)
1.4 In TEXT A there are words that are conjoined into one.
