Self-study
Professor: Members of most species are able to communicate with other members of the same species, but it is not true that all communication can be called “language. ███ █████ █████████████ ██████ ██████████████ █████████ ██ █████████ ██ █████ █████ ████████ ██ █ █████ ███████ █████ ██ █████ ███ ██ ██████
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Structure: Counter-Argument
The professor says that while members of most species can communicate with other members of their species, not all communication can be called "language." She then asserts that the human communication system is, however, language, and that language is a necessary part of what makes us human.
The student responds by asking how the professor knows that the highly developed communication systems of animals like dolphins, apes, and others are not languages.
Analysis: Flawed Interpretation
The student asks how the professor knows that certain species' highly developed communication systems are not languages. But the professor has never claimed to know that. All the professor says is that not all communication is language, and that human communication is definitely language. This doesn't mean that no communication besides human communication counts as language, but it seems like the student has interpreted the professor as making that claim.
14.
The student has interpreted the █████████████ ███████ ██ ████ ████
a
different species can ████ ███████ ████████ ██████
Incorrect. The professor doesn't talk about different species having similar "defining traits," nor does the student seem to think the professor has claimed species can share such traits. In fact, the student's question reveals that he has understood the professor to be saying that other species do not share humans' defining trait of language.
b
every human trait ██████ █████ ████████ ██ ██████ ██ ██ █████ ███ █████ ███████
Incorrect. Neither the professor nor the student talks about human traits other than language.
c
not all languages ███ ████ ██ ███████████
Incorrect. Neither the professor nor the student talks about languages that don't count as communication. Their discussion is about how not all communication counts as language, not vice versa.
d
using language is █ █████ ██████ ██ ███ █████ ████ ███ █████ ███████
Correct. When the student asks how the professor knows that the sophisticated communication systems of many animal species are not language, this shows that the student has understood the professor to be asserting that species other than humans do not have language. That's a misinterpretation: all the professor has said is that not all communication is language, and that humans definitely have language. The professor hasn't denied that some other species also have language.
e
humans cannot communicate ████ ███████ ██ █████ ███████
Incorrect. Neither the professor nor the student is talking about communication between members of different species.