Here's how it works within the speech chain:
1. Speaker's Brain: At this level, the speaker forms an idea or thought that they want to express. This involves accessing and organizing words and grammatical structures from their mental lexicon.
2. Linguistic Encoding: The brain transforms the thought into a linguistic representation, choosing appropriate words and arranging them according to grammatical rules.
3. Articulatory Level: The linguistic representation is then translated into motor commands that control the vocal tract, resulting in the production of speech sounds.
4. Acoustic Level: The movements of the vocal tract create sound waves that propagate through the air.
5. Auditory Level: The listener receives these sound waves and their auditory system processes them.
6. Linguistic Decoding: The listener's brain interprets the acoustic signal, reconstructing the linguistic message based on their knowledge of the language.
7. Listener's Brain: The listener comprehends the message and forms a mental representation of its meaning.
In summary:
- The linguistic level is not physically located within the speech chain.
- It's represented by the mental processes involved in encoding and decoding language.
- It operates at a higher cognitive level than the other physical levels of the chain.
Therefore, while the speech chain involves physical processes like sound production and perception, the linguistic level provides the meaningful content of the message and enables communication.