Course: TSLB3193 Multiliteracies

Group members: -
Asyilla Amanda
Umi Zulaikha
Wan Nur Zulaikha

Tutorial Task:
Q1: Explore the evolution of language and communication.

A1:
Evolution of language is the gradual change in human language over time. It involves the origin
and divergence of languages and language families, which can be considered comparable to
biological evolution. From the research of language, it suggests that language first evolved
around 50,000 - 150,000 years ago, which is around the time when modern Homo sapiens
evolved. Celtic, the language which was believed as the origin of English language, existed
around 1000 BCE. Later, more languages such as Latin, Anglo, Saxon and Jute was born as
the language can develop further over years. And thousands of years later, numerous of
languages have been born and used by human as a way of communication to each other.

Communication has changed so much over the years. The very first way of communication
being used by human being is undeniably the human voice. In about 3200 BC, writing was
invented in Iraq and Egypt and about 1500 BC in China, and other civilizations in central
America like the Mayans also invented systems of writing. From here, one can see how the
communication developed from speech to the postal services. And now, in this current modern
world, there are telephones, cellphones, computers and email which are widely used by most of
the human beings, as it is the fastest method to communicate with each other.

Q2: Describe how social roles have changed communication

A2: Social role is defined as a set of rights, duties, expectations, norms and behaviors that a
person has to face and fulfill. It is one of the major factors that has changed communication into
how it works these days. One of those social roles is the role of teachers, as the ones who
teach and guide new generation through communication. As a teacher, a good communication
skill must be mastered so that the students’ understanding in a certain subject can be improved.
Teachers will have to use various ways to communicate with students especially in times where
another method of communicating must be used. For example, in this pandemic era, most of the
teachers in the world use internet as a way of communicating and educating their students.
Before online classes happened, students prefer to use gadgets only for entertainment, not for
communication or educational use. Besides, the role of parents, who communicate the most
with their children also play a significant role in changing communication. Basically, children
learn from what they see, hear and feel, and parents are generally the first caregiver a child is
influenced by. Research has effectively shown that communication skills are learned through
parents though little has shown the influence of specific parents.