What is Language

1. n R ¹ e f i ¹ ¹ e t t e ! # # D e ¹ ? C n R ¹ e f i ¹ ¹ e t t e ! # # D e ¹ ? C n R ¹ e f i ¹ ¹ e t t e !
Principles and
Theories of Language
Acquisition and
Learning
Introduction

2. Questions
I n DEPTH
1. Can animals communicate?
2. Can monkeys produce language?
3. What is the difference between language
acquisition and language learning?
4. What is the difference between first language
and second language?
5. What happens after a language comes into
contact with another?

3. WHAT IS
LANGUAGE?
(Madrumino & Martin, 2018)

4. Together with the creation
of human life is the creation of a
wonderful and dynamic human
capacity—language. Animals are
said to be able to communicate
with each other. Whales sing,
wolves howl, dogs bark, and
birds chirp.

5. The sounds these creatures
produce often reflect the state of
their emotions. While it may be
true that animals communicate,
only human beings are truly capable
of producing language.

6. What exactly is language? Linguists
agree that a language can only be
called a language if it has a system of
rules (also known as grammar), a sound
system (phonology), and a vocabulary
(lexicon). These are the requirements
for identifying a means of
communication as a language.

7. A monkey may be able to signal to its
partner that it is sharing food. The
monkey will produce sounds and
gestures, but will not be able to
organize the sounds into a meaningful
system with rules. What the monkey is
producing is not a language in the
strictest sense of the word.

8. Human beings, on the other hand,
are able to communicate their desire
to share food through several ways
that are understandable to other
human beings. They may utter a
word (Food!), raise a question (Want
some food?), or give a statement (I'd
like to share this food with you).

9. When people use language, they can
understand each other because they
belong to the same speech community.
They can understand each other
because in their speech community,
people share the same set of rules in
the language system.

10. While growing up, people acquire the
languages used by those in the
community. This is the process of
language acquisition. The languages
acquired while growing up are known
as mother tongues, which may also be
referred to as first languages.

11. People discover later on that other
languages are needed for various
reasons. These other languages may
be referred to as second languages.
People learn these languages by
studying formally in school or
informally on their own. This is the
process of language learning.

12. C n R ¹ e f i ¹ ¹ e t t e ! # # D e ¹ ? C n R ¹ e f i ¹ ¹ e t t e ! # # D e ¹ ? C n R ¹ e f i ¹ ¹ e t t e
WHICH SET IS CORRECT?
Aeroplane
Colonise
Defence
Enrolment
Honour
Airplane
Colonize
Defense
Enrollment
Honor

13. C n R ¹ e f i ¹ ¹ e t t e ! # # D e ¹ ? C n R ¹ e f i ¹ ¹ e t t e ! # # D e ¹ ? C n R ¹ e f i ¹ ¹ e t t e
WHICH SET IS CORRECT?
BRITISH ENGLISH
Aeroplane
Colonise
Defence
Enrolment
Honour
AMERICAN ENGLISH
Airplane
Colonize
Defense
Enrollment
Honor

14. What happens if people visit another
speech community that is different
from their own? Americans and
British speak English. However, they
spell English words differently. They
pronounce words differently. They
have different ways of expressing the
same concepts.

15. It can be said that the Americans and
the British belong to two speech
communities which do not have
exactly the same set of rules for their
languages. This is why there are
differences in their languages.
Comparison presented illustrates this
reality.

16. What happens if you, for
example, who speaks a mother
tongue and English, go to work in
China where the residents speak
Putonghua (Mandarin) and a
little bit of English? Will you be
able to communicate with the
Chinese? The answer is yes.

17. Though it will be a challenge for you
and your Chinese friends to try to
understand each other, eventually
you will be able to communicate as
you slowly learn each other's
languages. What is happening here is
called language contact. The result of
such contact may be a new form of
language.

18. It is possible that in your attempt to
communicate with each other, you and
your Chinese friend will produce a new
language form that is understandable
to both of you. Your own languages may
also change as you constantly interact
and communicate with each other.
Thus, language change is the result of
language contact.

19. Language is indeed a complex human
capacity. It is, therefore, important to
be aware of its features and behavior
to be able to use language more
effectively and productively in
communicating with others.

20. Questions
I n DEPTH
1. Can animals communicate?
2. Can monkeys produce language?
3. What is the difference between language
acquisition and language learning?
4. What is the difference between first language
and second language?
5. What happens after a language comes into
contact with another?

21. C n R ¹ e f i ¹ ¹ e t t e ! # # D e ¹ ? C n R ¹ e f i ¹ ¹ e t t e ! # # D e ¹ ? C n R ¹ e f i ¹ ¹ e t t e
S
Y
N
T
H
E
S
I
S
1. Language is a human
capacity that consists of
(a) a system of rules (also
known as grammar), (b) a
sound system
(phonology), and (c) a
vocabulary (lexicon).

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S
Y
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2. While growing up in a
community, people
acquire the languages
used by those in the
community. This is the
process of language
acquisition.

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S
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3. The languages acquired
while growing up are
known as mother
tongues, which may also
be referred to as first
languages.

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S
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4. Other than the first
languages, there are
other languages that are
needed for various
reasons. These other
languages are referred to
as second languages.

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5. People learn their
second languages in
school or on their own.
This is the process of
language learning.

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S
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6. In our interaction with
other people, our languages
come into contact with
their languages, resulting
in language change.
Language change is a
natural behavior of all
languages.

27. e ¹ o m e f i o ! O ¹ # # A f i e ¹ o m e f i o ! O ¹ # # A f i e ¹ o m e f i o ! O ¹ # # A f i e ¹ o m e f i o !
THANK
YOU!
PHOEBE GRACE V. BARBERAN
Instructor