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What is Language
- 1. What is Language? University ofthe Punjab , Department of English Language & Literature. Lahore, Pakistan
- 2. LANGUAGE A Skill • Somethingwe do – He speaks well but writes badly. KNOWLEDGE • Something we know – I don’t know much Italian.
- 3. LANGUAGE A Possession • Somethingwe have/possess – I haven’t much French. A Tool • Something we use – What words can I use to describe her?
- 4. LANGUAGE An Event • Somethingwhich happens – I was in the office when the conversation took place. A Group Identity • Something which transmits culture – It is only through our language that we can truly express our identity.
- 5. LANGUAGE An Object • Somethingwhich we can describe – This language has a complex structure. A Living Organism • Something which is born, lives and dies – Gradually a new language was born. – The 18th century saw a flowering of the language. – That’s a dead language
- 6. LANGUAGE • The mostvaluable possession of man • Difficult to think of a society without Language
- 8. Robins • Language isA SYMBOL SYSTEM – Based on Arbitrary conventions • Infinitely EXTENDABLE & MODIFIABLE – To changing needs and conditions of the speaker
- 9. Sapir • Language is Apurely human & non-instinctive – Method of communication • Humans ---- species-specific, species-uniform • Non-instinctive --- A child has to learn Language of his society
- 10. Chomsky • A Languageis a – SET OF SENTENCES – Finite or infinite • Each finite in length – Constructed out of a finite set of elements.
- 12. 1. A Meansof Communication
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- 15. Others Means ofCommunication • Gesture • Nods • Winks • Flags • Smiles • Horns • Short-hand • Dancing
- 16. Others Means ofCommunication • Braille Alphabet • Mathematical Symbols • Morse Code • Sirens • Sketches • Maps • Acting • Miming
- 17. Other System Vs.Language • Extremely Limited • Not Flexible • Not Comprehensive • Not Perfect • Not Extensive
- 18. Language A Carrier •It conveys/carries »Human thoughts »Philosophy »Culture »Civilization • Shapes »people’s thought • Guides/control »activities
- 19. Language is Ubiquitous •Present everywhere – in all activities • As important as the air we breathe
- 20. Species-specific • Only Humansare blessed with language • Specific property of humans • Humans are called talking animals
- 22. Language is Arbitrary •No inherent/basic relation between the words of language and their meanings
- 23. No reason whya female called: • Woman English • Istree Hindi • Aurat Urdu • Zen Persian • Femine French • Selection of these words in the language is purely arbitrary, an accident of history
- 24. Advantages of LanguageArbitrariness • Variety of Languages • There would have been only one language • Permits change • Its conventionality gives it stability
- 25. Onomatopoeia • Words thatimitate the sounds they stand for: – Bang – Buzz – Splash etc • Such words do have some relation with the meanings/ ideas they stand for • Not completely intrinsic relationship – Kokla doo dle do
- 27. • Made upof vocal sounds • Produced by Physiological articulatory mechanism
- 28. Speech Primary, WritingSecondary • A child learns to speak first – Writing comes much later • A man speaks much more – than he writes • Writing – Graphic representation of vocal sounds – Letters K , Q /k/ • Total quantum of speech is > T.Q. written material
- 29. Advantage of writing •Pen is mightier than the sword • It could be preserved in books or record
- 30. Primacy of Speechover Writing • Spoken words are powerful • Can be preserved: – audio cassettes – Tape recorders
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- 32. An organized combinationof elements • Small number of meaningless elements (sounds/words) in combination produce a large number of meaningful elements • These systems operate at two levels: – Phonological – Syntactical
- 33. Phonological Level • Toform meaningful units/ words • Sounds are arranged in certain established systematic order Cat /k t/ Act / k t/ Pat /p t/ Tap /t p/ Pack / p k/
- 34. Syntactical Level • Toframe acceptable meaningful sentences – Words are arranged in particular system – (grammatical/ structural rules) ‘(The hunter) (shot) (the tiger) (with a gun)’. ‘The tiger shot a gun with hunter the’.
- 36. A Form ofsocial Behaviour • A child picks up the language of the social set-up • And learns to speak community language • A Chinese infant if placed in an Indian family – Will easily learn to speak an Indian language
- 38. A Symbol • Aconcrete event, object or mark • Stands for something relatively abstract
- 39. • Word aresymbols – stand for object • Table – wooden/glass board supported by 4/3 legs
- 40. Messages in formof symbols • SPEAKER RECEIVER
- 41. 7. The Uniquenessof Human Language Human Language Vs. Animal Communication
- 42. 1. Displacement • Totalk about things, places • To create fiction • To yoke future, past, present ( far away in space and time )
- 43. 2. Infinite CommunicationSystem • Humans can – Store knowledge – Transfer it to next generation – Yoke the present, past and future • Animals have small number of messages: »Hunger »Fear »Anger
- 44. 3. Open-endedness • Uselanguage to say anything – Produce new utterances • A bee by its dance can convey – Distance/ the direction of nectar • It cannot convey how good or bad honey is
- 45. 4. Language isFlexible/OPEN-ENDED – It is modifiable, Extendable • It changes , grow – New words’ addition • Downloading, software, laser etc • Animal communication system is closed system – A bee’s dance – cock’s crow – AS the same as that were 200 years ago
- 46. 5. Discreteness • Clear •Distinguishable • Separate • Identifiable symbols
- 47. 6. Structural Complexity •English (RP variety) has 44 sounds – Form thousands of words (475000) • Millions of sentences • Internal structure of sentence • No complexity in monkey’s cry etc
- 48. 7. Non-instinctive Language •Every human has to learn language – From parents/ society • Human acquire language