Language and Communication

Khawaja Haseeb Ur Rehman

What is Language?

• Language is an abstract system of symbols and meanings. This system includes the rules (grammar) that relate symbols and meanings so that we can communicate with each other.

*symbol - anything that stands for anything else.

• language and its related processes may be the most important feature distinguishing humans from all other animals.

• Sound-meaning link. This is really crucial toour ability to communicate. We are able tocommunicate with each other because we'vealready reached an agreement. The meaningof each concept is permanently linked to aparticular word -- it is printed andpronounced in the same way each time it isused. Without that agreement we'd have nolanguage. Without that agreement we'd haveno communication.

• In processing language, speakers must share agreement on sound, rules of organization, and meaning.

• language and its related processes may be the most important feature distinguishing humans from all other animals.

Processing Language

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Yes." . .

"Well?..."

"Yes. Yes, I do know what time it is."

"Will you tell me what time it is, then?"

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize you wanted toknow the time. You just asked me if I knew thetime. It's. . .

Speakers of English understand the question "Do you know what time it is?“ as not to be answered with yes/no, it's a request to demonstrate specific knowledge.

They involve the primary skills which are combined to allow us to utilize our spoken language: the understanding of sounds, of syntax(the rules by which we organize our words into sentences) and of the meaning we attach to the words we use.

Among these three, syntax and meaning explain why we interpret "Do you know the time?" correctly. The words "know the time”ordered as they are (syntax) means (semantics) the speaker is asking you to inform him/her as to the actual time.

Communication

• Communication is the passing of information from one organism to another using signals.

• Communication involves at least four elements: transmitter, signal, channel, and receiver.

Process of CommunicationThere are four important elements in the process of communication.

• Transmitter, or source

• signal, or message

• Channel – the medium

• receiver

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication refers to the use of sounds and language to relay a message. It serves as a vehicle for expressing desires, ideas and concepts and is vital to the processes of learning and teaching.

TYPES:

• Interpersonal communication

• Intrapersonal communication

• Interpersonal communication is the process of sending and receiving information between two or more people.

• Intrapersonal communication occurs in the mind of the individual in a model which contains a sender, receiver, and feedback loop.

Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication involvestransmission of information by means otherthan language in its spoken, written, orotherwise coded form.

• Body Language

• Clothes

• Voice Pitch/ tone

• Eye contact

Remember, we talk to each other to communicate. At the same time, the way we say our message and the environment in which we speak may make aslasting an impression as the actual words.

Can communication exist withoutlanguage?

For beings who do not have their own language, communication can still exist.

For instance, when in distress, the dolphin emits two whistles over and over again—one getting gradually louder, the other getting gradually softer. It silences any nearby dolphins and causes them to search for the source. Once found, that dolphin is pushed to the surface and a complex exchange of signals occurs.

When it comes to communicating with others, we rely most heavily on our most sophisticated human skill -- language.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

• Humans communicate with language. Though, language is not the only means of communication. Whenever communication is thought of we always associate it with language.

• Language is a vehicle that we use in presenting our ideas, thoughts, feelings, opinions to the world. It is what we exhibit our cultural norms and orientations in and the whole essence of our being is captured in our language. That is why whenever a country, people or race conquers the first thing that will be affected will be the conquered people’s language.

• Language and communication are different things thatcannot be seperated. Language is surely the mostimportant tool of communication that individual haveat their disposal. This is because it is language thatpermit people to communicate. The purpose ofacquisition of Language as proved by Chomsky is forcommunicative purpose. Other means ofCommunication have several weaknesses, therefore,human language is the best means of communication .

The role of language in communication

If we believe that our language is what drives our value systems, then wesay that language drives our cultural orientation. Sapir (1921) holds itthat: language is a purely human and non-instinctive method ofcommunicating ideas, emotions and desire by means of voluntarilyproduced symbols. This means that it is only human beings of all thecreatures on the earth surface that uses language. The language that manuses is not something his biological make bequeath on him he learns thislanguage in a human community. We are not saying here that other beingsdo not communicate but it is man alone that communicates withlanguage. The nonverbal communication we talked about is predicated onlanguage.

Language is the vehicle that our thoughts are conveyed in. if ourthoughts are conveyed in language then our culture in conveyed toothrough it.