Meeting 1

What is LANGUAGE?

Definitions of Language (Brown, H. Douglas 1994:4):

Language is a system arbitrary, vocal symbols which permit all people in a given culture, or other people who have learned the system of that culture, to communicate or to interact (Finocchiaro 1964:8).

Language is a system of communication by sound, operating through the organs of speech and hearing, among members of a given community, and using vocal symbols processing arbitrary conventional meanings (Pei 1966:141).

Language is any set or system of linguistic symbols as used in a more or less uniform fashion by a number of people who are thus enabled to communicate intelligibly with one another (Random House Dictionary of the English Language 1966:806).

Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication (Wardhaugh 1972:3).

[Language is] any means, vocal or other, of expressing or communicating feeling or thought…a system of conventionalized signs, especially words, or gestures having fixed meanings (Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language 1934:1390).

[Language is] a systemic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventionalized signs, sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meanings (Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language 1961:1270).

Any differences?

The definitions of language yield the following composite definitions (Brown, H. Douglas 1994:5):

1. Language is a systemic and generative.2. Language is a set of arbitrary symbols.3. Those symbols are primarily vocal, but may also

visual.4. The symbols have conventionalized meanings to

which they refer.5. Language is used for communication.6. Language operates a speech community or

culture.7. Language is essentially human, although possibly

not limited to humans.8. Language is acquired by all people in much the

same way – language and language learning both have universal characteristics.

What is Language? (Thomas, Linda et al. 2004:5-9)

Language: a systemA systemic way of combining smaller units into larger units for the purpose of communication.

Language: the potential to create new meaningsExample: unleaving McDonalization footballer

Language: multiple functionsThere are some different purposes of language used all the time. The use of language in some cases such as in recipes, assembly instructions with self-assembly furniture, school textbooks, and directions, the information must be clear, understandable and non ambiguous.

The Origin of Language

The divine source: there is the one that provide someone with language.

The natural sound source:the language comes from the imitation of sounds made by the nature.

1.Bow-wow theory:Onomatopoeic2.Yo-heave-ho theory

Oral-gesture source (pantomime): specific connection between physical and oral gesture.

Glossogenetics (specific biological reforms unique to human beings):focuses on the biological basis of formation and development of human language.

Physiological adaptations such as:

Parts of human body work differently.

1. Upright teeth,intricate lips,small mouth and flexible tongue

2. Lower larynx (voice box) leading to a longer cavity (pharynx)

Lateralized brain: specialized functions in each of the two hemispheres

Analytic functions-tool using and language-in the left hemisphere

Linguistic functions:

1. Interactional function-social and emotional interaction

2. Transactional function-transfer of knowledge and information

The Rule of LanguagePatterns of language-grammatical

competence: actual use of language (performance)

Syntax (ungrammatical is not permitted by the rules of the language)

Phonology (following the sound pattern of language)

Morphology (addresses word based on part of speech)

Semantic (grammatically correct but strange in meaning)

Pragmatic (deep structure to have more interpretation)

Language Universals, Innateness, and CreativityLanguage Universals: language which

are not language-specific; will be found in all languages of the world.

Diversity of LanguagesInnateness: we are born with an

inborn capacity for language acquisition and genetically equipped to learn language.

Creativity: the human beings can produce and understand novel/unusual sentences and sometimes new words.

Language as functioning to give expression to our

thought (“language as a vehicle of thought”), to

transmit information (“the communicative function”), or perhaps to provide the raw material for work of literature (“the narrative

function”).

Thank You