PROCESS

 

 

THE NATURE OF HUMAN LANGUAGE

 

 

Linguists understand language as a system of arbitrary vocal signs. Language is rule-governed, creative, universal, innate, and learned, all at the same time. It is also distinctly human.

 

 

Language functions

 

 

• Language gives expression to our thoughts.

 

• Language is used to transmit information also known as it’s “Communicative Function”.

•  Language is used to maintain social intercourse (as in greetings or talk about the weather) – often referred to as its “phatic function”.

•  Language provides the row material for works of literature.

•  To get others to do things

• To express emotions or feelings

• To make promises

• To ask questions

• To bring about states of affairs

• To talk to oneself

• Even to talk about language itself, or what is known as “metalanguage”

 

 

Linguistic signs

Linguistic signs involve sequences of sounds which represent concrete objects and events as well as abstractions.

The philosopher C.S. Peirce recognized three types of signs:

 

Iconic: Which resemble the things they represent (as do, for example, photographs, diagrams, star charts, or chemical models);

 

Indexical: Which point to or have a necessary connection with the things they represents (as do, for example; smoke to fire, a weathercock to the direction of the wind);

 

Symbolic: Which are inly conventionally related to the thing they represented (as do, example, a flag to a nation)

 

 

The rule-governed nature of language

 

Language consists of signs occurring not in a random collection, but in a system. A system consists of smaller unit which stand in relation to each other and perform particular functions. These smaller units are organized or certain principle, or rules.  The rules of a language, or its underlying system, are inferable from the observable patters of the language.

This underlying system constitutes what is called grammatical competence.

 

Grammar 

It is referring to the rules or principles by which a language works, that is, its system or structure.

Types of grammar

 

• Prescriptive grammar or grammar rules
  
• Descriptive grammar
• Traditional grammar
• Functional grammar,
• Generative grammar
• Formal grammar

 

Components of language

These components are conventional and, to some extent, arbitrary divisions of linguistic investigation.

 

1. Phonology: It is the study of the speech sounds of human language of a particular language.

A subdivision is the phonetics: It is the study of the speech sounds of language in general.

Either from the perspective of their production ("articulatory phonetics"), their perception ("auditory phonetics"), or their physical properties ("acoustic phonetics").

 

2. Morphology: it is the study of the structure or form of words in a particular language, and of their classification.

 

3. Syntax: It is the study of the order and arrangement of words into larger units, as well as the   relationships holding between elements in these hierarchical units. It studies the structure and types of sentences.

4. Semantics: it is study of how meaning is conveyed in words, phrases, or clauses.