Language and Linguistics Fundamentals

Definition and Characteristics

• Language is a system of communication using words, symbols, and/or signs.
• It is a fundamental aspect of human society, enabling individuals to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas.
• Key characteristics:
  • Arbitrariness: words and symbols are arbitrarily assigned to meanings.
  • Creativity: language allows for the creation of new words, expressions, and meanings.
  • Displacement: language can be used to communicate about past, present, and future events.
  • Productivity: language enables users to generate an infinite number of sentences and expressions.

Types of Language

• Natural Language: spoken and written languages developed naturally, such as English, Spanish, or Chinese.
• Sign Language: visual language using hand signs, facial expressions, and body language, used by Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.
• Artificial Language: constructed languages, such as Esperanto, created for specific purposes or communities.
• Programming Language: languages used to write software, apps, and websites, such as Java, Python, or HTML.

Language Components

• Phonology: the study of sounds and sound patterns in language.
• Morphology: the study of words and their internal structure.
• Syntax: the study of sentence structure and organization.
• Semantics: the study of meaning in language.
• Pragmatics: the study of language in context, including speaker intention and audience interpretation.

Language Acquisition and Development

• Language Acquisition Device (LAD): a hypothetical module in the brain that enables children to acquire language quickly and effortlessly.
• Language Development: the process of learning language, including stages such as babbling, one-word stage, and sentence formation.
• Language Contact: the study of language interaction and change resulting from contact between different languages or dialects.

Language and Culture

• Linguistic Relativity: the idea that language influences thought and perception.
• Language and Identity: language as a key aspect of cultural identity and social belonging.
• Language and Power: language as a tool for social control, dominance, and resistance.