Linguistic Components of Human Language PDF

MODULE I Lesson 1: Review on Linguistic Components of and Features of Human Language Language -- Definition of Language Language - Is the ability to produce and comprehend spoken and written words; linguistics is the study of language - Is such a special topic that there is an entire field, li...

MODULE I Lesson 1: Review on Linguistic Components of and Features of Human Language Language -- Definition of Language Language - Is the ability to produce and comprehend spoken and written words; linguistics is the study of language - Is such a special topic that there is an entire field, linguistics, devoted to its study. Linguistics views language in an objective way, using the scientific method and rigorous rescarch to form theories about how humans acquire, use, and sometimes abuse language. There are a few major branches of linguistics, which it is useful to understand in order to learn about language from a psychological perspective. Major levels of linguistics. This diagram outlines the various subfields of linguistics, the study of language. These include phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics Phonetics and Phonology Phonetics is the study of individual speech sounds; phonology is the study of phonemes, which are the speech sounds of an individual language. These two heavily overlapping subfields cover all the sounds that humans can make, as well as which sounds make up different languages. A phonologist could answer the question, "Why do BAT and TAB have different meanings even though they same three sounds, A, B and T?" are made of the Morphology Morphology is the study of words and other meaningful units of language like suffixes and prefixes. A morphologist would be interested in the relationship between words like "dog" and "dogs" or "walk" and "walking," and how people figure out the differences between those words. Syntax Syntax is the study of sentences and phrases, or how people put words into the right order so that they can communicate meaningfully. All languages have underlying rules of syntax, which, along with morphological rules, make up every language's grammar. An example of syntax coming into play in language is "Eugene walked the dog" versus "The dog walked Eugene." The order of words is not arbitrary in order for the sentence to convey the intended meaning, the words must be in a certain order. Semantics and Pragmatics Semantics, most generally, is about the meaning of sentences. Someone who studies semantics is interested in words and what real-world object or concept those words denote, or point to. Pragmatics is an even broader field that studies how the context of a sentence contributes to meaning-for example, someone shouting "Fire!" has a very different meaning if they are in charge of a seven-gun salute than it does if they are sitting in a crowded movie theater. The 4 Macro Skills In Communication -When we learn a language, there are 4 macro skills that we need for success communication, these are reading, writing, speaking and listening. We need to learn these 4 skill in order for us to communicate with other people. We usually listen first, then we will learn to speak, then we will learn how to read then write. Below this text, we will claborate what are these 4 macro skills of communication. Listening The first one in the 4 macro skills of communication. The process of using the sense of hearing, in order for the person to know what is happening around him. There are 3 types of listening, the passive, active, and competitive. Passive listening happens when a person listens to the speaker without any response at it. He/she will only listen to the speaker without giving any feedbacks. Active listening happens when a person listens to the speaker while also acknowledging the information given by the speaker. Active listeners also give their brief or short response to the given information of the speaker. Competitive listening happens when a person listens to the speaker in order for them to give their own opinion to the speaker, he also promotes his/her own ideas as if they are arguing with each other. This kind of listening usually happens during a court hearing or a debate between two parties. Speaking The second communication skill in language. The process of conveying a message to a receiver verbally, or a process where the listener applies to him/herself the information he/she have heard. Speaking can be a tool in order for an individual to express his/her feelings towards what he heard. A listener applies all the information he received while listening in order for him to communicate with other persons, or to share their feeling and thought with each other. Communication will fail if the receiver didn't understand what the sender is saying, Possible causes are; the sender don\'t know how to construct sentence properly or the receiver can't decode the message given to him by the sender. Reading The third communication skill in language. It is the process of analyzing symbols for you to understand the message conveyed by the sender. A person learns to read by memorizing the alphabets, analyzing the sounds per letter make and applying it in order for him to decode the message given to him by the sender. Reading takes a lot of practice in order for an individual to decode the message given by the sender, if the scenario is like this, the receiver decodes the message successfully, but he/she didn't understand what he/she is reading, communication will fail. Writing The last and probably the most complex skill in communication. Writing takes time and practice for you to master the said skill. Writing can be practiced by knowing the strokes of each letter in the alphabet. Writing is also a process in which a person can share his thoughts and feelings through symbols. Writing can also be a tool to develop and strengthen human connections and the society. First Language (L1) vs. Second Language A first language is the mother tongue or native language of a person while a second language is a language a person learns in order to communicate with the native speaker of that language. The first language is like an instinct which is triggered by birth and developed with the experience of being exposed to it. A second language is a personal choice of a person. There is no other alternative to a first language. A person cannot decide his/her first language. It comes to him/her as an inheritance/legacy/birthright. On the other hand, a second language is always fixed by the person. There are many alternatives to a second language. A person/community can choose a second language among other languages. The acquiring process of the first language is very rapid while the learning process of the second language can vary from language to language and from person to person, but can never be as rapid as the first language acquisition, Some factors of difference for the first language and the second language. Age -It is the most important factor that makes a second language totally different from the first language. Children of the age of 6 who have already acquired full proficiency in their first language are most capable of learning a second language. Adults usually find it difficult to learn a new language when they become too accustomed to their first/native language. Personality -A child's personality does not usually make that much of difference in the acquisition of the first language. But it makes a huge difference in the learning process of the second language. In the second language learning process, the learners with an introvert personality usually make slow progress than the learners with an extrovert personality. Culture -The first language is one of the most important factors of a person's culture. But a second language is not that important in anyone's culture. However, the second language has some effects on the culture of a person but not significant enough to be counted as an element of that culture. Motivation -It is an important factor for the second language learning. A learner with good motivation to learn a second language is likely to learn that language faster. But the acquisition of the first language does not require any motivation because it is a natural phenomenon. The first language is acquired subconsciously and there is no need for motivation to acquire it. Native Language vs. Mother Tongue vs. Foreign Language -A native language is generally the first one a child is exposed to. Some early studies referred to the process of learning one's first or native language as First Language Acquisition or FLA, but because many, perhaps most, children in the world are exposed to more than one language almost from birth, a child may have more than one native language. As a consequence, specialists now prefer the term native language acquisition (NLA); it is more accurate and includes all sorts of childhood situations" Macro and Micro Linguistic Studies -Macro-linguistics and micro-linguistics are both fields of study of linguistics that focus on language and its form and meaning and the changes that occur to that form and meaning due to other factors; macro-linguistics examines language on a macro level, or from a more general perspective, while micro-linguistics examines language on a micro level, or in a more specific and particular way. -Macro-linguistics analyzes language beyond its most basic functions and context-it focuses on the social, cultural psychological, and neurological factors and how they're connected to the language and its structure. Thus, there are several subcategories of macro-linguistics, such as sociolinguistics (language and society), psycholinguisties (language and psychology), neurolinguistics (language and neurology), computational linguistics (language and IT), and others. -Micro-linguistics is the study of how a language is a system with a structured set of rules. Micro-linguists might study phonology, or how speech sounds are arranged to convey appropriate meaning. They might also study morphology, or how words are formed and how they relate to other, similar words. In micro-linguistics, you might study the syntax of a language, or how words are arranged to create sentences. -Micro-linguistics, on the other hand, looks inward and focuses on the details of language itself. Linguists who practice micro-linguistics might study phonology (the study of sounds); phonetics (the sound systems of a language); morphology (the grammatical structures of a language); syntax (how words are put together in phrases and sentences); semantics (the meanings of words); and/or pragmatics (the social use of language). Prescriptive vs. Descriptive Prescriptive grammar describes when people focus on talking about how a language should or ought to be used. One way to remember this association is to think of going to a doctor's office. When a doctor gives you a prescription for medication, it often includes directions about how you should take your medication as well as what you should not do when taking your medication. In a similar way, a prescriptive grammar tells you how you should speak, and what type of language to avoid. This is commonly found in English classes as well as other language classes, where the aim is to teach people how to use language in a very particular (typically described as "proper' or 'correct') way. -Descriptive grammar, on the other hand, focuses on describing the language as it is used, not saying how it should be used. For example, think about a prescriptive rule like Don't split infinitives. A descriptive grammarian would see a sentence like "To boldly go where no man has gone before" and would try to describe how the mental grammar can cause that ordering of words, rather than saying that the surface form is faulty due to prescriptive rules (which would Require the sentence "To go boldly where no man has gone before"). Linguistics takes this approach to language Diachronic vs. Synchronic -Diachronic linguistics is the study of a language through different periods in history. -Diachronic linguistics is one of the two main temporal dimensions of language study identified by Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure in his Course in General Linguistics (1916). The other is synchronic linguistics. -A synchronic study of language is a comparison of languages or dialects various spoken differences of the same language used within some defined spatial region and during the same period of time," wrote Colleen Elaine Donnelly in "Linguistics for Writers." "Determining the regions of the United States in which people currently say 'pop' rather than 'soda' and 'idea' rather than 'ideal' are examples of the types of inquiries pertinent to a synchronic study." Oral vs. Written Language -The written language can be significantly more precise. Written words can be chosen with greater deliberation and thought, and a written argument can be extraordinarily sophisticated, intricate, and lengthy. These attributes of writing are possible because the pace of involvement is controlled by both the writer and the reader. The writer can write and rewrite at great length, a span of time which in some cases can be measured in years. Similarly, the reader can read quickly or slowly or even stop to think about what he or she has just read. More importantly, the reader always has the option of re-reading, even if that option is not exercised, its mere possibility has an effect upon a reader's understanding of a text. The written word appeals more to a contemplative, deliberative style. -Oral communication can be significantly more effective in expressing meaning to an audience. This distinction between precision and effectiveness is due to the extensive repertoire of signals available to the speaker. Gestures, intonation, inflection, volume, pitch, pauses, movement, visual cues such as appearance, and a whole host of other ways to communicatc meaning. A speaker has significantly more control over what the listener will hear than the writer has over what the reader will read. For these techniques to be effective, however, the speaker needs to make sure that he or she has the audience's attention---audiences do not have the luxury of re-reading the words spoken. The speaker, therefore, must become a reader of the audience. Plurality of English Linguistic Universals and Universal Grammar -Linguistic universals in syntax are sometimes held up as evidence for universal grammar (although epistemological arguments are more common) Other explanations for linguistic universals have been proposed, for example, that linguistic universals tend to be properties of language that aid communication. If a language were to lack one of these properties, it has been argued, it would probably soon evolve into a language having that property- English vs. Englishers -English is sometimes used to mean belonging or relating to Great Britain. However, it is better to avoid this use, as it may cause offence to people who come from Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. English is derived from England, one would think. But in fact the language name is foun d long before the country name. The latter first appears as Englaland around the year 1000 and m eans "the land of the Engle,\" that is, the Angles. The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes were the three Ge rmanic tribes that emigrated from what is now Denmark and northern Germany and settled in En gland around the fourth century AD. Standard English. -the English that with respect to spelling, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary is substantially uniform though not devoid of regional differences, that is well established by usage in the formal and informal speech and writing of the educated, and that is widely recognized as acceptable wherever English is spoken and understood Common Language vs. Multilingualism Common Language language spoken by two or more people allowing them to communicate. Multilingualism The ability to speak many languages proficiently (though not necessarily perfectly). Philippine English -Philippine English (similar and related to American English) is any variety of English native to the Philippines, including those used by the media and the vast majority of educated Filipinos. English is taught in schools as one of the two official languages of the country, the other being Filipino (Tagalog). Kashrus's Concentric Circles Language and Humans -"Humans are born to learn language". Angela D. Frederica begins her new book. "Language in Our Brain" by discussing the structures in our brains which enable us to develop this fascinating medium which we use to speak and write, think and poetize, email and tweet. "We learn our mother tongue without any formal lessons and are nevertheless able to handle it in every situation without even thinking about it.\" A capability which remains reserved for us humans. Indeed, apes, dogs, and parrots are able to learn words by associating an abstract symbol or a sound with an object. But they are not able to combine them according to certain rules to make them into meaningful sentences.