Foundations On The Study of Language PDF

FOUNDATIONS ON THE STUDY OF LANGUAGE Prepared by: Rafael G. Mendoza, LPT  TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 02 03 DEFINITIONS OF NATURES AND FUNCTIONS OF AND VIEWS ON CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE LANGUAGE LANGUAGE 01 DEFINITIONS OF AND VIEWS...

FOUNDATIONS ON THE STUDY OF LANGUAGE Prepared by: Rafael G. Mendoza, LPT  TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 02 03 DEFINITIONS OF NATURES AND FUNCTIONS OF AND VIEWS ON CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE LANGUAGE LANGUAGE 01 DEFINITIONS OF AND VIEWS ON LANGUAGE  WHAT IS LANGUAGE? ❑ A system of conventional spoken, manual (signed), or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves (Crystal & Robins, 2023). ❑ A systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventional signs, sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meanings (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 2003).  WHAT IS LANGUAGE? ❑ A complex, specialized skill, which develops in the child spontaneously, without conscious effort or formal instruction, is deployed without awareness of its underlying logic, is qualitatively the same in every individual, and is distinct from more general abilities to process information or behave intelligently (Pinker, 1994). ❑ The expression of ideas by means of speech sounds combined into words, and words into sentences, which in turn represent ideas and thoughts (Sweet, 1906).  WHAT IS LANGUAGE? ❑ Language as speech communication: ❖ Language is about the production and reception of sounds. Through the use of the speech organs, humans are capable of producing sounds that can transfer information, even in the shortest amount of time. These sounds are then transported through the air and are received, translated, and interpreted by the brain.  WHAT IS LANGUAGE? ❑ Language as a cognitive ability: ❖ Language as a mental process is said to be an instrument of thinking, where language mirrors the mind. It is also said that what a man says is reflective of his thinking and how his brain works. The brain is capable of decoding abstract symbols and translating them into concrete symbols of sounds and structures of words.  WHAT IS LANGUAGE? ❑ Language as linguistic communication: ❖ Language, as linguistic communication, is perceived as sets of signs and a system of symbols grounded on structured and sometimes arbitrary concords. Although the organization of language varies from speakers to speakers of different languages, there is a generic set-up that sounds form into words, as words make up phrases, clauses, and series of meaningful sentences.  WHAT IS LANGUAGE? ❑ Language as culture-shaped: ❖ Language is a means of communicating the culture of a particular community or members of society. A distinct expression could be acceptable to a specific community of people but not to others whose practices are formed from different orientations. Thus, in studying a particular culture, one needs to look into their beliefs, practices, values, and most importantly, language.  WHAT IS LANGUAGE? ❑ Language is systematic. ❑ Language is a set of arbitrary symbols. ❑ Those symbols are primarily vocal but may also be visual. ❑ The symbols have conventional meanings to which they refer. ❑ Language is a tool that is used for communication.  WHAT IS LANGUAGE? ❑ Language operates in a speech community or culture. ❑ Language is essentially human, although possibly not limited to humans. ❑ Language is acquired by all people in much the same way; language and language learning both have universal characteristics.  VIEWS ON LANGUAGE ❑ Linguists, those who study the language, have different views and opinions on how they see it. These groups of linguists are as follows: ❖ Structuralist ❖ Transformationalist ❖ Functionalist ❖ Interactionist  STRUCTURALIST VIEW ❑ The structuralists believe that language is a structured system of components, an idea with a specific framework. ❑ For them, language, as a system, possesses a structure that governs the aspects of every element of a whole. ❑ The structuralists are more prescriptive in nature. They believe that language has a rigid system of rules.  STRUCTURALIST VIEW ❑ The structuralists assert that learning a language is putting all its pieces together because they are interrelated. ❑ A structuralist teacher provides drills and activities where students are required to analyze the patterns of sounds, the configurations of word formations, the arrangement of the words in the sentences, etc.  TRANSFORMATIONALIST VIEW ❑ Language for the transformationalists is a generative and creative process. ❑ Language for them can be used to generate words and be more creative. They can use language to transform. ❑ The transformationalists believe that humans are naturally inventive, which allows them to creatively produce new combinations of words.  TRANSFORMATIONALIST VIEW ❑ For them language is knowledge and competence. ❑ A transformationalist teacher allows students to use the language in a creative way by using their innate multiple intelligences to be creative and at the same time utilize language. ❑ They view language as mental, innate, universal, and creative, thus all humans are capable of mastering it.  FUNCTIONALIST VIEW ❑ The functionalists view language as an instrument for communication and a vehicle for expression. ❑ Functions refer to the purposes for which people communicate either in spoken or written forms. ❑ A functionalist language teacher provides authentic tasks that will allow his students to use the language and attain the function of the interaction.  INTERACTIONIST VIEW ❑ The interactionists view language as a product of a human desire to communicate with another and acquire the language which one desires to learn. ❑ They believe that human genetics provides an individual the capability to produce language and his social interactions make him master the language. ❑ An interactionist teacher will allow his students to communicate and interact with each other to practice the use of the target language. 02 NATURES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE  NATURES OF LANGUAGE ❑ The natures of language are as follows: ❖ Language as something learnt ❖ Language as related to the culture of society ❖ Language as species-specific, uniformed, and unique to humans ❖ Language as a system ❖ Language as vocal ❖ Language as a skill subject ❖ Language as a means for communication ❖ Language as arbitrary  NATURES OF LANGUAGE ❑ Language as something learnt: ❖ Language is something that is learned through exposure and practice. ❖ We start learning the language ever since we were young using sounds and simple utterances from our parents. ❖ Every time we attend school, listen to our teachers, watch TV shows, and listen to music, we get to learn the language and use it on our own.  NATURES OF LANGUAGE ❑ Language as related to the culture of a society: ❖ Language influences the culture: the values, the practices, and the interests of people. Similarly, culture influences language. ❖ People of a particular community or group have one language, most of the time, they understand one another, share the same sentiments, and they form a culture, a society of similar interest.  NATURES OF LANGUAGE ❑ Language as species-specific, uniformed, and unique to humans: ❖ The ability to use and respond to language is genetically inherited by humans. It is species-uniformed since only human beings are capable of acquiring language, set in the right environment. ❖ All animals communicate; however, language is an important tool for human communication, hence, it is tough to think of a society without language.  NATURES OF LANGUAGE ❑ Language as a system: ❖ Language is a system of systems. It is a system of sounds and symbols that needs analysis as it involves processes. ❖ Language is a system of spoken and written symbols that represent a particular meaning when formed or combined with one another. ❖ Language is also a system of non- verbal signs.  NATURES OF LANGUAGE ❑ Language as vocal: ❖ Language is oral. Speech is primary, writing is secondary. ❖ Speech is considered a fundamental expression of language. ❖ A language without speech is truly unimaginable. ❖ After all, language is spoken first before it is written.  NATURES OF LANGUAGE ❑ Language as a skill subject: ❖ Learning a language is about the acquisition and mastery of the five macro skills, which are: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing. ❖ Language mastery is acquired by learning the skills through constant practice and exposure. ❖ Acquiring a language skill is considered a stepping stone to gaining linguistic and communicative competence.  NATURES OF LANGUAGE ❑ Language as a means for communication: ❖ Communication is said to be the process of conveying and exchanging messages from person to person. It uses a medium, which is the language. ❖ Language is used to express one’s feelings and ideas. ❖ Through language, people can share and receive information, interact, persuade, or affect others. ❖ Communication and language are mutually linked since the beginning of time.  NATURES OF LANGUAGE ❑ Language as arbitrary: ❖ Language is arbitrary in the sense that there is no plausible explanation or inherent relation as to how meanings are assigned to each letter, symbol, or word. ❖ There is no scientific principle that underlies the naming of symbols. It is just a matter of convention or agreement. ❖ If language was not randomly created, there could only be one language in the entire world; fixed and unchanging.  CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE ❑ Language is characterized according to its distinguishing qualities. These are the following: ❖ As a social tool ❖ Productivity and creativity ❖ Bound by rules ❖ Humanness ❖ Universality  CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE ❑ As a social tool: ❖ Language is a tool used to interact and connect with the people around us. It is used in to achieve different purposes. ❑ Productivity and creativity: ❖ Language is productive and creative. It keeps on sprouting that with one word emerges another.  CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE ❑ Bound by rules: ❖ Language is comprised of many rules, grammatical to be specific, for better understanding and delivery of one’s message. ❑ Humanness: ❖ Language is innate to human beings. No species other than humans are gifted with language.  CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE ❖ Humans are endowed with physical attributes for them to acquire language. ❑ Universality: ❖ Although each language has a unique style of functions in terms of sounds, vocabulary, and structures, language is equal in all parts of the universe. ❖ All languages have parts of speech, vowels, and consonants, though there may be some differences. 03 FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE  GENERAL FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE ❑ The following are considered the four general functions or purposes on why people use language: ❖ Interpersonal Function ❖ Informative Function ❖ Performative Function ❖ Expressive Function  GENERAL FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE ❑ Interpersonal Function ❖ The interpersonal function of language fulfills the human needs to exchange experiences since they are social beings. ❖ This is based on the assumption that a human being does not only talk but is in constant conversation with others. ❖ Language is used to interact, establish, and maintain a relationship, influence behavior, express and elicit POVs.  GENERAL FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE ❑ Informative Function ❖ Some languages are used not only for interaction but also as a tool to deliver a packet of information. ❖ It is informative when language is used to inform or to give further emphasis to the known information. ❖ Informative language is often seen in analytical reports, arguments, and directions, or everyday speeches.  GENERAL FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE ❑ Performative Function ❖ Performative function happens when a language is used to do things, perform, or report an action. ❖ The performative function holds power that can guarantee the performance or deed of an act.  GENERAL FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE ❑ Expressive Function ❖ Expressive function happens when one uses language to express feelings. ❖ The expressive language function reports and evokes attitudes and emotions. ❖ The expressive language of a speaker is oftentimes a way of understanding the speaker’s personality and emotions.  JAKOBSON’S FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE ❑ The six functions of language that are proposed by Roman Jakobson are said to be related in verbal communication. ❑ Verbal communication is done through the sharing of information between and among individuals using the different speech faculties. ❑ According to Jakobson, any form of interaction that utilizes spoken words is labeled as verbal communication.  JAKOBSON’S FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE ❑ The six functions of language that are proposed by Roman Jakobson are the following: ❖ Referential Function ❖ Emotive Function ❖ Conative Function ❖ Phatic Function ❖ Metalingual Function ❖ Poetic Function  JAKOBSON’S FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE ❑ Referential Function ❖ The referential function of language relates to the context. ❖ Context, in this case, refers to the environment or setting, the situation or circumstances that surround the use of language. ❖ People use language based on their surroundings and the place where they are currently in.  JAKOBSON’S FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE ❑ Emotive Function ❖ The emotive function of language focuses on the sender. The sender who uses the language for different purposes. It can be to inform or express a burst of emotions. ❑ Conative Function ❖ The conative function of language focuses on the receiver who uses the language to obtain the message given by the sender. The receiver uses the language to elicit meaning from the message.  JAKOBSON’S FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE ❑ Phatic Function ❖ Communication is not only dependent on the sender and the receiver alone. A channel, which talks about the phatic function of language, according to Jakobson, is also necessary. ❖ Channel refers to the methods we use to communicate as well as the specific tools we use in the communication process.  JAKOBSON’S FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE ❑ Metalingual Function ❖ Metalingual function is the use of language to describe itself. It is the ability of the language to talk about itself and its rules. ❖ How we create a message that is correct grammatically and linguistically? ❑ Poetic Function ❖ The poetic function focuses on the message and its aesthetic presentation. ❖ It focuses primarily on the splendor of the language itself.  FIRST WRITTEN WORK! ❑ Watch and analyze a documentary film titled “Wild Child: The Story of Feral Children.” ❑ Create a three to five-paragraph essay that connects the lessons we talked about in this chapter on how feral children learn or acquire a language. ❑ Other guidelines about this activity will be posted on our group chat. ❑ This will be submitted next week. THANK YOU SO MUCH!