THEME 1 LECTURES 1-2

LANGUAGE PROPERTIES

OUTLINE

1. What is language

2. Objectives of Linguistics

3. Human language peculiarities

4. Communicative versus informative

5. Unique properties of the human language

Project

Language origin (most popular theories)

Key terms: linguistics, communicative signals, informative signals, displacement, duality, arbitrariness, discreteness, cultural transmission, productivity, reciprocity, specialization, non-directionality, rapid fade

REFERENCE LITERATURE

1. Huddleston, R. English Grammar: An Outline. – Cambridge: CUP, 1988

2. Lehman, Winfred. Language: An Introduction. – NY: Random House, 1993

3. Todd, L. An Introduction to Linguistics. – Longman: York Press, 1987

4. Yule, G. The Study of Language. – CUP, 1996

Study questions

1. What is language (Definitions)

Language is the man’s most important means of communication. Due to this fact it is not surprising that in the modern world of new technologies and the Internet advance the problems of communication are increasing in importance. Moreover, the development of the language sciences is resulting in an increasing response from a wide range of disciplines which are looking towards linguistics for assistance in solving some of their communication problems.

We all speak and use language – but how much do we know about language, its use and functions?

We tend to take language for granted, rather like the environment that surrounds us like the atmosphere, the force of gravity and other natural phenomena. Language, however, is not a natural phenomenon: it is a creation of man’s social needs. Language and human culture are intimately related and the one is indispensable to the other. In fact society depends upon language for its very existence.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word language as:

1. human & non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, feelings & desires by means of a system of sounds & sound symbols;

2. form of language used by a group e.g. the language of Asia;

3. manner of using words e.g. a good command of language;

4. words, phrases, etc. used by a profession or class

e.g. the language of diplomacy; technical language.

The Longman Dictionary defines the word language as:

1. the system of human expression by means of words in speech & writing;

2. a particular system of words, as used by a people or nation;

3. any system of sings, movements, etc., used to express meanings & feelings e.g. the language of music / mathematics / computer

Language exists in spoken as well as written forms. The word “language” itself is used in many different ways. We may speak of “The English language”, “The language of mathematics”. We refer to the Morse Code as ”a language of dots and dashes” or talk about “The dancing language of the bees”.

The uses of the word “language” are so varied that any attempt at definition inevitably poses problems. Among the many definitions put forward by linguists one of the best known and most comprehensive is that of the linguistic philosopher E.Sapir: “Language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of a system of voluntarily produced symbols”. (Sapir E. Language, Harcourt, New York, 1921, p.7)

2. Objectives of Linguistics

In its most general sense linguistics is the study of language. It embraces all aspects of human communication, from a description of the sounds of speech to the analysis of the way in which the full complexities of thought are expressed in spoken or written form. Linguistics is often called “the science of language” and in many ways this is justified since it is concerned with observing facts about language, setting up hypotheses, testing their validity and accepting or rejecting them accordingly. Linguistics is scientific in its methodology. The linguist attempts to describe how a language works, not to give opinions as to how it should work or what is “correct” and “incorrect”.

Linguistics has two major roles:

1. to establish a workable theory of language at all levels from phonology to semantics;

2. to apply theoretical considerations to a description or analysis of language / languages.

Although there are many schools of thought regarding the development of a theory of language but there is a fundamental dichotomy between the data-orientated approach and a purely theoretical one. The former suggests that a theory can be deduced from observable data and disregards other considerations, whereas the latter puts forward a series of hypotheses to be tested not only against the observable data but against such considerations as a speaker’s intuitive knowledge.

Linguistic analysis begins with the identification of the sounds of speech, shows how these are combined into contrasting groups and meaningful elements and examines the structure of words and their relationship in larger structures.