LESSON 1 Definition of Language and Views

PART I
The Foundation on the Study of Language
Lesson 1
Definition of Language and Views
At the end of the lesson, you shall have:
• explained personal views on language vis-à-vis existing views and
definitions;
• traced the nature and characteristics of language; and,
• decoded the functions of language and use them to create a composition

C entral to gaining insights into the distinct human attribute is comprehending how
language works. We, human beings, are the only ones capable of language, both written
and oral. We use it mainly to interact and express ourselves in limitless structures and
indefinite means. The interactions vary from person to person; others use it to
communicate and build relationships, others to influence, and some even to create.
While most people use language as a vehicle for interaction, linguists spend their time
understanding its structures, forms, system, nature, etc., to decipher its wonders and
build knowledge. This is what linguistics is about.

We must explore how language is viewed and defined to understand language further.

LANGUAGE DEFINED

Language is defined as linguistic communication, speech communication, cognitive

ability, and cultured-based.

1. Verbal Communication
While many are particular with the arrangement of sounds and symbols, others also look
at language as verbal communication, where the production of sound matters.

As speech communication, language is about the production and reception of sounds.

Through the use of speech organs, humans are capable of transferring information,
even in the shortest amount of time. In any interaction and whenever language is used,
humans use the articulatory mechanisms of the vocal tract to produce strings of oral
sound. These sounds are transported through the air in wavelength. The sound is
received, translated, and interpreted by the brain. Language, indeed, is a great means
to communicate. It is innate to humans.

2. Mental Process
"Language most shows a man, speak that I may see thee'. -Ben Johnson

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 LESSON 1 Definition of Language and Views

Language is some form of human intelligence. It is always believed that the brain
processing of people is observed in their language. What a men say is reflective of their
thinking and how his brain works. L

Language as a cognitive ability is professed as an instrument of thinking, where

language mirrors the mind. Although all humans are equipped with the same
configuration of speech organs, not all people are as eloquent or as good at playing with
their words and using a particular language. All people have specific native tongues, but
not all people communicate the same. All people learn a language at some point, but
not all people use language the same way. This is attributed to how each human brain
functions similarly but works differently.

Language as a cognitive process is often illustrated as the workings of the brain,

especially when we are alone. When we are buried in our deep contemplations, we seem
to have an incessant stream of internal speech, most likely responding to our thoughts.
The more we think further, the more we unconsciously think aloud. This is because
language is a central part of human consciousness. The brain is such a gift that it can
decode abstract symbols and translate them into concrete symbols of sounds and
structures of words.

3. Linguistic Communication
Most people are very particular with the spelling of the words, the vocabulary command,
and the structural control of a specific language. They see language fluency in people
who are very good at playing with their words and arranging the words into sentences
under the prescribed grammar of a particular language. This is because language is a
linguistic communication.

Language, as linguistic communication, is perceived as set of signs and a system of

symbols grounded on pure arbitrary concords. The configuration of language is complex
yet methodical. Although the organization of language varies from speaker to speaker
of different languages, there is a generic set-up that sounds form into words, as words
make up phrases, clauses, and series of indefinite and meaningful sentences.

In English language syntax, each word is labeled into a syntactic category called the
parts of speech. Each category is arranged in a logical system to form a meaning.

Consider the sentence:

The people are advised to stay home during the pandemic.

The syntactic configuration in this sentence is subject + predicate; where "the people"
is the subject and "are advised to stay home during the pandemic" is the predicate. The
subject consists of an article the and a noun, while the predicate is made up of an
auxiliary verb + main verb in past participle + infinitive + noun + prepositional phrase
(preposition, article, and noun).

The arrangement of these words in the sentence is systematic, meaning you cannot
rearrange these words unless the meaning remains.

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 LESSON 1 Definition of Language and Views

4. Culture-shaped
"Each community is formed by the activity of language." -Leonard Bloomfield
Language is a means of communicating a particular community's culture or society's
members. A particular expression could be acceptable to a specific community but not
to others whose practices are formed from different orientations. One needs to look into
their beliefs, practices, and values in studying a particular culture. Looking at what is
acceptable for people and what they approve of is a good way to interpret their
orientations. They always express themselves through language; thus, language is
intertwined with culture.

For instance, in terms of honorifics, in the Philippines, we generally address teachers as

"Ma'am" or "Sir" followed by the last name such as Ma'am Perez or Sir Smith. We also
emphasize the civil status and genders, such as Miss, Mrs., Mr., and the teacher's last
name. However, in other cultures like that of the Koreans, they use the word "Seeng-
neem" in addressing the teachers since the word "neem" is a general term for respect.
The language of LGBT is also quite specific to their culture and interaction. Their
language is described as very flexible, and they use new jargon and codes that only
they understand, thus, representing the culture they form.

Language indeed is culture-defined. As Saussure (1916) quoted, "it is time to return to

viewing language as cultural because language is a social institution."

LANGUAGE VIEWED
Several groups of linguists view language as follows:

Structuralists
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. Language structures concretely make
up the total concept behind the surface meaning. Understanding the concept and
structure of language is looking into the different sub-sets and how these coexist and
fit into the overarching language configuration.

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. Structuralist teachers focus on the student's mastery of
the codes and system of language.

The structuralists assert that learning language is combining all the pieces because they
are interrelated. They describe language as consistencies, patterns, and rules. To them,
the language system is semiotic. It is composed of speech sound randomly assigned to
the object and ideas they pertain for human communication.

They specifically view language as a means of communication, primarily vocal, arbitrary,

and a system of systems.

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Transformationalists
Language for transformationalists is a generative and creative process. Language
pervades creativity since it is more abstract and has more reflective elements. They
maintain the sight of language as an actual knowledge and use. That language is
internalized when a language atmosphere is provided. Transformationalists see
language creativity as competence and transformation. They believe that humans are
naturally inventive, allowing them to produce new combinations of words creatively.
Humans learn and use the language more successfully through continuous exposure to
the language used around them.

Language is knowledge and competence. This can be internalized by using a unified

approach to learning the language. Similarly, a child picks up the language using
internalization through the provision of a thorough language atmosphere. Human
language, according to Chomsky (1980), "is a system for free expression of thought,
essentially independent of stimulus control, need-satisfaction or instrumental purpose."

A transformationalist teacher allows students to use the language creatively by using

their innate multiple intelligences to be creative and, at the same time, utilize language.
Some may ask the students to role-play a situation, create a game using language,
design a pop-art, and explain their designs. Transformationalists view language as
mental, innate, universal, and creative. Thus, all humans are capable of mastering it.

Functionalists
The functionalists view language as an instrument for communication and a vehicle for
expression. They believe that language is acquired, produced, used, and structured for
interactions. They argue that structures can be best analyzed when referring to their
functions in a communicative context. For the functionalists, language is part of the
social, semiotic, and interdependent relationship. It is more than a set of sentences; "it
is a text, a discourse, an exchange of meanings in an interpersonal context" (Nordquist,
2020).

Functionalist language teachers provide authentic tasks that will allow their students to
use the language and attain the function of the interaction. Using the language of the
members of the community, such as the students, the students are allowed to express
their emotions, persuade people, ask, and give information.

Michael Halliday, a functionalist, confirmed that language potentially creates meaning

and society, which is fully achieved when it is used in functional communication.
According to Halliday (2018), linguistic function involves meta and micro functions where
children use one language as means of exploring their language skills and their
environment, and the other is used by adults to create interaction and transmit order in
society.

Interactionists
Interactionists view language as a product of a human desire to communicate with
another and acquire the language one desires to learn. The interactionists believe that
human genetics provides individuals the capability to produce language, and their social
interactions make them master the language. This means that an interactionist teacher,
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 LESSON 1 Definition of Language and Views

who targets the mastery of his or her students in a second language, will allow his/ her
students to communicate and interact with each other to
practice the use of the target language.

According to Vygotsky (1962), language is developed through social interaction. When

children interact with adults, they potentially learn the language. Vygotsky confirmed
that "language plays a critical role in the child's cognitive development." This means that
the more a child uses language, the better his brain functions. For adults, as Vygotsky
noted, communication is the primary purpose of using the language, but once it is
mastered, it becomes inner speech and internalized.

Bruner supports this view. He believed language is a symbolic illustration of a person's

intellectual development. He noted that learning the language is an active process and
is done through interactions.

Reference:

Gonzales, J. & Enoc, J. (2021). Introduction to Linguistics. LORIMAR Publishing

Inc.

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