Definition and features of language: Language is, today, an inseparable part of human society.

Human civilization has been possible only through language. It is through language only that humanity
has come out of the stone age and has developed science, art and technology in a big way. Language is a
means of communication, it is arbitrary, it is a system of systems. We know that Speech is primary while
writing is secondary.

Language is human so it differs from animal communication in several ways. Language can have
scores of characteristics but the following are the most important ones: language is arbitrary,
productive, creative, systematic, vocalic, social, non-instinctive and conventional. These characteristics
of language set human language apart from animal communication. Some of these features may be part
of animal communication; yet they do not form part of it in total.

Language, the means through which humans communicate, is much more than spoken or
written words. Five distinct characteristics comprise its true definition. Language is a system, is dynamic,
has dialect, is sociolect and idiolect. Within a language's system are varying linguistic levels. The
phonological level is the most basic. It relates differences in sounds to differences in meanings.

Next, the lexical level comprises morphemes, or whole words with attached definitions. On the
syntactical level, words are specifically arranged in sentences to convey a thought. At this level,
definitions of individual words cannot be considered separately from the sentence, lest
misinterpretation is bound. The sociolinguistic level of the language system is shaped by social factors
such as age, gender and social class. It is best understood when considering the subtle, yet distinct
differences in the way men and women relay the same message.

Language is always changing; it is dynamic. Words that the "screen-technology" demographic

uses to communicate are quite different from those of the "baby boomers". So much so that certain
words and phrases are lost in the past. The literature of Shakespeare exemplifies this.

The third characteristic, dialect, describes the regional differences of language. Southern
American English is very distinct from Northern American English, as is English spoken in other countries
such as Australia and London. These differences are as much auditory as they are definitive.

Sociolect is directly related to the speaker's social class. A king and queen may use different
phrases and intonation than a pauper, for instance, and the hip-hop generation's language is easily
distinguished from those of the "valley".

Lastly, idiolect is the most specific characteristic of language. It refers to the speech habits of an
individual. From this view, even twins who have lived together all their lives will use language
differently. It includes voice quality, pitch, intonation, word choice and many other factors.

Language is the collection of all efforts human use to communicate. Whether spoken, written, or
insinuated by movement and gesture, the five characteristics of language remain relevant and important
to human communication.

Language is Arbitrary: Language is arbitrary in the sense that there is no inherent relation
between the words of a language and their meanings or the ideas conveyed by them. There is no reason
why a female adult human being be called a woman in English, aurat in Urdu, Zen in Persian and Femine
in French. The choice of a word selected to mean a particular thing or idea is purely arbitrary but once a
word is selected for a particular referent, it comes to stay as such. It may be noted that had language
not been arbitrary, there would have been only one language in the world.

Language is Social: Language is a set of conventional communicative signals used by humans for
communication in a community. Language in this sense is a possession of a social group, comprising an
indispensable set of rules which permits its members to relate to each other, to interact with each
other, to cooperate with each other; it is a social institution. Language exists in society; it is a means of
nourishing and developing culture and establishing human relations.

Language is Symbolic: Language consists of various sound symbols and their graphological
counterparts that are employed to denote some objects, occurrences or meaning. These symbols are
arbitrarily chosen and conventionally accepted and employed. Words in a language are not mere signs
or figures, but symbols of meaning. The intelligibility of a language depends on a correct interpretation
of these symbols.

Language is Systematic: Although language is symbolic, yet its symbols are arranged in a
particular system. All languages have their system of arrangements. Every language is a system of
systems. All languages have phonological and grammatical systems, and within a system there are
several sub-systems. For example, within the grammatical system we have morphological and syntactic
systems, and within these two sub-systems we have systems such as those of plural, of mood, of aspect,
of tense, etc.

Language is Vocal: Language is primarily made up of vocal sounds only produced by a

physiological articulatory mechanism in the human body. In the beginning, it appeared as vocal sounds
only. Writing came much later, as an intelligent attempt to represent vocal sounds. Writing is only the
graphic representation of the sounds of the language. So, the linguists say that speech is primary.

Language is Non-instinctive, Conventional: No language was created in a day out of a mutually

agreed upon formula by a group of humans. Language is the outcome of evolution and convention. Each
generation transmits this convention on to the next. Like all human institutions languages also change
and die, grow and expand. Every language then is a convention in a community. It is non-instinctive
because it is acquired by human beings. Nobody gets a language in heritage; he acquires it because he
an innate ability.

Language is Productive and Creative: Language has creativity and productivity. The structural
elements of human language can be combined to produce new utterances, which neither the speaker
nor his hearers may ever have made or heard before any, listener, yet which both sides understand
without difficulty. Language changes according to the needs of society.

Finally, language has other characteristics such as Duality referring to the two systems of sound
and meaning. Displacement which means the ability to talk across time and space, Humanness which
means that animals cannot acquire it, Universality which refers to the equilibrium across humanity on
linguistic grounds, Competence and Performance which means that language is innate and produced is
society and furthermore, language is culturally transmitted. It is learnt by an individual from his elders,
and is transmitted from one generation to another. Thus using J. Firth’s term, language is a ‘poly
systematic’. It is also open to be studied from multifaceted angles.
 The basic function of language structure is to help people communicate with one another
through speech, whether verbal, written or through sign language. Although there are many different
languages, they share the same basic attributes of sounds, word and sentence formation and meaning
and cadence of speech.

Development: Language development occurs primarily in infants and toddlers under three years
of age. At this age, their brains are developing rapidly and are able to absorb the structure of any
language they are exposed to more quickly than at any other time in their lives. As humans age, it
becomes increasingly difficult to learn new language structures. By six months old, infants are able to
recognize the basic structure of their native language. This development continues so that, by age 3, a
child has a large enough vocabulary to communicate his wants and needs clearly to his caregivers.

Time Frame: Child development specialists have noted milestones that children reach by certain
ages in the area of language development. While each child is an individual developing at his own pace,
most children master certain language skills in stages. Reaching these milestones is important in the
development of language structure, since these skills build upon one another. These milestones are set
in six-month increments for the first 24 months of life and then in yearly increments from two to five
years of age.

Considerations: Language development in children occurs best in homes that emphasize

exposure to new sights and sounds, including speech. This is can happen through music immersion,
reading books and talking to children about almost anything that occurs, such as the objects they
encounter and the tasks the caregivers perform throughout the day. Mothers in particular play a large
role in teaching the structure of language to their children.

Expert Insight: Due to the importance of language development in children, many parents are
concerned about the pace at which their child is learning speech. They should address their fears with
their child’s doctor, who may refer their child to a language development specialist, such as speech
pathologist, who is an expert in the field of language structure and development. The specialist will
evaluate the child and then make recommendations based on his findings.