Language and culture

Lecture 1

what is language ?
Linguistic Definition:

 Language is a system of communication using sounds, symbols, and rules to

convey meaning

Psycholinguistic Definition:

 Language is a cognitive ability that allows humans to communicate through

the use of symbols, sounds, and gestures.

 Social Definition:

 Language is a social tool used for communication within a community or

culture.
 It includes shared meanings, cultural nuances, and social context.

Functions of language :
 Psychological :
we use it not just as a classification system for organising our thoughts, but also for
reasoning, planning, reviewing Functions of Language:

 Communication:

 The primary function of language is to facilitate communication, allowing

individuals to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

 Social Interaction:

 Language enables individuals to engage in social interactions, fostering

relationships and community bonds.
 Cognitive Development:

 Language plays a crucial role in cognitive development, shaping thought

processes and problem-solving abilities

Properties of Language:
Displacement: This refers to the ability of human language to talk about things
that are not present in the immediate environment or at the current moment.
Humans can discuss past events, plan for the future, or even talk about abstract
concepts, allowing for communication across time and space.

Arbitrariness: This feature implies that there is no inherent connection between

the linguistic sign (e.g., a word) and the meaning it represents. The relationship
between the sound or written form of a word and its meaning is largely arbitrary,
varying across different languages.

Productivity (or Creativity): Human language is not limited to a fixed set of

expressions. Speakers can create and understand new sentences they have never
encountered before.

Cultural Transmission: Language is learned and passed down through generations

within a community or culture. Children acquire language by exposure to the
linguistic input from their environment, and this transmission of language allows
for the continuity and evolution of a particular language over time.

Discreteness: Language is composed of discrete units such as sounds, words, and

morphemes. These discrete elements can be combined to form an infinite variety
of meaningful expressions. The ability to break down language into distinct
components facilitates communication and understanding.

Duality of Patterning: This refers to the hierarchical structure of language, where

smaller, meaningless elements (phonemes) combine to form larger, meaningful
units (morphemes, words, and sentences).

These features collectively contribute to the complexity, flexibility, and

communicative power of human languages Keep in mind that linguists may use
different terms or slightly different definitions, but these concepts generally
capture essential aspects of what makes human language unique.
Relatedness between Language and society:
1. While language is principally used to communicate meaning, it is also
used to establish and maintain social relationships.

2. Users of the same language all speak differently. The kind of language
each of them chooses to use is in part determined by his social background.
And language, in its turn, reveals information about its speaker.

3. To some extent, language, especially the structure of its lexicon, reflects

both the physical and the social environments of a society.

4. As a social phenomenon, language is closely related to the structure of the

society in which it is used, and the evaluation of a linguistic form is entirely
social.

Language variations:
Language variations refer to the differences in how a language is spoken or
written across different regions, social groups, or contexts. Here are some
key types of language variations:

Speech Variety:

Speech variety, or language variety, refers to any distinguishable form of

speech used by a speaker or a group of speakers

Varieties of language:
Dialects varieties related to the user
Registers varieties related to the use

Dialectal varieties:

Dialects: Variations of a language influenced by geographical, social, or historical

factors.

Sociolects: Language variations associated with social groups or classes.

Idiolect : An idiolect refers to the unique linguistic system or pattern of speaking

and writing that is specific to an individual.
What is Register:
It refers to the type of language which is selected as appropriate to the type of
situation
Three variables to determine the register :
Field of discourse
It refers to what is going on. It is concerned with the purpose and topic of
communication. It answers Why and about what for example In a medical context,
the field of discourse might include specialized terms and vocabulary related to
healthcare, diseases, and medical treatments

Tenor of Discourse:

Tenor of discourse relates to the social roles and relationships of the participants
involved in communication like conversation between friends

Mode of Discourse:

The mode of discourse concerns the channel or medium through which

communication takes place. It involves whether the communication is spoken or
written.

Standard dialect : A standard dialect is a form of a language that is recognized and accepted as the
norm in a particular region or country

Features of the standard variety:

1. It is based on a selected variety of the language, usually it is the local speech of
an area which is considered the nations political and commercial center.

2. It is not a dialect a child acquires naturally like his regional dialect, rather it is
taught and learnt in schools.

3. It has some special functions and it the language used on any formal occasions

Pidgin and Creole

Pidgin
A pidgin is a special language variety that mixes or blends languages and it is used
by people who speak different languages for restricted purposes such as trading.

Features : limited vocabulary and very reduced grammatical structure

Creole

When a pidgin has become the primary language of a speech community, and is
acquired by the children of that speech community as their native language, it is
said to have become a Creole.

Features : the structure of the original pidgin is expanded, the vocabulary vastly
enriched

Bilingualism and Diglossia:

Bilingualism:

 Bilingualism refers to the ability of an individual or a community to use two

languages proficiently. It can be individual bilingualism (one person fluent
in two languages) or societal bilingualism (a community where two
languages are commonly used).

Diglossia:

 Diglossia is a situation in which two varieties of a language coexist within a

community, each serving a specific function.

LECTURE 2
Definig Culture
What is culture :
The values, traditions, worldview, and social and political relationships that are
created, shared, and transformed by a group of people bound together by a
common history, geographic location, language, social class, and/or religion

Elements of culture :
Language :
– All cultures have a spoken language (even if there are no developed forms of
writing)
– People who speak the same language often share a similar culture
– Many societies include a large number of people who speak different
languages
– Each language can have several different dialects.
Social organization :
• Family Patterns: family is the most important unit of social organization.
Through the family children learn how they are expected to act and what to
believe
• Social classes: rank people in order of status, depending on what is
important to the culture (money, job, education, ancestry, etc.)
Customs and traditions :
• Customs and traditions encompass the rituals, ceremonies, and practices that

are passed down from generation to generation.

Rules of Social Behavior

– Enforces ideas of right and wrong
– Often these ideas are part of the culture’s written laws

Art and literature :

• Products of the human imagination
– Help us pass on the culture’s basic beliefs.
– Examples: art, music literature, folk tales.
Religion :
Religion is a set of beliefs and practices that often involves a higher
power Answers basic questions about the meaning of life
– Supports values that groups of people feel are important
– Religion can be a source of conflict between cultures
– Monotheism : Worship one God
– Polytheism : Worship more than one God
Forms of governance :-
People form governments to provide for their common needs, keep order
within society, and protect their society from outside threats
Components of government:
1. Person/people who hold power in a society
2. Society’s rules, laws and political institutions
Technology tools and infrastructure :
• Technology: Human innovation that generates the machinery, tools and
materials required to meet the needs of the society
• Tools: A mechanical device intended to make a task easier
 Infrastructure: The basic facilities and installations needed for the
functioning of the community, such as homes, transportation and prisons

Types of culture :
 Material Culture:.It refers to the physical objects, resources, and spaces that
people use to define their culture.

 Non-Material Culture: It is all the elements of culture that are not tangible
such as languages, values, beliefs, ideologies, musical styles, and so on.

Characteristics of culture :
Culture is Learned: Culture is acquired through socialization and education.
Culture is shared : Every culture is shared by a group of people, usually inhabiting
the same part of the world.
Cultur is Dynamic: Cultures evolve and change over time. But why do
CULTURES change? One way they change is through diffusion. Diffusion is the
spreading of an idea, thing, or behavior between cultures.

Culture is transferred : Cultural values are transferred across generations in the

form of symbols and stories that make them easier to understand. The beliefs that a
culture holds, take the form of customs and rituals that people are supposed to
follow.
Symbolic: Symbols and language are essential components of cultural expression.