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Introduction To Language

Language is a complex human ability that allows for communication through systematic symbols. It has a structure that includes phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Language is learned unconsciously by children and allows for creativity through rule-based combinations of sounds and meanings. It serves functions like communication, social interaction, and as a tool for thought.

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PallaviKulshrestha
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113 views

Introduction To Language

Language is a complex human ability that allows for communication through systematic symbols. It has a structure that includes phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Language is learned unconsciously by children and allows for creativity through rule-based combinations of sounds and meanings. It serves functions like communication, social interaction, and as a tool for thought.

Uploaded by

PallaviKulshrestha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INTRODUCTION TO LANGUAGE

INTRODUCTION
 “Language fills every part of our lives, it gives
words to our thoughts, voice to our ideas &
expression to our feelings”
 It is a rich & varied human ability.

 We use language automatically without


practically thinking about it.
 Children acquire language effortlessly.

 Language is highly complex.


DEFINITION & MEANING
 Language is a code whereby the idea about the
world are represented through conventional
system of arbitrary signals for communication.
 Language is a set of (finite or infinite)
sentences, each finite in length & constructed of
finite elements.
 Language is purely human ability.
STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE
 Phonology
 Morphology

 Syntax

 Semantics

 Pragmatics
STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE
 Phonology : Study of speech sounds is called
phonetics.
 Three aspects of phonetics:

a) Articulatory phonetics : How speech sounds are


produced
b) Acoustic phonetics : How speech sounds travel
in air.
c) Auditory phonetics : How the ears perceive
speech sounds.
 Phoneme is the single speech sound. They are
vowels & consonants.
STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE
 Morphology : It is the study of morphemes.
Morphemes are the basic, minimum, meaningful
unit of language – smallest unit of meaning.
 Morphemes are of two types :

Free Morphemes Bound Morphemes


E.g. boy, girl, walk E.g. –s, -ed, -ing, -
etc. ly, re- etc.

Free morphemes can occur independently in a


sentence.
Bound morphemes cannot; they are attached to free
morphemes.
STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE
 Syntax : It refers to arrangement of words in
sentence.
 “The teacher wrote on blackboard”

 “The blackboard on teacher wrote”

 English follows Subject-Verb-Object syntax


 “Sita killed the rat”

 Hindi follows Subject-Object-Verb syntax

 “Sita ne chuhe ko maara.”


STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE
 Semantics : It is the study of meaning.
 Meaning is important at phonological level
(speech sounds), morphological level (morphemes
& words) & syntactic level (sentence levels)
 Lexical relations like Synonyms, Antonyms &
Homonyms etc.
STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE
 Pragmatics : It is the study of use of language.
 It is the study of system that tells the listener the
idea about who said what to whom, how & why.
 Context is very important to understand the full
meaning.
 A : “I have a 14 yrs. old son.”

 B : “Well, that’s all right”

 A : “I also have a dog”

 B : “Oh! Then I’m sorry”


CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN LANGUAGE
 Creativity
 Duality

 Arbitrariness

 Displacement

 Cultural transmission

 Reflexivity

 Recursion
CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN LANGUAGE
 Creativity : New words/ sentences are
continually being created.
 The speaker is able to understand sentences he
has never heard before.

 Duality : “Double articulation” meaning two


levels of sounds.
 One at level of distinct sounds – /n/, /m/, /b/ etc.
 Other at level of words with meanings – nib, man
etc.
 With limited no. of distinct sounds, we are able to
create a large no. of morphemes, words,
sentences etc.
CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN LANGUAGE
 Arbitratiness : No natural or direct connection
between form of word & the meaning it
represents.
Jhad (Marathi)

Ped (Hindi)

Tree (English)

 Displacement : Enables to use language, where


the context referred is not present. Can talk in
past, present & future; or real & imaginary thing.
CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN LANGUAGE
 Cultural transmission : Language is passed
from one generation to other.
 A child born to hindi speaking parents, but
brought up in England will speak – English.
Language is learnt through social context.

 Reflexivity : Language expresses our ideas,


thoughts, desires etc. – our reflections.

 Recursion : Sentences inside sentences might be


there. “This is the man who caught the thief who
stole the jewelry, which was in bank.”
FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE
 Communicate Our Ideas
 Social Interactions

 Emotional Expressions

 Instrument of Thought

 Expression of Identity

 Recording the Facts

 The Control of Reality


DEVELOPMENT FUNCTION OF LANGUAGE
FOR A CHILD

 Instrumental : to express material needs


‘more water’, ‘want ball’ etc.
 Regulatory : to control behaviour of others

‘lift me up’, ‘go home now’ etc.


 Heuristic : to explore their environment

‘What’s that?’, ‘Why?’ etc.


 Informative : to inform incidents

‘car broke’, ‘saw cow’, ‘uncle coming’ etc.


 Imaginative : pretend play or role play

‘doctor doctor’, ‘doll’s marriage’, ‘police – thief’ etc.


COMPETENCE & PERFORMANCE
 Competence : a person’s knowledge of the rules of
a language
 Performance : his actual use of that language in
real situations
DEEP & SURFACE STRUCTURE
 The shark was anxious to eat.
 The shark was delicious to eat.

 John is eager to please.


 John is easy to please.

 At surface level, the sentences look alike; but on


a deep level the sentences differ from each other.
 Deep structure is converted into surface
structure with help of transformations.

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