ASSIGNMENT

Language Theories
Q. Language is universally acknowledged as a most dominant tool of

communication and all kinds of worldly success is dependent of it; keeping in

mind the above statement, facilitate your answer with the most applicable theory to

elucidate language in its broader context which can best translate the true spirit of

the word 'language".

Submitted to: Prof. Jamil Akhter

Submitted by: Mehbob Ul Haq

Sap Id: 25628

Program: M.Phil. Applied linguistics

(1st Semester)
What is Language?

1:- Language is a set of signal in which we communicate with others. According to the Merriam
Webster dictionary language is a system of words and signs that people use to express thoughts
and feelings to each other.

2:- Language is the normal way to human communicate. Only humans use language, through
other animals communicate through other means. Human language has syntax, a set of rules for
connecting words together to make statements and questions.

Philosophy of language:-

Philosophy of language is concerned with fundamental issues

regarding to language.

"Philosophy of language" refers to the area of philosophy which concerned with the syntactic
properties , meaning and reference of linguistic expressions, Philosophy of Language is the
inquiry about the origins of language, the nature of meaning, the usage and cognition of
language, and it is also about the relationship between language and reality. It overlaps to some
extent with the study of Epistemology, Logic, Philosophy of Mind and other fields (including
linguistics and psychology).

The Nature of Language:-

Language is a system used for communication. Written languages use symbols to build words
and present the concrete meaning. The set of words is the language's vocabulary. Words can be
meaningfully combined by the language's syntax and grammar. The actual meaning of words and
there combination is defined by the language's semantics. In computer human languages are
known as natural languages. But computers are not smart enough to understand natural
languages. We must communicate with computers by using some special computer languages.
There are some other types of computer languages, including machine languages, programming
languages, and fourth-generation languages.

Synchronic & Diachronic:-

Saussure gave the concept of synchronic and diachronic. There should be a distinction through
which language appears to us through the changing of time.
Saussure analyzed the nature of language that is synchronic and diachronic. Synchronic
linguistics studies the systematic aspects of language rather than the diachronic aspects.

Langue and Parole:-

Langue is the set of linguistic signs and habits deposited with in each individual
form and determining the use of grammar, phonology and vocabulary. Parole on the other hand
is the speech of utterance. Langue is the abstract system of principles language out of which acts
as speech occur. Parole is the physical manifestation of speech. The langue in language has rules
and patterns of letters which allows the parole to utter an apple as apple.

Characteristics of language:-

The following are the most important characteristics of language:-

Language is arbitrary:-

Language is arbitrary because there is no inherent relation between the words of a language and
their meanings or the ideas conveyed by them.

For example:-In English I am hungry.

In French: - J’ai faim

Language is Social:

Language is usually a set of communicative signals used by humans for communication in a

community. It is a social institution. It is a basic source of developing culture and establishing
human relations. With the help of language we will become social.

Language is Symbolic:

Language consists of various sounds, symbols and their graph logical counterparts that they are
used to denote some objects, occurrences or meaning. This is use for the specific reasons. For
example: Sign boards and traffic signals etc.

Language is Systematic:-

Every language is a system of systems. All languages have phonological and grammatical
systems, and within a system there are also sub-systems. For example, within the grammatical
system we also 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

Citation:-

Todd, L. (1987). An Introduction to Linguistics. Longman publishing group.

http://www.glottopedia.org/index.php/Ferdinand_de_Saussure

Conclusion:-

Language is the way of communication. Without we can't survive in the world because language

is the most important tool in the world. How can I observe the language and why language is

very important? Language is an own ability to understand the thing and communicate with one

another.Language is most tool when we communicate with each other.we are depend on

language anyone language speak in the world.we are dependent language is not dependent.This

is the real fact without language we can't survive in the worll.