The Origins of language

Theories

• The Divine Source - The divine source theory suggests that in most religion our language came from the
gods. (e. g God from Christianity and Brahma in Hinduism). The theory also said that it's is a "God-
given gift" from us.

• The Natural Sound Source -  A different view holds the belief that human speech is based on “natural
sounds.” In this belief, primitive words could have been imitations of the natural sounds which early
people heard around them. In fact, all modern languages have some words with pronunciations, which
seems to “echo” naturally occurring sounds. In english for example, there are words like splash, bang,
boom, rattle, hiss, screech and other such forms. Though this is true, it is somehow difficult to see how
most of the soundless and abstract entities in the world could have been given names if language simply
echoed natural sounds. 

- Natural sound source is the sound that early men and women start to hear sounds around them.

• The Social Interaction Source - Social interaction source is a form of communication using verbal and
non-verbal communication.

- The another proposal involving natural sounds has been called the “YO-HE-YO THEORY”. The
idea is that the sounds of a person involved in physical effort could be the source of our language,
especially when that physical effort involved several people and the interaction had to be
coordinated. So, a group of early humans might develop a set of hums, grunts, groans, and curses
that were used when they were lifting and carrying large bits of trees or lifeless hairy mammoths.
- The appeal of this proposal is that it places the development of human language in a social context.
Early people must have lived in groups, if only because larger groups offered better protection from
attack, groups are necessarily social organizations and to maintain those organizations, some form of
communication is required, even if it is just grunts and curses.
- So, human sounds, However they were produced, must have had some principled use within the life
and social interaction of early human groups. This is an important idea that may relate to the uses of
humanly produced sounds. It does not, however, answer our question regarding the origins of the
sounds produced

• The Physical Adaptation Source - It can be physical or behavioural. Instead of looking at types of
sounds as the source of human speech, we can look at the types of physical features humans possess
which may have been able to support speech production. We can start with the observation that at some
early stage, our ancestors made a very significant transition to an upright posture. Some effects of this
type of change can be seen in physical differences between the skull of gorilla and that of Neanderthal
man.

• The Tool-Making Source - Humans started making tools and manipulating objects using both hands.
Manual gestures may have been a precursor of language: “Oral Gesture Theory”. Bringing words
together like bringing two rocks together to make a tool.

• The Genetic Source- Young babies go through almost automatic developments: from small brain, higher
larynx to lowering of larynx, standing upright, walking and talking. Even children who are born deaf
 become fluent speakers of a sign language? How? Claims that human offspring are born with a special
capacity for language (innateness theory). Innate theory - the innateness hypothesis is an expression
coined by Hilary Putnam to refer to a linguistic theory of language acquisition which holds that at least
some knowledge about language exists in humans at birth.

History of English Language

Where did the English language originated?

-English is a West Germanic language that originated from Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain in the mid
5th to 7th centuries AD by Anglo-Saxon settlers from what is now northwest Germany, west Denmark and the
Netherlands, displacing the Celtic languages that previously predominated.

WHO INVENTED THE English Language?

-Germanic tribes (Saxons, Angles, and Jutes) came to Britain from around 449 AD. They made their home in
the south and east of the island, pushing out the Celtic Britons who were there before them, or making them
speak the English language instead of the old Celtic languages.

-The first people to be called 'English' were the Anglo-Saxons, a group of closely related Germanic tribes that
began migrating to eastern and southern Great Britain, from southern Denmark and northern Germany, in the
5th century AD, after the Romans had withdrawn from Britain

Early English to Middle English

-The Norman invasion of England in 1066 had a major impact not only on the country, but also on the English
language. William the Conqueror and his merry band of Normans brought with them Norman French, which
became the language of the court, government and the upper class for the next three centuries. English
continued to be used by ordinary people, and Latin was the language of the church.

-During the period when Norman French was the dominant language, English was rarely used in writing, and
started to change in many ways. Before the conquest English had a much more complex grammar, however 70
or 80 years later, the grammar had become much simpler. This change is known as the transformation from Old
English to Middle English. At the same time Norman French became Anglo-Norman as it was itself affected by
English.

-More than 10,000 French words found their way into English – words associated with government, law, art,
literature, food, and many other aspects of life. About three quarters of these words are still used, and words
derived directly or indirectly from French now account for more than a third of English vocabulary. In fact
English speakers know around 15,000 French words, even before they start learning the language.

Late modern English

• The main difference between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary which is
Late Modern English has many more words, arising from two principal factors:

firstly, the Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new words;

secondly, the British Empire at its height covered one quarter of the earth's surface, and the English language
adopted foreign words from many countries.
Variety of language

-Language may change from region to region, from one social class to another, from individual to individual,
and from situation to situation. This actual changes result in the varieties of language.

-Language variety refers to the various forms of language triggered by social factors.

Dialect refers to a variety of a language that can signal the speaker’s regional or social background.

According to Ernesto Constantino, there are more than 400 dialects that exist in our country.

• In Luzon- Ibanag for Isabela and Cagayan, Ilocano for Ilocos, Pampango for Pampanga, Pangasinense
for Pangasinan, and Bicolano for Kabikulan.

• In Visayas- Aklanon for Aklan, Kinaray-a for Ilo-Ilo, Antique, and Panay, Cebuano for Cebu.

• In Mindanao- Surigaonon for Surigao, Tausug for Jolo and Sulu, Chavacano for Zamboanga, Davaeño
for Davao, and T’boli for Cotabato.

A register is a variety of a language used for a particular purpose or in a particular social setting. It should be
appropriate for the situation you are in. The language register determines the vocabulary, structure, and some
grammar in your writing.

The three most common language registers in writing are:

Formal - The formal register is more appropriate for professional writing and letters for a boss or a stranger.
Formal writing is probably the most difficult type of writing. It is impersonal, meaning it is not written for a
specific person and is written without emotion. Formal writing includes:

Business letter Official Speeches

Letters for complaint Announcements

Reports Professional Emails

Informal - Informal writing is written in the way we talk to our friends and family. We use informal writing
when we are writing to someone we know very well. Informal writing includes:

Personal E-mails Friendly letters

Phone texts Most blogs

Short notes Diaries and Journals

Neutral - We use neutral language register with non-emotional topics and information. Neutral writing is not
necessarily formal or informal. It is not usually positive or negative. A neutral register is used to deliver facts. It
is most appropriate for technical writings. Writing in the neutral language register includes:

Reviews Articles Technical Writing

Jargon are special words and phrases which are used by particular groups of people, especially in their work.
Jin commence BICS CALP

BICS- describes the development of conversational fluency (Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills) in
the second language, whereas CALP describes the use of language in decontextualized academic situations
(Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency).

CALP- Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) is a language-related term developed by Jim
Cummins which refers to formal academic learning, as opposed to BICS

Although the terms BICS and CALP are still widely used, Jim Cummins has more recently used the terms
conversational language and academic language.

In addition to acquiring the language, learners need to develop skills such as comparing, classifying,
synthesizing, evaluating, and inferring when developing academic competence. It takes learners at least five
years to develop CALP. Research from Collier and Thomas (1995) has shown that it may take children with no
prior instruction or no support in native language development at least seven years to develop CALP.

Krashen Language Acquisition Theory

The Five Main Hypotheses

1. Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis- Learning a new language through subconscious process and through
language lessons.

2. Monitor Hypothesis - The acquisition is the utterance initiator, while the learning system performs the
role of the “monitor” or the “editor”.

3. Natural Order Hypothesis- Predictable order for grammar acquisitions.

4. Input Hypothesis- Acquiring a new language through exposure.

5. Affective Filter Hypothesis- Cannot acquire language acquisition if input is filtered out due to anxiety,
low motivation and poor self-esteem.