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Nature, Essence, and Significance of Language

Introduction to Linguistics/Nature of Language
The Nature of Language

a). What is Language?

Language is a system for communicating. Written languages use symbols
(that is, characters) to build words. The entire set of words is the language's
vocabulary. The ways in which the words can be meaningfully combined is
defined by the language's syntax and grammar. The actual meaning of words
and combinations of words is defined by the language's semantics.
In computer science, human languages are known as natural languages.
Unfortunately, computers are not sophisticated enough to understand natural
languages. As a result, we must communicate with computers using special
computer languages. There are many different classes of computer languages,
including machine languages, programming languages, and fourth-generation
languages.

b). Animal versus Human Communication

Systems of communication are not unique to human beings. Other animal
species communicate in a variety of ways. One way is by sound: a bird may
communicate by a call that a territory is his and should not be encroached
upon.
Another means of animal communication is by odor: an ant releases a
chemical when it dies, and other ants then carry it away to the compost heap.
A third means of communication is body movement, for example used by
honeybees to convey the location of food sources.
Although primates use all three methods of communication: sound, odor, and
body movement, sound is the method of primary interest since it is our own
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primary means of communication. A topic of persistent debate in linguistic

anthropology is whether human communication (verbal and nonverbal) is
similar to nonhuman primate communication, such as seen in apes and
monkeys. Linguistics and primatologists have searched for a common thread
running through the communication systems of humans and nonhuman
primates. Certain scholars argue that our language capabilities are not unique
and point to various aspects of non-human primate communication as
evidence. Other scientists remain unconvinced. Today there continues to be a
significant amount of debate concerning this area of linguistic anthropology.
Communication can be defined to include both signals and symbols. Signals
are sounds or gestures that have a natural or self-evident meaning [example
of someone crying (=emotion), laughing (=emotion), animal cries
(=indicating fear, food, or hunt). In this regard, we can consider that most
animal communication is genetically determined and includes hoots, grunts,
or screams that are meant to mean only one thing and are used every time in
the same situation. So there is only one way to express one thing and it never
changes. Animal communication tends to consist primarily of signals.
In contrast, human communication is dependent on both signals and symbols.
Symbols are sounds or gestures that have meaning for a group of people-it is
the cultural tradition that gives it meaning (e.g. green light=go; teaching a
child letters (see Faces of Culture video). Symbols have to be learned and are
not instinctive; the meanings are arbitrary.
Some of the debate regarding human versus primate communication stems
from observations by scientists in the field. For example, scientists who have
observed vervet monkeys in the wild consider at least three of their alarm
calls to be symbolic because each of them means a different kind of predator-
eagles, pythons, leopards-monkeys react differently to each call.
Interestingly, infant vervets often make the "eagle" warning call when they
see any flying bird and learn the appropriate call as they grow up. This is
similar to human infants who often first apply the word "dada" to all adult
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males, gradually learning to restrict it one person. It is possible, therefore, to

consider such calls as symbolic.
So-if monkeys and apes appear to use symbols as least some of the time, how
can we distinguish human communication? For one thing, all human
languages emply a much larger set of symbols. Another and perhaps more
important difference is that other primate's vocal systems tend to be closed
(different calls are not often combined to produce new, meaningful
utterances). In contrast, human languages are open systems (capable of
sending messages that have never been sent before and the ability to combine
symbols in an infinite variety of ways for an infinite variety of meanings).
The following exercises are designed to help you think about the similarities
and differences between humans and nonhuman primates in terms of the way
we all communicate.
Exercise-Major Questions:
1. What characteristics or properties of communication are common to all
humans of the world?
2. Are these characteristics found among nonhuman primates as well?
3. What are the underlying causes that result in similarities or differences
between systems of human and animal communication?
Many animal and even plant species communicate with each other. Humans
are not unique in this capability. However, human language is unique in
being a symbolic communication system that is learned instead of
biologically inherited. Symbols are sounds or things which have meaning
given to them by the users. Originally, the meaning is arbitrarily assigned.
For instance, the English word "dog" does not in any way physically
resemble the animal it stands for. All symbols have a material form but the
meaning can not be discovered by mere sensory examination of their forms.
They are abstractions.
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A word is one or more sounds that in combination have a specific meaning

assigned by a language. The symbolic meaning of words can be so powerful
that people are willing to risk their lives for them or take the lives of others.
For instance, words such as "queer" and "nigger" have symbolic meaning that
is highly charged emotionally in America today for many people. They are
much more than just a sequence of sounds to us.
A major advantage of human language being a learned symbolic
communication system is that it is infinitely flexible. Meanings can be
changed and new symbols created. This is evidenced by the fact that new
words are invented daily and the meaning of old ones change. For example,
the English word "nice" now generally means pleasing, agreeable, polite, and
kind. In the15th century it meant foolish, wanton, lascivious, and even
wicked. Languages evolve in response to changing historical and social
conditions. Some language transformations typically occur in a generation or
less. For instance, the slang words used by your parents were very likely
different from those that you use today. You also probably are familiar with
many technical terms, such as "text messaging" and "high definition TV",
that were not in general use even a decade ago.

Sign Language
Over the last few centuries, deaf people have developed sign languages that
are complex visual-gestural forms of communicating with each other. Since
they are effective communication systems with standardised rules, they also
must be considered languages in their own right even though they are not
spoken. The example is American Sign Language.

Pidgin and Creole

A pidgin is a simplified, makeshift language that develops to fulfill the
communication needs of people who have no language in common but who
need to occasionally interact for commercial and other reasons. Pidgins
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combine a limited amount of the vocabulary and grammar of the different

languages. People who use pidgin languages also speak their own native
language. Over the last several centuries, dozens of pidgin languages
developed as Europeans expanded out into the rest of the world for
colonisation and trade. The most well known ones are Pidgin English in New
Guinea, Cameroon and Nigeria. However, several forms of Pidgin English
and Pidgin French also developed in West Africa and the Caribbean. There
have been pidgins developed by non-European cultures as well, including the
Zulus in South Africa, the Malays in Southeast Asia, the Arabs in North
Africa, and several American Indian societies. The most well known pidgin
developed by American Indians is Chinook, which was used on the
Northwest Coast of North America.
At times, a pidgin language becomes the mother tongue of a population.
When that happens, it is called a Creole language. As pidgins change into
creoles over several generations, their vocabularies enlarge. In the small
island nation of Haiti, a French-African pidgin became the creole language. It
is still spoken there by the majority of the population as their principle or
only language. The same thing happened among some of the peoples of
Papua New Guinea , the Pacific Islands of Vanuatu, and Sierra Leone in West
Africa, where different versions of Pidgin English became creoles. Similarly,
on the outer banks of Georgia and South Carolina in the United States,
isolated former African slaves made another version of Pidgin English into a
creole known as Gullah or Geechee . Creoles also developed in Louisiana,
Jamaica, and the Netherlands Antilles.
It is common for creole speakers to also speak another "standard" language as
well. In Haiti, for instance, the more educated and affluent people also speak
French among themselves. Their creole language is used on the street in
dealing with poor Haitians. The Gullah speakers of Georgia and South
Carolina speak English when dealing with outsiders. Which language is
spoken depends on the social situation. This same phenomenon is often found
in societies with different dialects of the same language. People may quickly
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switch back and forth between dialects, depending on the person they are
talking to at the time. This pattern is referred to as diglossia r "code
switching." The African American situational use of standard and Black
English is a prime example. Black English is usually reserved for talking with
other African Americans. North American reporters and announcers on
national television programs are often diglossic. They must learn to speak
with a Midwestern, European American dialect regardless of the region or
social class they came from originally. We become so accustomed to this that
it is usually a shocking surprise to hear them speak in their own dialects.
Typically, the dialects of a society are ranked relative to each other in terms
of social status. In the London area of England, the upper class speak "public
school" English, while the lower class often use a Cockney dialect. Because
of the stigma against the latter, upwardly mobile Cockneys in the business
world may take language lessons to acquire the "public school" speech
patterns.
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Language is a vital part of human connection. Although all species have their
ways of communicating, humans are the only ones that have mastered
cognitive language communication. Language allows us to share our ideas,
thoughts, and feelings with others. It has the power to build societies, but also
tear them down. It may seem obvious, but if you’re asking yourself, why is
language important? You’ll have to break it down to truly understand why.

Why Is Language Important? Language Matters

Language is what makes us human. It is how people communicate. By
learning a language, it means you have mastered a complex system of words,
structure, and grammar to effectively communicate with others.
To most people, language comes naturally. We learn how to communicate
even before we can talk and as we grow older, we find ways to manipulate
language to truly convey what we want to say with words and complex
sentences. Of course, not all communication is through language, but
mastering a language certainly helps speed up the process. This is one of the
many reasons why language is important.

Language Is Important To Culture And Society

Language helps us express our feelings and thoughts — this is unique to our
species because it is a way to express unique ideas and customs within
different cultures and societies.
By learning a foreign language, you can understand ideas and thoughts that
may be different from your own culture. You can learn customs and how
people interact in a given society. Language helps preserve cultures, but it
also allows us to learn about others and spread ideas quickly.
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Language Is Important To Business

The importance of language in business is unmatched. Without language
here, we can’t share ideas and grow them into something more. Whether this
means learning a foreign language so you can share ideas with people who
come from a different country, or simply learning how to use language to
master an interview, demand presence in a room, or network with others,
language is vital.

Language Is Important For Individuals And Development

Humans all learn to talk at slightly different times, and observing when a
child starts to use language can be indicative of how well they are
developing. But this does not just apply to babies. It also applies to young
children learning a second language in school that’s different than the
language they speak at home, adults learning a second language, or even
those who may have lost language due to some type of accident, and are
working on regaining it.

Language Is Important For Personal Communication

Though much of human communication is non-verbal (we can demonstrate
our thoughts, feelings and ideas by our gestures, expressions, tones, and
emotions) language is important for personal communication. Whether it’s
being able to talk to your friends, your partner, or your family, having a
shared language is necessary for these types of interactions.
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The Basic Functions Of Language

The main function of language is the usefulness of language. It gives us the
ability to communicate thoughts, ideas, and feelings with others as quickly as
possible. But, within that, we can understand language more by looking at its
basic functions.

1. Informative Function
The informative function of language is when we use language to
communicate any information. Essentially, its function is to inform others by
being able to state facts clearly.

2. Expressive Function
Another basic function of language is the expressive function. As it sounds, it
is used to express oneself by giving us ways to convey our feelings,
emotions, and attitudes to another person (or ourselves).

3. Directive Function
The directive function of language is a basic function that helps us to direct
or command. For example, it gives us the ability to tell ourselves or someone
else what to do in any given situation.
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References:
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Introduction_to_Linguistics/Nature_of_Langua
ge#:~:text=The%20ways%20in%20which%20the,are%20known%20as%20n
atural%20languages.

https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/why-is-language-important/

Prepared by:

MARIA PERPETUA O. SUNDIAM

Instructor

Approved by:

AUREA C. SALAGAN, EdD

VP Academic Affairs