NATURE OF

LANGUAGE

KAREEN P. BETARMOS

INSTRUCTOR
NATURE OF
LANGUAGE
Learning Outcomes:

- Demonstrate an understanding of the key ideas in

language and communication;
- Relate personal experience with the input presented.
Study the following words. Which
word is spelled correctly?
endeavour endeavor
theatre theater
enrolment enrollment
defense defence
colonize colonise
dialog dialogue
sulphur sulfur
airplane aeroplane
aging ageing
Can you communicate to a person who
has a different language from yours?
What is language?

– Together with the creation of human life is

the creation of a wonderful and dynamic
human capacity – LANGUAGE.
– Through this, we can communicate.
– Animals are said to be able to communicate
with each other.
– The sounds that animals produce often
reflect the state of their emotions.
What is language?

– But only human beings are truly

capable of producing language.
– When people use language, they can
understand each other because they
belong to the same SPEECH
COMMUNITY.
How do we know the language?
What is language?

3 famous linguists and phoneticians:

Henry Sweet
Bernard Bloch
George Trager
What is language?

– While growing up, people acquire the languages used by those in the
community. This process is called LANGUAGE ACQUISITION.
– The language acquired while growing up is called MOTHER TONGUE, which is
referred to as FIRST LANGUAGE.
– People discover later on that other languages are needed for various reasons,
and this language is called SECOND LANGUAGE.
– People learn this language by studying formally in school or informally on their
own. This process is called LANGUAGE LEARNING.
– Americans and British speak English.
– However, they spell words differently, and pronounce words differently.
What is language?

– But both belong to two speech communities which do not have exactly the
same set of rules for their languages.
– Persons who speak different languages and who try to understand each other
will eventually communicate because a LANGUAGE CONTACT happens.
– As persons who speak different languages continues to engage in a
conversation, there is a tendency that both would adopt to the language, thus
LANGUAGE CHANGE is the result of language contact
– Language is indeed a complex human capacity. It is important to be aware of
the language features and behavior to be able to use the language more
effectively and productively in communicating with others
Task 1. Comprehension Questions

– Expound language.
– Can animals communicate? Explain answer.
– Can monkeys produce language? Explain answer.
– Contrast:
– a. language acquisition and language learning;
– b. first language and second language.
– What happens after a language comes into contact with another? Explain
answer.
Task 2. Language and
Communication
– Read the following statements carefully. Decide if each statement is True or
False. Write TRUE if is correct, and FALSE if it is incorrect, then rewrite or revise
the statement to make it correct.
– Not all languages have a grammar system.
– Change happen to all languages.
– All living creatures have the capacity for language.
– Two persons who do not speak the same language will never be able to
communicate.
OUTPUT: Writing Language
Biography
/Reflect on the concepts presented in the input and connect to personal experience of language.
/Write a Language Biography in a paragraph form that tells the story of your languages from the given questions as
your guide.
/Start by pondering the guide questions below.
– How many languages do you speak? Identify these languages.
– What is/are your first language or mother tongue?
– How did you acquire your first language or mother tongue?
– What skills can you perform using your first language or mother tongue?
– What is/are your second language/s?
– How did you learn your second language/s?
– What skills can you perform using your second language?
– What are your language strengths?
– What are your language weaknesses?
– Which language is your favourite and why?
 Rubric for Language Biography
Criteria Excellent Very Good Fair Very Poor
(4) (3) (2) (1)

IDEAS This paper is clear and focused. It holds the reader's attention. The writer begins to define the topic, even though Topic is not well-defined and/or there are too many topics. Paper has no clear sense of purpose or central theme. To
Relevant details and quotes enrich the central theme. development is still basic or general. extract meaning from the text, the reader must make
inferences on missing details.

ORGANIZATION The organization enhances and showcases the central idea or The organizational structure is strong enough to move the Sentences within paragraphs make sense, but the order of The writing lacks a clear sense of direction. Ideas, details, or
theme. The order, structure of information is compelling and reader through the text without too much confusion. paragraphs does not. events seem strung together in a loose or no identifiable
moves the reader through the text. internal structure.

SENTENCE FLUENCY The writing has an easy flow, rhythm, and cadence. Sentences The text hums along with a steady beat, but tends to be The text seems choppy and is not easy to read orally. The reader has to practice quite a bit in order to give this
are well built, with strong and varied structure that invites more business-like than musical, more mechanical than paper a fair interpretive reading.
expressive oral reading. fluid.

WRITING CONVENTIONS The writer demonstrates a good grasp of standard writing The writer shows reasonable control over a limited range of The writer seems to have made little effort to use Errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, usage, and
conventions (e.g., spelling, punctuation, capitalization, standard writing conventions. Conventions are sometimes conventions: spelling, punctuation, capitalization, usage, grammar and/or paragraphing repeatedly distract the
grammar, usage, paragraphing) and uses conventions handled well and enhance readability; at other times, errors grammar and/or paragraphing have multiple errors reader and make the text difficult to read.
effectively to enhance readability. are distracting and impair readability.

PRESENTATION The form and presentation of the text enhances the ability for The writer's message is understandable in this format. The writer's message is only understandable occasionally, The reader receives a garbled message due to problems
the reader to understand and connect with the message. It is and paper is messily written. relating to the presentation of the text, and is not typed.
pleasing to the eye.