Spoken VS written

language
 Spoken and written language

It's believed that spoken language is more basic than written language

Why is it considered to be a defining feature of natural languages?

Language, sometimes means speech (spoken language), and sometimes

writing (written language). How are they different?

- Speech is spoken and heard

-writing is written and read.

There are many other differences :

 Historical Priority

Modern linguists say that spoken language is older than written

language :
- Speech goes back to human beginnings, perhaps a million years ago.
-Writing is relatively recent ; it was first invented by the Sumerians,
in Mesopotamia, around 3200 B.C.

Earliest societies existed and had sophisticated civilizations using

simply the spoken form.

languages, as we know them today in most parts of the world, may be

either written or spoken,
 Structural priority

Spoken language is structurally more basic than written language.

Written sentences depend on Spoken sentences depend upon

identifiable distinctions of the identifiable distinctions of
shape of the letters. sounds.
 Functional priority

Spoken form of language is used more than the written form.

In the developing and industrialized countries, it is more widely used for
a wide variety of purposes
writing serves only as a functional substitute for speech in situations in
which vocal-auditory communication is impossible, unreliable or
inefficient.
 Functional priority

The invention of the mobiles, social media, the television, the video and
the tape-recorder has made possible the use of spoken language :

Businessmen and diplomats prefer to phone or travel abroad to talk to

their customers or government officials rather than simply get in touch with
them by writing.

Writing is a prestigious form of communication.

Written language is associated to political and economic power,

admired literature, and educational institutions.
 Biological priority

People everywhere start speaking during the first two

years of life

Learning to write typically builds on learning to

speak human beings are genetically pre-
programmed.

Spoken language is acquired naturally during the

period of infancy without special instruction or any
formal means of education
 Conclusion

In brief, language is primarily spoken, and the priority of

speech over writing is established and maintained.