General characteristics of language as a semiotic communication system. Language functions. Language and speech

(1): What is language?

According to sapir (1921)

“Language is purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotion, and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols”.

Ø According to Terger,

“Language is system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means which a social group co-operates”.

Ø According to Cambridge Dictionary1995

“Language is system of communication consisting of set of rules (syntax), morphology, (phonology, which decides the way to which these parts can be combined to produce massage (function) that have meanings (Semantics)”.

Ø According to general definition quoted by R.Wardhaugh

“Language is a system of conventional symbols used for communication by a whole community”.

Ø According to D.Barton, literacy (1994)

“Language is a symbolic system linking what goes on inside our heads with what goes on outside. It mediates between self and society. It is a form of representation, a way of representing the world to ourselves and to others”.

Ø According to N.E Wood, in delayed speech and language development:

“Language is an organized system of linguistics symbols (words) used by human beings to communication through words.

(1): Language is basic to all communication

(2): Encompass all forms of expression”

(2): ELEMENTS OF LANGUAGE

PHONETICS:

The study of speech sounds.

PHONOLOGY:

The study of the sound patterns of language.

SYNTACTICS:

The study of structure of sentence or rules that govern how words are combined to form phrases and sentences

PHONEMES:

Smaller unit of speech sound.

MORPHEMES:

Combination of phonemes makes morphemes.

SEMANTICS:

The Study of meanings.

Pragmatics studies language in use. Following Saussure, language in use is speech (cf. langue and parole). Large stretches of speech are called discourse.

The use of language is associated with language functions. By function linguists mean the role and purpose of the language. Sometimes the term ‘function’ is understood in a more narrow way. In this sense, the term determines a role of a language element in syntax (the function of the subject, predicate, or object) and in morphology (the function of a form, the function of the suffix, etc.). Correspondingly, the term ‘function’ refers to an element position in a construction or the meaning of a form or construction.

Two language functions are most widely recognized – communicative and cognitive (formulating thoughts), though there have been many attempts to establish more detailed classifications of language functions.

The most recognizable classification of speech functions belongs to Roman Jakobson. He distinguished six functions: referential (informative), expressive (emotive), conative (voluntative), phatic (creating and maintaining social contact), metalingual (describing language), and poetic (aesthetic).

Following Halliday, translation theorists added one more function to the list – interpersonal function, which implies the speaker’s intervention in the use of language and the expression of attitude.

Obviously, each discourse has more than one speech functions. As a matter of fact, it combines a number of functions but one of them is always predominant.