Language and Communication

Shannah Marie O. MontalesAB English Language 3

What is Language?• Language is an abstract system of symbols and

meanings. This system includes the rules (grammar) that relate symbols and meanings so that we can communicate with each other. *symbol - anything that stands for anything else.

• language and its related processes may be the most important feature distinguishing humans from all other animals.

How is Language Organized?

(1) Reappearance. Through our life we do store certain experiences. If someone asked you right now to recall the first time you gave a talk before a group, you could recall (if you wanted to!) the complete event. That "memory“ simply reappears. This is one theory as to how language may be stored, but it has some severe limits.

(2) Utilization.

• Involves reconstructing a mental image• Our stock of words is quite limited, but the

supply of sentences we might generate is almost infinite. We have never before read a sentence exactly like the one you're in the midst of now, yet you understand this sentence with little difficulty.

• Meaningfulness. • Arbitrariness. The relation between a symbol

and the thing or conceptEx. cat – a small four-legged animal with fur,

whiskers that ‘meows’

• Openness. Language is flexible

The Essence of Language

WORD ORDER

ONE TRANSLATION OF MEANING

Child, kiss grandfather The child is being asked to kissgrandfather.

Grandfather, kiss child Grandfather is being asked to kissthe child.

Kiss grandfather, child! The child being commanded to kissgrandfather.

Kiss child, grandfather! Grandfather being commanded tokiss the child.

• Sound-meaning link. This is really crucial to our ability to communicate. We are able to communicate with each other because we've already reached an agreement. The meaning of each concept is permanently linked to a particular word -- it is printed and pronounced in the same way each time it is used. Without that agreement we'd have no language. Without that agreement we'd have no communication.

• In processing language, speakers must share agreement on sound, rules of organization, and meaning.

• language and its related processes may be the most important feature distinguishing humans from all other animals.

Processing Language

"Do you know what time it is?""Yes." . ."Well?...""Yes. Yes, I do know what time it is.""Will you tell me what time it is, then?""Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize you wanted to

know the time. You just asked me if I knew the time. It's. . .

Speakers of English understand the question "Do you know what time it is?“ as not to be answered with yes/no, it's a request to demonstrate specific knowledge.

They involve the primary skills which are combined to allow us to utilize our spoken language: the understanding of sounds, of syntax (the rules by which we organize our words into sentences) and of the meaning we attach to the words we use.

Among these three, syntax and meaning explain why we interpret "Do you know the time?" correctly. The words "know the time”ordered as they are (syntax) means (semantics) the speaker is asking you to inform him/her as to the actual time.

Communication• Communication is the passing of information

from one organism to another using signals. • Communication involves at least four

elements: transmitter, signal, channel, and receiver.

Process of CommunicationThere are four important elements in the process of communication.

• Transmitter, or source• signal, or message• Channel – the medium• receiver

Verbal CommunicationVerbal communication refers to the use of sounds and language to relay a message. It serves as a vehicle for expressing desires, ideas and concepts and is vital to the processes of learning and teaching.

TYPES:• Interpersonal communication• Intrapersonal communication

• Interpersonal communication is the process of sending and receiving information between two or more people.

• Intrapersonal communication occurs in the mind of the individual in a model which contains a sender, receiver, and feedback loop.

Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication involves transmission of information by means other than language in its spoken, written, or otherwise coded form.

Paralanguage. Any time we talk we are offering a verbal signal to be received and interpreted. Paralanguage identifies the non-linguistic aspects of our spoken words.

• In what tone are we speaking? • When do we pause? • Do we stutter? All of these are paralinguistic cues that will "flavor“

any listener‘s interpretation of what is heard. For example, even the simple word "Thanks" can be interpreted either as genuine gratitude or as sarcasm, depending on the tone in which it is spoken.

Proxemics. The study of the distance between us when we walk, talk, stand, or sit around with one another.

We are individually wrapped by our “personal space" – an invisible envelope that we maintain around ourselves into which others cannot intrude without arousing discomfort. We prefer to let only certain people within that space.

The distance between two people can be used to predict the nature of the social relationship that exists between them.

• Body Language• Clothes• Voice Pitch/ tone• Eye contact

Remember, we talk to each other to communicate. At the same time, the way we say our message and the environment in which we speak may make aslasting an impression as the actual words.

Can communication exist without language?

For beings who do not have their own language, communication can still exist.

For instance, when in distress, the dolphin emits two whistles over and over again—one getting gradually louder, the other getting gradually softer. It silences any nearby dolphins and causes them to search for the source. Once found, that dolphin is pushed to the surface and a complex exchange of signals occurs.

When it comes to communicating with others, we rely most heavily on our most sophisticated human skill -- language.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

• Humans communicate with language. Though, language is not the only means of communication. Whenever communication is thought of we always associate it with language.

• Language is a vehicle that we use in presenting our ideas, thoughts, feelings, opinions to the world. It is what we exhibit our cultural norms and orientations in and the whole essence of our being is captured in our language. That is why whenever a country, people or race conquers the first thing that will be affected will be the conquered people’s language.

If the colonialists had come to Africa without imposing their languages on the continent, the issue of political domination would not have been possible.

• Language and communication are different things that cannot be seperated. Language is surely the most important tool of communication that individual have at their disposal. This is because it is language that permit people to communicate. The purpose of acquisition of Language as proved by Chomsky is for communicative purpose. Other means of Communication have several weaknesses, therefore, human language is the best means of communication .

The role of language in communicationIf we believe that our language is what drives our value systems, then we say that language drives our cultural orientation. Sapir (1921) holds it that: language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desire by means of voluntarily produced symbols. This means that it is only human beings of all the creatures on the earth surface that uses language. The language that man uses is not something his biological make bequeath on him he learns this language in a human community. We are not saying here that other beings do not communicate but it is man alone that communicates with language. The nonverbal communication we talked about is predicated on language.

Language is the vehicle that our thoughts are conveyed in. if our thoughts are conveyed in language then our culture in conveyed too through it.

Krech（ 1962） explained the major functions of language from the following three aspects:

1.1） Language is the primary vehicle of communication;2.2） Language reflects both the personality of the individual

and the culture of his history.In turn, it helps shape both personality and culture;3.3）  Language makes possible the growth and transmission of

culture, the continuity ofsocieties, and the effective functioning and control of social

group.

THANK YOU.

.Source:

Language and Communication.https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:q7l-_gIZuSoJ:dakota.fmpdata.net/PsychAI/PrintFiles/Language.pdf+language+and+communication&hl=en&gl=ph&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESg751DgiRHoUQhhA9kAB-o7yrsOm_W-dGE4vXgCkafL6oga_qw85jJ-6mZvfgD7mYYOo2t9QhnOSr5VLxkxZZNfl1L9fTEjLPtrvwXtih0MViEsAIPQ9HRIWw2fIbHDxr3SEHZ5&sig=AHIEtbTIQ6vlahBH8IQ271GFqWIj5J66rg