What is language?

What is language?

 

Generally speaking, language is a system of visual, auditory or tactile symbols of communication and the rules used to manipulate them. Although, I think there can be said more from teaching and learning perspective as well as and people’s lives and experiences. Living within a society we can observe that language is the basic method by which we do things cooperatively. It gathers shared meaning of common ground, activities we do and the way we response, behave and act.

 

Language is considered to be a human mode of communication and it is the very essence of what makes as humans.

 

To have a brief understanding of its origin we need to look into the past studies on it.

In ancient Greece language was studied in regards of its proper use and purpose. The word “logos” was used as a term for both language or speech or reason. Modern studies focused on its production and perceive. The English word “language” derived from “Lingua”, Latin for “tongue” which refers only to expressions of reason that can be understood by others by speaking.

 

Talking about language we need to look at it from different perspectives: as a social fact, as natural behaviour, as a mental organ, or as an abstract object.

 

As a social phenomenon, language was first described by Ferdinand se Saussure who claimed that providing only historical description of languages should not be the only approach to this complex entity. Saussure believed that the essential information about language can be obtained from its common users, natural speakers. He called this social aspect of using language or speech “parole”, while the underlying knowledge of linguistic structure was known as “langue”.

 

Language as behaviour.

Linguists who studied this view focused on different languages used by various people rather than on linguistic universals. They believed that by observation of human behaviour and interaction we can gather the linguistic data.

According to them, language is the totality of utterances that can be made in speech community.

 

The third approach to language was represented by Noam Chomsky who recognised language as a mental organ. He believed in an existence of special mental ability in human brains to use language. He noticed certain similarities among languages, therefore he believed that those cannot be explained by environmental factors or be accidental.

As much as I would agree with Chomsky that we have a natural ability to speak I cannot deny the fact that without social interaction we would not be able to speak, e.g. child without being exposed to speech would not develop any language, despite crying, giggling, etc.

In his work, Chomsky defined language by means of Generative Grammar, a finite set of rules which would enable its users to make an unlimited number of expressions. Supporters of this view believe that it is not particular languages that should be analysed but Universal Grammar, or the mental organ that allows humans to speak.

The last view is constituted by scholars who believe that language is an abstract object and does not occupy any space or time. This claim contradicts with Chomsky’s idea but those who support this claim justify that the analyzing of the best abstract models of language can bring helpful effect of the entire area of study.

 

Personally, I like the idea of language as a mean of telling of thoughts and transferring of an idea of one person to another one. This can be done by talking, writing, pointing and touching. I think people communicate naturally and find ways to communicate naturally. By studying language we are trying to find the patterns, rules, utterances by which people develop communication and to understand how language works, its origin, the development and the role in human’s life.

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