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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LANGUAGE AS A TOOL OF COMMUNICATION

Conference Paper · May 2015

DOI: 10.21279/1454-864X

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Anca Sirbu
Maritime University of Constanta
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 “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy Scientific Bulletin, Volume XVIII – 2015 – Issue 2
Published by “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy Press, Constanta, Romania // The journal is indexed in:
PROQUEST SciTech Journals, PROQUEST Engineering Journals, PROQUEST Illustrata: Technology, PROQUEST Technology
Journals, PROQUEST Military Collection PROQUEST Advanced Technologies & Aerospace

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LANGUAGE AS A TOOL OF COMMUNICATION

1
Anca SIRBU
1
Senior lecturer, PhD Department of Fundamental Sciences and Humanities, Constanta Maritime University

Abstract: Language is essentially a means of communication among the members of a society. The
purpose of this paper is to show that a common language is one of the most important features of a
community and the ceaseless use of the same language is the most certain proof of the historical continuity
of a community of people. The need to communicate triggers both the occurrence and the development of a
language and this need arises and becomes stronger and stronger when one has someone else to
communicate with, i.e. where there is a society. In terms of linguistics, the study of language is a
multidisciplinary endeavour. Communication takes place not only orally, but also in writing. It is this plurality
of aspects in studying the same object that makes language a perpetual phenomenon.
Keywords: language, communication, social community, common culture

Language is essentially a means of which enables them to acquire language, by

communication among the members of a society. means of which they can “see” better than with
In the expression of culture, language is a their own eyes. The deaf, on the other hand,
fundamental aspect. It is the tool that conveys compelled to silence, hence unable to access
traditions and values related to group identity. The language freely, develop more difficultly on an
purpose of this paper is to show that a common intellectual level and do not attain all the
language is one of the most important features of instruments of a complex abstract thinking
a community and the ceaseless use of the same process. Hence, as a means of communication in
language is the most certain proof of the historical a community, “wherever communities of deaf
continuity of a community of people. This function people exist, sign languages have been
is strongly related to the social nature of a developed. They share many similarities with
language, whereas there are interdependency spoken languages (sometimes called "oral
and mutual conditionality relations between languages", which depend primarily on sound),
language occurrence and a society with its which is why linguists consider both to be natural
inherent culture. We are going to take into languages, but there are also some significant
account several aspects of language such as differences between signed and spoken
speaking and writing while also keeping in mind languages.[…] Signing is not only used by the
that the study of language is a multidisciplinary deaf, it is also used by people who can hear, but
endeavour. Communication takes place not only cannot physically speak. While they use space for
orally, but also in writing. grammar in a way that spoken languages do not,
For instance, writing, a relatively recent invention, sign languages show the same linguistic
has a great importance for a language whereby it properties and use the same language faculty as
plays an important role in the preservation of do spoken languages.”[1]
language realities. As a tool of communication among the members
The need to communicate triggers both the of a society, language is influenced by the very
occurrence and the development of a language society where it functions. Moreover, being the
and this need arises and becomes stronger and most significant tool of communication, a
stronger when one has someone else to particular language which is mastered only by
communicate with, i.e. where there is a society. some people (e.g. Latin, Greek, French, English
Society acquires self-awareness through the etc.) has often been the determining factor in
contact and communication between its members. turning these people into a separate group as a
The significance of communication between people, a nation or a state. The distinction
people equates the significance of language – the between peoples and nations mainly traces the
most important means of communication. In this geographical distribution in space of the
respect, language is of crucial importance in the pertaining languages while the linguistic
individual development of humans and this is best community, i.e. the fact that they all use the same
mirrored by the development of blind people as language, is the essentially defining element for
opposed to the deaf (we speak, of course, of economical and political communities.
blindness and deafness at birth). Research has In terms of linguistics, which is a fundamentally
revealed the fact that the blind develop their theoretical science, it is important to discriminate
intellectual propensities better than the deaf. between the act of “speaking” and “language”.
Although deprived of their sight, they can hear, Speaking is specific and concrete, it is the
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 “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy Scientific Bulletin, Volume XVIII – 2015 – Issue 2
Published by “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy Press, Constanta, Romania // The journal is indexed in:
PROQUEST SciTech Journals, PROQUEST Engineering Journals, PROQUEST Illustrata: Technology, PROQUEST Technology
Journals, PROQUEST Military Collection PROQUEST Advanced Technologies & Aerospace

linguistic process as such in the act of variations may co-exist within the same dialect as
communication; it is an individual aspect of long as they abide by specified linguistic rules,
language. Language, on the contrary, is a mainly grammatical.
general, abstract aspect and a sum of All people subconsciously mirror their cultural
organisation skills and principles; it is the system backgrounds in day-to-day communication.
that governs any concrete act of communication. Language is both a great advocate for
Linguistics generally pays more attention to communication and an important reflection of
language, an utterly social aspect, the one that one's cultural background. Intracultural
can act as a means of communication. “miscommunication often stems from different and
As far as interdisciplinarity is concerned, it is conflicting styles of speech and messages. A
worth mentioning the fact that logics, psychology perfectly normal intonation pattern for a native
or anthropology have their share in the study of German speaker may seem angry and aggressive
language. While diversifying in terms of space to a foreign listener. Connotations of words, as
(languages, dialects, idioms), or time, language is well as meanings of slang phrases, vary greatly
also dependent on the social characters of across cultural lines, and a lack of tolerance and
speakers (jargon, slang, specialised terminology) understanding of this fact often results in
and their anthropological affiliation (child or misinterpretations.”[3]
teenager language, men and women language). There is a close relationship between the
Sociolinguistics studies social and cultural language and the culture of a community - they
influences on language behaviour. Among the are inextricably related, so that one cannot
most significant aspects are the ones pertaining to understand or appreciate the one without a good
dialects and language standards. Sociolinguistic knowledge of the other. Culture may reflect in
research has documented the existence of body language, customs, superstitions, and even
dialects in every language. Dialects are usually expressions of friendliness. Although all these
associated with educational, economic, social and definitely observe the cultural norms of a
historical circumstances. Linguistically, the word particular society, the impact of culture on
"dialect" is referred to as “a regional or social language use is both deep and thorough. In this
variety of a language distinguished by context, culture refers to the lifestyle of a
pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, especially community: the way its members behave, their
a variety of speech differing from the standard beliefs, their values and, most importantly, the
literary language or speech pattern of the culture way they communicate. “Every act of language,
in which it exists” [2] and not to an incorrect way be it written or spoken, is a statement about the
of speaking a language. Although all dialects of a position of its author within the social structure in
language are linguistically legitimate, only some a given culture” [4]. Language mediates between
acquire social authority. In literate, economically the individual and the community.
developed societies, the dialect spoken by the In conclusion, language can be analysed and
members with the most formal education and the described under several criteria, coming to the
highest socioeconomic status tends to achieve most different results. It is this plurality of aspects
the greatest social status. Usually, it becomes the in studying the same object that makes language
standard for that particular culture, used in writing a perpetual phenomenon. Language is an actor
and in education. Standard dialects also offer a that both shapes, and is shaped by the social
tool through which speakers with different community in which it plays a significant role.
linguistic and social backgrounds can
communicate with one another. Regional

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_language
[2] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dialect
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_communication
[4] Le Page R.B., Tabouret-Keller A., Acts of Identity, Cambridge University Press, 1985

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