The Nature of Human Language

The Nature of
Human
Language
What is Language?
2
Language
▧ is a system of words or signs that people use to
express thoughts and feelings to each other.
(Merriam-Webster.com)
3
Language
▧The method of human communication,
either spoken or written, consisting
of the use of words in a structured and
conventional way.
4
There are three different
interesting views on what is
Thanks!
language is?
(SIL International, 1999)
5
▧Communicative View of language
▧Structural View of language
▧Interactional View of language
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Communicative Structural View Interactional View
View  Language is a system  Language primarily as
 Language is a vehicle of structurally related the means for
for the expression of elements for the establishing and
functional meaning. transmission of maintaining interpersonal
meaning. These relationships and for
 The semantic and elements are usually performing social
communicative described as transactions between
dimensions of language individuals.
- phonological units (phonemes)
are more emphasized
- grammatical units (phrases, clauses,
than the grammatical sentences)
characteristics, - grammatical operations (adding,
although these are also shifting, joining or transforming
included. elements)
- lexical items (function words and
structure words)
7
The word ‘language’
involves many aspects of
human and animal
communication.
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In what way is
human
communication
unique?
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Human Language VS
Animal
▧Spontaneous
-We initiate speech, talk about things that are
quite remote from here and now- whereas
animals are stimulus bound
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Human Language VS
Animal
▧Structure and creativity
 Systematical patterning : structures to create
meaning
 Open system: new words and structures are
created
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Human Language VS
Animal
▧Cultural transmission
 We learn through the languages around
us
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1.
Transition headline
Let’s start with the first set of slides
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“
Quotations are commonly printed as a
means of inspiration and to invoke
philosophical thoughts from the reader.
14
“
15
You can also split your content
White Black
Is the color of milk and fresh Is the color of ebony and of
snow, the color produced by the outer space. It has been the
combination of all the colors of symbolic color of elegance,
the visible spectrum. solemnity and authority.
16
In two or three columns
Yellow Blue Red

Is the color of gold, Is the colour of the clear Is the color of blood, and
butter and ripe lemons. In sky and the deep sea. It is because of this it has
the spectrum of visible located between violet historically been
light, yellow is found and green on the optical associated with sacrifice,
between green and spectrum. danger and courage.
orange.
17
A picture is worth a thousand words
A complex idea can be

conveyed with just a single
still image, namely making it
possible to absorb large
amounts of data quickly.
18
Use charts to explain your ideas
Blue Green Yellow
19
▧ “Aural”language refers to
language as we hear it.
▧“Oral” language is what we say.
20
Want big
impact?
Use big image
21
Or use Diagrams to explain complex ideas
Lorem
ipsum
Lorem
ipsum
congue
Lorem Lorem
ipsum ipsum
22
And tables to compare data
A B C
Yellow 10 20 7
Blue 30 15 10
Orange 5 24 16
23
Maps
our office
24
89,526,124
Whoa! That’s a big number, aren’t you proud?
25
That’s a lot of money
And a lot of users
Total success!
26
Our process is easy
first second last
27
Let’s review some concepts
Yellow Blue Red

Is the color of gold, butter and ripe Is the colour of the clear sky and the Is the color of blood, and because of
lemons. In the spectrum of visible light, deep sea. It is located between violet this it has historically been associated
yellow is found between green and and green on the optical spectrum. with sacrifice, danger and courage.
orange.
Yellow Blue Red

Is the color of gold, butter and ripe Is the colour of the clear sky and the Is the color of blood, and because of
lemons. In the spectrum of visible light, deep sea. It is located between violet this it has historically been associated
yellow is found between green and and green on the optical spectrum. with sacrifice, danger and courage.
orange.
28
You can copy&paste graphs from Excel or Google Sheets
29
Mobile project
Place your screenshot here
Show and explain your web, app
or software projects using these
gadget templates.
30
▧ In order to arrive at an accurate description
of
“
▧ language there are several characteristics of
language are to be considered.
▧ These characteristics are as follows (Ibid, p.

6-10):
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1. Language is linear
▧ This is a fundamental feature of spoken language. That we
can represent language by using symbols for each sound
and arrange them in a linear succession similar to the
sounds production order.
▧ This ordering of symbols could be left-to-right (e.g.

English) or right-to-left (e.g. Arabic) according to the
language writing system
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2. Language is
systematic
▧ Although stating that language linear which permit a
combination of symbols together but not all the possible
combinations of symbols (sounds) is possible.
▧ This is what makes language systematic, means it is

describable in terms of finite number of units that can
combine only in a limited number of ways.
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3. Language is
meaningful
▧ It is principally through the acquisition of language that
the child becomes an effective member of the community,
and the leaders in a community preserve and advance
their leadership largely through their ability to
communicate with people through language.
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3. Language is
arbitrary
▧ Languages are said to be arbitrary because there is
no necessary or natural relationship between the
words of a given language and the concepts that
they represent.
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3. Language is
arbitrary
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4. Language is creative
▧ Language can be used to create a new world
through the imaginative manipulation of the
standard interlocking of the phonological,
grammatical and lexical systems poets and creative
writers or speakers which extend our awareness of
possible relations among things.
37
Thanks!
Any questions?
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The Nature of

Yellow Blue Red

A complex idea can be

Blue Green Yellow

▧“Oral” language is what we say.

And a lot of users

first second last

Yellow Blue Red

Yellow Blue Red

▧ These characteristics are as follows (Ibid, p.

▧ This ordering of symbols could be left-to-right (e.g.

▧ This is what makes language systematic, means it is

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