Unit 1

What is Language?
Instructional Objectives
Upon completion of this unit, you are supposed to be able to:
1. describe the features of language;
2. define language with respect to both verbal and non-verbal aspects;
3. describe the social functions and nature of language.

SYSTEMS OF COMMUNICATION
It has been argued that nothing on earth can independently survive without
developing any types of interactions with other individuals. In the animal world, one
type of interaction is that creatures develop systems of communication. There is a
wide range of communication systems. Some of them are highly developed; others
remain simple, just to accomplish the survival needs. In other words, there are many
ways in which creatures communicate. Birds, for example, are able to produce a
large range of sounds for their communication systems in their own ways. Dogs have
a powerfully developed sense of smell. On casual walk, they can pick up scents that
give them a lot of informationsuch as who or what has passed there recently,
whether those passers-by were local or new to the area, or where to find food.
Similarly, whales and dolphins have developed systems of sonar and echo-location,
which suitably supports their underwater world. Bats also use sonar to send and
receive messages. Bees are somewhat unique; they have complex dances with
which they can tell other individual bees in the hive exactly where they can find
nectar.
Task 1-1
Please list other examples of communication systems in the animal world?
(Download from internet for quick and accurate information)
While some of these animal communication systems are highly developed,
none is as complex as human speech and writing. Human use of language as a
means of communication differs considerably from animal use of communication
systems. In other words, human language is different from animal language.

Task 1-2
Tick an appropriate column whether the corresponding statement is true or
false.
No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Statement

True

False

Human language is limited.

Human language is culturally taught from one generation to
another.
Human language can be used to talk about past present and
future events or activities (displacement).
Animal language is unlimited.
Animal language is genetically taught from one generation to
another.
Animals can never retell about their past activities.
Animal language can only be used for survival purposes
Animal language can be learned.
Human language can be learned
Animal language is not dynamic but static

A Case for Discussion 1-1

Rudy (3) had to join his parents to the USA. His father was awarded a
scholarship for PhD in Environmental Studies. His mother planned to take a short
course in Educational Management on her own expenses. He did not forget to bring
along his lovely cat.
In America, surprisingly, Rudy was able to get along well with his peers in a
Daycare Center (why?). Meanwhile, it took years for his father and mother to brush
up their English for academic survival (why?). In the neighborhood, there were only
dogs. Why cant Rudys cat learn how to bark?

FEATURES OF LANGUAGE
It is time to focus the topic on the features of language in order to have the
basic knowledge of what language consists of. However, by language, we limit it to
human language as opposed to other types of language such as animal and
computer languages, keeping in mind how they are similar and different to human
language.

Spoken and Written Language

It has come to be known that there are two modes of languagespoken and
written. However, it is hard to know when and how the two modes of language

develop. In a spoken mode, for example, we cannot be sure when and how human
beings first started speaking, what we know is that it was a very long time ago, and
that there was probably a gradual evolution from a simple primate language to the
sort of sophisticated language we have today. In the early days of language
development, gestures and body language were certainly more significant than
they are now. Surprisingly, for those with auditory disabilities, sign language (which
can be learned in a different course) has come into existence.
Most importantly at the moment, it has been theorized that speech came
first, with the development of speaking and listening skills. All societies have at least
one spoken language to carry out their daily interaction. We can see the importance
of spoken language in a simple question that is found in just about all languages: Do
you speak (or talk) X (the name of the language)?
Here are some examples of this question in a range of language. The word
for speak or talk is shown in bold:

Are (Solomons)
English
Fijian
French

O raea aarahuuna are?

Do you speak English?
O kila na vosa vakaviti?
Parlez vous franais?

Task 1-3
Kindly please add some more questions (of the same intended meaning), but
in some other different languages.
Written language, which is of course closely linked to reading and writing
skills, developed much lateronly about 6000 years ago. In fact, you may be
surprised that there are still some societies in the world that have not yet felt the
need to develop a written language. However, once there is a written form of a
language, that form often assumes a higher status because of the traditional links
between literacy and the elite. In the past, only the privileged fewusually men
were allowed to access to written language because it was seen as such a powerful
tool. Documents such as the Koran, the Vedas, and the Bible are good examples of
the power of the written word.
Task 1-4
Please answer the following questions. Consult any possible resource of
information you may find.
1. What is meant by spoken language in a written form? Give examples.
2. What is meant by written language in a spoken form? Give examples.

Verbal and Non-verbal Language

With the exception of sign language which is saved for a later course of
study, so far we have discussed three possible forms of language: spoken, written
and body language. Each of these can be divided into language which uses words
(verbal language) and language that does not (non verbal language). At first, it
might seem strange to think about human languages without words, but non-verbal
language is a very important part of the overall system of communication. Table 1-1
below exemplifies different types of verbal and non-verbal language
Table 1-1 Examples of Verbal and Non-verbal Language

Verbal
Nonverbal

Spoken
speech
song
cries, sighs
instrumental music

Form of Language
Written
writing
Braille
road signs
mathematical symbols

Body
lip-reading
semaphore
signs (used by deaf)
body movement
facial expressions

Note: The word signs does not necessarily refer to the sign language
Task 1-5
Cries, sighs are the products of non-verbal language made by human. Can
you please add some more words that describe the products of non-verbal language
ever made by mankind?

Definitions of Language
Based on the discussion above, you may have got an idea of the definition of
language. Which of the following possible definitions of language matches your
idea?
Definition 1
Language is doing things with words.
Definition 2
Language is a method of conveying our ideas to the minds of other people.
Definition 3
Language is a way that humans communicate with one another, using a system of
sounds and actions. The sounds can be recorded on paper, so people can read and

write language as well as listen to and speak it. They can even sign language,
which is what deaf people do.
Definition 4
Language is a system of arbitrary and predominantly vocal symbols by means of
which societies cooperate.
The first three definitions lack one but complement the others in the sense
that none of them can really define language. Therefore it can be said that the
fourth definition best matches the present need to define language. This definition
of language (Definition 4 as agreed-upon) has three key words that need to be more
clarified; they are arbitrary, predominantly and vocal. The point is Why each of
these words is used in the definition.
Arbitrary is used in the definition to convey the point that there is usually no
reason why a given word has its particular meaning.
Predominantly is used to indicate that although most symbols are vocal,
there are also visual symbols, such as a nod of the head (of which the meaning is
very much culturally determined).
Vocal, a sound or combination of sounds that produces words and meanings,
is used to indicate that language deals with the human voice.
Task 1-6
Justify the statement that language is arbitrary.
A Case for Discussion 1-2
Gus Dur, the fourth President of RI, was said to be a polyglot1. As a politician
who loved unity in diversity, he wondered why people had to speak different
languages instead of one universal language, why there are so many local languages,
whether it was possible to have one national language, why it should be English as
the international language.
Could you please think of the answers to the above interesting thoughts?
Write your answers in a piece of paper.

FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE

Someone with the ability of speaking several languages

It has been argued, as the major idea in this unit that language is a social
tool by means of which societies function linguistically through communication with
one another. In other words, communication is the central function of language
which involves the sender and the receiver (of message). Therefore, basically
communication involves sending and receiving messages through the processes of
encoding and decoding.
In the encoding process of spoken language, for example, a message is
realized through manipulation of diction and grammar employing the phonological
system in order to produce audibly meaningful sound-waves which are ready to be
decoded linguistically by the message receiver as indicated by comprehension of the
message. Thus, understanding (comprehending) is a key part of communication. If
the receiver understands, he or she has many ways of showing this, especially when
spoken language is involved. With written language, it is not always easy to know
whether the receiver has understood the message.

What are the Specific Social Functions?

At a general level, then, the main function of using language is to
communicate. We can understand this function more thoroughly by dividing it into
the more specific social function for which we use language.
Task 1-7
Below is a list of utterances. Next to each one, write one or more functions
that it performs. At the end of the list are some suggestions of functions to help you,
but you may not need to use them all and, of course, you can use your own ideas.
The first answer is given as an example.
No
1
2
3
4
5

6
7
8

Utterance
Come and eat!

Function
Invitation, command, request
(Have you got any other ideas?)

Good morning, class.

Fiji was unlucky to lose to
Western Samoa.
Prem scored a magnificent goal.
Mundan is the name given to the
first haircut ceremony for Hindu
babies.
Protective glasses should be worn
all the time.
DANGER! Live wires.
Were so happy!
6

10

After you shake hands with the

King of Tonga, go down on one
knee and clapthis is called
cobo. (Note: Imagine this is an
instruction to a Fijian rugby
player.)
Buy SCRUB washing powder for
the cleanest clothes in Tiko.

Sample Functions
advice
expression of feeling
instruction
opinion
request

command
greeting
invitation
persuasion
transmission of culture

comparison
information
offer
praise
warning

Language and Society

It has been mentioned in the earlier definitions of language that societies
cooperate by using language. It would be hard to imagine how human societies
function as they do without the system of verbal communication. To put it
differently, language is part of each particular society and culture. This link with
culture is a very important point for language teachers to remember. This aspect will
be further examined in Unit 2 and 10.

Social Rules
Due to the fact that language transmits culture, in teaching a language, it is
not sufficient to only teach the vocabulary (or words) and grammar of a language. A
set of social rules as part of a given culture must also be taught in an integrated
process of learning.
Communication Figure 1-1 below gives a general picture of the idea of why it
is important to include social rules in the language teaching and learning.

sounds
words

social
rules

language

gesture
signs

grammatical
rules
Figure 1-1 Aspects of Language Needed for Communication
From Figure 1-1 above, it is clear that language for communication should
cover four aspects, none of which is more important than the other. In other words,
the four aspects must be incorporated as a system to form a communicative
language as one unified whole. The social rules inspire the language users what
types of social values will be added to the language: formal / informal (casual)
styles, speech decorum, geographical flavor, and other characteristics that show
social peculiarities. The use of correct and appropriate gestures / signs is similarly
important and so are the diction and the grammatical rules which should not be
taken for granted.
A simple example of different rules for appropriate language concerns
greetings. In English, a standard greeting is How are you?, whereas Fijian people
usually start a conversation or greet one another: I vei? or Lako I vei? which are
both a short way of saying Where are you going? In a culture where English is the
first language (F1), it would not be appropriate to greet someone by saying Where
are you going?
One of the problems in a foreign language learning context is that at times,
the learners mix one language (the target language) with another culture (their
own). This is simply because sometimes different cultures and languages can
actually influence each other. In Fiji, for example, people are often heard to greet
each other in English by asking Where are you going? The custom and the words
are aspects of Fijian culture, yet people of other races may be involved and they may
carry out the conversation in the English language. When people of different races
live together in a county, such mixing can occur.

In addition, EFL learners may and do make mistakes when they translate the
right thing from their own culture (and language) into English. A Fijian child, for
example, may talk of her small mother for the meaning of aunt, because in Fijian
custom that is the way that is referred to as the mothers young sister. What about
in Javanese? Mothers young sister is Bulik which is short for Ibu + Cilik (mother
+ small). Do you think that Javanese people learning English will make the same
mistake as Fijian People do?
Similarly, native speakers of Hindi refer to a cousin as brother, whereas in
English only the word cousin would be used to describe this relationship. These
errors result from different ways of classifying relations in different cultures.
EFL students need to learn to talk naturally in English to help them say the
right thing in a range of situation where they may need to speak. There is no other
way than teaching language in meaningful situations as much as possible, and give
students the opportunity to practice in natural situations. They also need a lot of
exposure to the natural use of English in social situations, through listening, reading
and seeing English films or plays. This approach can help students to learn the right
thing to say and write in English, and to reduce their use of culturally incorrect
translations from their first language.

THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS
Human language is dynamic and culturally transmitted so that it can be
learned by other individuals as a second or foreign language without regards to
social classes, races, and or geographical location. Language exposure guarantees
the success of language learning.

SPECIAL PROJECT 1
Make a group of 4 to complete the project. Study the social rules in your
mother tongue. Try to predict the possible problems when learning English as a
foreign language. Perform your findings in a short play in front of the class.
Note that gestures are governed by social rules.