You Must know what are Characteristics of Human Language, If you want to study Language.Language is a human capacity that serves to communicate through a specific system of signs called language. There are different types of languages around the world.
Language is a capacity of the human being that serves to communicate through a specific system of signs called language. There are different types of languages around the world, each with its own system of signs, such as the Spanish or English language.Linguistics is the science that studies language and languages, both for its descriptive structure and for its evolution over time. There are several branches within linguistics, such as phonology, syntax, phonetics, semantics, and lexicography, among others.
Language is verbal, vocal:
Language is sound Language is an organization of sounds, of vocal Symbols the sounds produced from the mouth to convey some meaningful message. It also means that speech is primary to writing. There are several languages in the world which have no writing systems, yet they are languages because they are spoken. Music and singing also employ vocal sounds, but they are not language. Language is a systematic verbal symbolism; it makes use of verbal elements such as sounds, words, phrases, which are arranged in certain ways to make sentences. Language is vocal in as much as it is made up of sounds which can be produced by the organs of speech.
Characteristics of Human Language
Language is a means of communication.
Language is the most powerful, convenient and permanent means and form of communication. Non- linguistic symbols such as expressive gestures, signals of various kinds, traffic lights, road signs, flags, Braille alphabets, the symbols of mathematics and logic, etc. are also means of communication, yet they are not as flexible, comprehensive, perfect and extensive as language is.
Language is the best means of self-expression. It is through language that humans express their thoughts, desires, emotions, feelings; it is through it they store knowledge, transmit the message, transfer knowledge and experience from one person to another, from one generation to another. It is through it that humans interact. It is language again that yokes present, past, and future together.
Language is a social phenomenon.
Language is a set of conventional communicative signals used by humans for communication in a community. Language in this sense is a possession of a social group, an indispensable set of rules which permits its members to interact with each other to co-operate with each other: it is a social institution. Language exists in society; it is a means of nourishing and developing culture and establishing human relations. It is as a member of society that a human being acquires a language.
Language is unique, creative, complex and modifiable.
Language is a unique phenomenon of the earth. Each language is unique in its own sense. By this we do not mean that languages do not have any similarities. Despite their common features, each language has its peculiarities and distinct features.
Language has creativity and productivity. The structural elements of human language can be combined to produce new utterances, which neither the speaker nor his hearers may ever have said or heard before any yet which both sides understand without difficulty. Language changes according to the needs of society.
Language is arbitrary.
By the arbitrariness of language, we mean: there is no inherent or logical relation or similarity between any given feature of language and its meaning. That is entirely arbitrary, that there is no direct, necessary connection between the nature of things or ideas language. Furthermore, these are at variation in different languages of the world and have no uniformity.
Language is a Social Tool and Characteristics of Human Language Must be Learned
Language is unique, creative, complex and modifiable.
Language is a unique phenomenon of the earth. Each language is unique in its own sense. By this we do not mean that languages do not have any similarities. Despite their common features, each language has its peculiarities and distinct features.
Language has creativity and productivity. The structural elements of human language can be combined to produce new utterances, which neither the speaker nor his hearers may ever have said or heard before any yet which both sides understand without difficulty. Language changes according to the needs of society.
Language is systematic.
Although the language is symbolic, yet its symbols are arranged in a particular system. All languages have their system of arrangements. Though symbols in each human language are finite; they can be arranged infinitely, that is to say, we can produce an infinite set of sentences t a finite set “of symbols.
Language is symbolic.
The symbolism of language is a necessary consequence of the feature of arbitrariness discussed above. A symbol stands for something else; it is something that serves as a substitute. Language is a system of arbitrary symbols. For concepts, things, ideas, objects, etc. We have sounds and words as symbols. The language uses words essentially as symbols and not as signs (e.g. in Math.) for the concepts represented by them.
Language is both linguistic and communicative competence.
A language is an abstract set of psychological principles and sociological considerations that constitute a person’s competence as a speaker in a given situation. These psychological principles make available to him an unlimited number of sentences he can draw upon in concrete situations and provide him with the ability to understand and create entirely new sentences.
Hence language is not just a verbal behavior; it is a system of rules establishing correlations between meanings and sound sequences. It is a set of principles that a speaker masters; it is not anything a speaker does. In brief, a language is a code which is different from the act of encoding;
It is a speaker’s linguistic competence rather than his linguistic performance. But mere linguistic or communicative competence is not enough for communication; it has to be coupled with communicative competence. This is the view of the sociologists who stress the use of language according to the occasion.
language characteristics
Among the general characteristics of the language, the following stand out:
- It is universal, that is, it is a capacity of the human being .
- It is externalized with the use of signs, through language and speech .
- It is rational because it requires the use of reason to associate linguistic signs.
- It can be expressed verbally or non-verbally.
- It is arbitrary because a word, for example, ball in Spanish or ball in English, has no logical association with the object it represents.
- It is constantly evolving as a result of the accumulation of experiences in everyday speech.
Characteristics of Human Language
Human language is a complex, multi-faceted system that distinguishes us from other species. It’s a medium through which we convey thoughts, emotions, desires, and information. Here are some key characteristics of human language:
- Arbitrariness: There is no inherent connection between the sounds or signs we use and the meanings they represent. For instance, there’s no intrinsic reason that a dog should be called a “dog” in English but “perro” in Spanish.
- Productivity (or Creativity): Language users can produce and understand an infinite number of sentences. Even if a sentence has never been spoken before, a proficient speaker will understand it.
- Displacement: Language users can talk about things that are not present or that do not even exist. For example, we can discuss events in the past, future, fictional worlds, or hypothetical situations.
- Duality of Patterning: Human languages have two levels of patterning. The first level involves individual sounds (phonemes) that don’t have meaning on their own. These sounds can be combined to create meaningful units or morphemes (the second level), which in turn can be combined to produce an infinite variety of sentences.
- Structural Dependence: The meaning of a sentence depends on the arrangement of its words. For example, “The cat chased the dog” has a different meaning from “The dog chased the cat.”
- Cultural Transmission: While humans might have a genetic predisposition for language, the specific language or languages we speak are learned from our environment and not inherited.
Creating a guide in tabular format about the characteristics of human language involves outlining several key features that distinguish human language from other forms of communication. Here’s how such a table might look:
| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
| Arbitrariness | The relationship between a word and its meaning is arbitrary, not inherently logical. For example, there’s no natural reason why a “dog” is called a “dog”. |
| Productivity | Humans can create and understand an infinite number of sentences, including those that have never been spoken before. |
| Discreteness | Language is made up of distinct units (like sounds or letters) that when combined in different ways, can create new meanings. |
| Displacement | The ability to talk about things that are not present in space or time. For example, discussing history or future events. |
| Duality of Patterning | Sounds in language have no inherent meaning (they are just sounds), but when combined in specific ways, they can convey meaning. |
| Cultural Transmission | Language is taught and learned socially. It is not genetically inherited but passed on through interaction within a culture. |
| Universality | All human cultures and societies have language, and all individuals have the innate capacity to learn language. |
| Structural Dependence | The structure of a sentence (syntax and grammar) is crucial to its meaning. Changing the structure can change the meaning. |
| Prevarication | The ability to use language to lie or convey false information. |
| Reflectiveness | The ability to use language to talk about language itself. |
This table summarizes the unique and complex nature of human language, highlighting its capabilities and the way it is intertwined with human thought and culture.
