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This textbook explores the complex relationship between language and identity, and the methods of analysis used by linguists. It covers topics such as language communities, language conventions, language acquisition, and language and power.
By considering language as a system, shaped by design features, we can understand what characteristics human language shares with other natural communication systems and learn how language is different.
Languages consist of tens of thousands of signs, which are combinations of form and meaning. Form in spoken languages is a sequence of sounds, in written languages for example a sequence of letters (depending upon what kind of writing system we are talking about) and in the sign languages of the deaf a certain combination of gestures.
Any introductory textbook in linguistics will reveal to students that language is much more complex than speakers think it is, as they unself-consciously use it in their daily communication. As you work through this book, you will become aware that the different levels of language (discussed in Section 1.9 below) interact. You will learn that human
Language a cultural, not a biologically inherited, function. Futility of interjectional and sound-imitative theories of the origin of speech. Definition of language. The psycho-physical basis of speech. Concepts and language. Is thought possible without language? Abbreviations and transfers of the speech process. The universality of language. 2.
‘Language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols.’ (E. Sapir, 1911) ‘Language is patterned system of arbitrary sound signals, characterized by structure dependence, creativity, displacement, duality, and cultural transmission.’ (Aitchison, 1987).
Language is a complex and multifaceted tool that serves various functions in human communication. It is not only a medium for conveying information but also a means for expressing emotions, maintaining social bonds, and regulating behavior.
