What Is Language?
- 1. What is Language? Together with the creation of human life is the creation of a wonderful and dynamic human capacity – language What exactly is language? • It has a system of rules (grammar) • It has a sound system (phonology) • It has a vocabulary (lexicon)
- 2. When people use the same language, they understand each other because they belong to the same speech community. They can understand each other because they share the same set of rules in the language system. Language acquisition – this is the process where people acquire the languages used by those in the community, while they grow up. Mother tongue – this is the language acquired while growing up, which may also referred to as first language and other language may be referred to as second language
- 3. Language learning – this is a process where people learn languages by studying formally or informally on their own. Question to ponder: What happens if, you, who speaks a mother tongue and English, go to work in China where the residents speak Mandarin and a little bit of English? Will you be able to communicate with the Chinese? The answer is YES!
- 4. Language contact – the result of each contact may be a new form of language Language change - the result of language contact Language is indeed a complex human capacity. It is, therefore, important to be aware of its features and behavior to be able to use language more effectively and productively in communicating with others.