Summary of Language as Communication: Theories and Applications
Language as Communication: Theories & Applications Guide
Introduction
Language is the primary mode of human communication. People use language to express feelings, thoughts and ideas through two main manifestations: oral (spoken) and written language. This material explains what language is, the major functions it serves, differences and similarities between oral and written forms, and how these apply in classroom or everyday communicative situations.
Definition: Language is a communication system that allows people to express thoughts, emotions and ideas in oral or written form.
1. Language as communication
What counts as language?
- Any system of signs used to transmit messages: spoken words, gestures, braille, visual signs, alarms, animal signals.
- Human language differs from animal signalling by its complexity, creativity and use of abstract symbols.
Definition: Human language is a system of arbitrary vocal (or symbolic) signs used by a speaker community to interact within its culture.
Origins and theoretical views
- Evolutionary linguists propose that human languages descended from primitive vocalizations.
- Noam Chomsky: language is an innate human capacity (Universal Grammar idea).
- Ferdinand de Saussure: distinguishes langue (the system/rules) from parole (individual speech acts).
2. Functions of language (Roman Jakobson)
Jakobson identifies six functions of language. Below each function is a classroom example to make them concrete.
| Function | Focus | Classroom example |
|---|---|---|
| Referential | Context | Teacher: “It is time to go home.” (states information about situation) |
| Emotive (expressive) | Sender | Teacher: “I am very happy with the presentation!” (expresses feelings) |
| Conative | Receiver | Teacher: “María, Rosa, Fernando, go in front of the class and start your presentation.” (commands, addresses pupils) |
| Phatic | Channel | Student: “Can everybody hear me?” (checks if communication channel works) |
| Metalinguistic | Code/language | Student: “Adjectives are words that modify nouns.” (talks about language itself) |
| Poetic | Message form/aesthetics | Student recites a poem about adjectives, focusing on sound and style. |
Definition: The six functions of language describe different communicative aims: to inform, to express emotion, to persuade or command, to check the channel, to talk about language, and to aestheticize the message.
Practical applications
- When planning a lesson, ask which function you want to prioritize (e.g., metalinguistic for grammar explanation, phatic when checking microphones in a digital class).
- In real life, identify function quickly to respond appropriately (empathize with emotive messages, follow instructions for conative messages).
3. Oral vs Written language: similarities and differences
Similarities
- Both transmit meaning using the same language system (vocabulary, grammar, semantics).
- Both serve the same communicative functions (referential, emotive, etc.).
Differences (comparison table)
| Feature | Oral language | Written language |
|---|---|---|
| Channel | Sound, face-to-face, voice | Visual, text on page or screen |
| Immediacy | Immediate feedback, interactive | Delayed feedback, often one-way |
| Permanence | Ephemeral (unless recorded) | More permanent and revisionable |
| Structure | Informal, ellipses, fragments, intonation cues | More structured, explicit punctuation and grammar |
| Context reliance | Heavily relies on situational/contextual cues | Relies on explicit linguistic cues and conventions |
| Paralinguistic features | Tone, pitch, pauses, gestures | Typography, punctuation, formatting |
Definition: Oral language is speech-based communication relying on voice and context; written language is text-based communication relying on graphic conventions.
Examples
- Oral: a phone call asking for directions, r
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Language as Communication
Klíčová slova: Jazyk, Výuka jazyka
Klíčové pojmy: Language transmits meaning in oral and written forms, Saussure: langue is the system; parole is individual speech, Chomsky proposes innate language capacity, Jakobson identified six language functions, Referential function focuses on context and information, Phatic function checks the communication channel, Oral language is immediate and uses paralinguistic cues, Written language is permanent and uses explicit structure, Choose modality based on learning objective (interaction vs accuracy), Combine oral and written tasks to reinforce both skills, Practical tip: record spoken summaries of written notes, Use peer feedback to regain interaction for remote learners