Language and Linguistics

A.    Introduction

Language is a system that consists of the development, acquisitions, maintenance, and use of complex systems of communication, particularly the human ability to do so; and a language is any specific example of such a system.

Actually, many definitions of language have been proposed.

For example, from Merriam Webster, language is the system of words or signs that people use to express thoughts or feelings to each other.

Language is the use of a system of communication which consists of a set of sounds or written symbols.

Language can also refer to various means of communication.

Language, as described above is species specific to human beings.

The primary purpose of language is to facilitate communication, it’s the transmission of information from one person to another.

The scientific study of language is called linguistics.

Linguistics will study morphology, syntax, phonetics, and semantics.

Specific branches of linguistics include sociolinguistics, computational linguistics, historical-comparative linguistics, and applied linguistics.

B.    Background of The Study

Each human language is a complex of knowledge and abilities enabling speakers of the language to communicate with each other, to express ideas, hypotheses, emotions, desires, and all the other things that need expressing.

Language mastery especially in foreign language deals with the use of the language in proper and comprehensive ways. The ability of students in understanding the concept of the language refers to all aspect of the language including grammatical rules and also its culture.

Linguistics is the study of these knowledge systems in all their aspects: how is such a knowledge system structured, how is it acquired, how is it used in the production and comprehension of messages, how does it change over time? Linguists consequently are concerned with a number of particular questions about the nature of language. What properties do all human languages have in common? How do languages differ, and to what extent are the differences systematic, i.e. can we find patterns in the differences? How do children acquire such complete knowledge of a language in such a short time? What are the ways in which languages can change over time, and are there limitations to how languages change? What is the nature of the cognitive processes that come into play when we produce and understand the language?

The part of linguistics that is concerned with the structure of language is divided into a number of subfields:

§  Phonetics - the study of speech sounds in their physical aspects

§  Phonology - the study of speech sounds in their cognitive aspects

§  Morphology - the study of the formation of words

§  Syntax - the study of the formation of sentences

§  Semantics - the study of meaning

§  Pragmatics - the study of language use

Aside from language structure, other perspectives on language are represented in specialized or interdisciplinary branches:

§  Historical Linguistics

§  Sociolinguistics

§  Psycholinguistics

§  Ethnolinguistics (or Anthropological Linguistics)

§  Dialectology

§  Computational Linguistics

§  Neurolinguistics

Because language is such a central feature of being a human, Linguistics has intellectual connections and overlaps with many other disciplines in the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. Some of the closest connections are with Philosophy, Literature, Language Pedagogy, Psychology, Sociology, Physics (acoustics), Biology (anatomy, neuroscience), Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Health Sciences (Aphasia, Speech Therapy).

The main purpose of the study of Linguistics in an academic environment is the advancement of knowledge. However, because of the centrality of language in human interaction and behavior, the knowledge gained through the study of linguistics has many practical consequences and uses. Graduates of undergraduate and graduate programs in Linguistics apply their training in many diverse areas, including language pedagogy, speech pathology, speech synthesis, natural language interfaces, search engines, machine translation

forensics, naming, and of course all forms of writing, editing, and publishing.

The Differences between Language and Linguistics

Languages that have a common source are genetically related. These languages were once dialects of the same language. According to Fromkin and Rodman (1993 ) “Earlier forms of Germanic languages, such as German, English, and Swedish were dialects of Proto-Germanic, while earlier forms of Romance languages, such as Spanish, French, and Italian were dialects of Latin”.

There are linguistic changes like a sound shift in the history of all languages, for example, the regular sound correspondences that exist between different stages of the same language, different dialects, and different languages. Words, morphemes, and phonemes may be changed, added or lost.

Fromkin and Rodman argue (1993) that “The study of linguistic change is called historical and comparative linguistics. Linguists identify regular sound correspondences using the comparative method among the cognates (words that developed from the same ancestral language) of related languages. They can restructure an earlier protolanguage and this allows linguists to determine the history of a language family”. Linguistics is the scientific study of human language while language is a body of knowledge about speaking, reading or writing, in other words, language is a way of communication between a group of people. Therefore, most often the linguist' goal is to discover the'' laws of human language''.

Language and Linguistics are two different words that used for different purpose. A language is a mental phenomenon and a way of expression of thought by means of articulate sounds. On the other hand, linguistics is a branch of study that deals with languages. According to Meng (2009) early in the years of Second World War, linguistics was recognized as an important component in language teaching theory. During the Second World War, America was in great need of soldiers knowing foreign languages. To meet this demand, a group of linguists including Bloomfield (1942) undertook to use the knowledge of linguistics to analyze the language to be taught and the result proved to be satisfactory. Bloomfield suggested that the only effective teacher should be the trained linguist working alongside the students because language teachers often have an insufficient command of the language, only the trained linguists know how to guide the students learning from native speakers and how to teach the forms of the language.

Crystal (1992) on the other hand views language as,” an act of speaking or writing in a given situation.” This spoken or written form of language is referred to as, “parole or performance whereas the linguistic system underlying one‟s use of speech or writing is referred to as competence” (p.212).

Hence it should be understood that linguistics is a subject of study that is built on languages. Therefore it can be said that language is the fundamental unit of the branch of linguistics. Without languages, the subject of linguistics cannot be there. In other words, languages pave the way for the growth of the field of linguistics.

Linguistics studies the nature of languages, the various phonetic changes that take place in the languages, the changes in the meanings of particular words in the course of time and the like. A few laws have also been advocated by linguists who work on the languages.

Widdowson (1978) stressed the need that linguistics must be used selectively in language teaching, stating that “linguistics requires mediation of an interpreter for its own potential usefulness to the language teachers to be realized”.

The Importance of Linguistics in Teaching

Linguistics is the study of languages, and as such, is of great importance to language teachers. Linguistics helps teachers convey the origins of words and languages, their historical applications, and their modern-day relevance. Combined, this approach to teaching language helps students gain a better, more in-depth understanding of their assignments and work product expectations.

C. Conclusion

Language and Linguistics are two different words that used for different purpose. A language is a mental phenomenon and a way of expression of thought by means of articulate sounds. On the other hand, linguistics is a branch of study that deals with languages.

D. References: 

"Language", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language accessed June 20, 2018

"Language", https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/language accessed June 20, 2018

"Language", https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/language accessed June 20, 2018

"Language", https://www.britannica.com/topic/language accessed June 20, 2018

"What's Linguistics", https://linguistics.ucsc.edu/about/what-is-linguistics.html accessed June 20, 2018

"Differences between Language and Linguistics in the ELT Classroom", http://www.academypublication.com/issues/past/tpls/vol03/12/12.pdf accessed June 20, 2018

"Cultural Understanding in English Language Learning", https://www.academia.edu/36325847/Cultural_Understanding_in_English_Language_Learning accessed June 20, 2018

"The Importance of Linguistics to a Language Teacher", http://work.chron.com/importance-linguistics-language-teacher-14459.html accessed June 20, 2018