Wazalendo unity_official
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- Apr 27, 2019
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Human language has various distinctive features that make it quite different from other forms or ways of communication. In this article we will discuss the characteristics of language which is a medium of communication for human beings.
What is language?
Language can be defined as a system of arbitrary vocal symbols which used by human being in communication. It is a medium of communication for human beings. Moreover, only human beings use language to communicate, other creatures like animals, insects and birds use other methods of communication like sounds and visual communication.
The characteristics of language
1. Productive:
Human language is productive because it allows us to use words to create different sentences. But also we can form new words from new inventions, ideas and concepts. This is different from animal's communication methods which always doesn't change for example, the sound of a cow "mooo" has been the same since then and hasn't changed until now.
2. Allows displacement:
Language allows us to talk about things happened far away from our environment. For example, you might be at home but you can talk about things happened at your workplace, school, street or collage. We can also use language to talk about past, present and future things or events. This is different from animals, birds and insects whereby their communication methods do not allow them to talk about things happened in the past or that are about to happen in the future. Their communication methods always concern about here and now.
3. Arbitrary:
Arbitrary means to happen by chance without being planned and expected. Human language is arbitrary because the words we use to name things occurred by chance without any formula. That's why the same thing may have different names in different languages. For example, the organ for sight is called "eye" in English, "yeux" in French and "macho" in Swahili.
4. Allows interchangeability:
Language allows us to speak in turn or interchangeably. When one person speaks, another one becomes a listener. And when a listener responds, a former speaker becomes a listener.
5. Duality:
Dual means two. Language is duality because it has two levels which are level of sound and level of meaning. The words we use are made-up of discrete sounds which when arranged in a particular order produce a particular meaning.
6. Transmitted by culture:
We learn language from the community, thus language is a part of human culture.
7. Reflexive:
Language reflexive because we can use language to describe itself. For example in this article we have discussed the characteristics of language, and we have used the language which is English to discuss those characteristics.
References: 7 Characteristics of language
What is language?
Language can be defined as a system of arbitrary vocal symbols which used by human being in communication. It is a medium of communication for human beings. Moreover, only human beings use language to communicate, other creatures like animals, insects and birds use other methods of communication like sounds and visual communication.
The characteristics of language
1. Productive:
Human language is productive because it allows us to use words to create different sentences. But also we can form new words from new inventions, ideas and concepts. This is different from animal's communication methods which always doesn't change for example, the sound of a cow "mooo" has been the same since then and hasn't changed until now.
2. Allows displacement:
Language allows us to talk about things happened far away from our environment. For example, you might be at home but you can talk about things happened at your workplace, school, street or collage. We can also use language to talk about past, present and future things or events. This is different from animals, birds and insects whereby their communication methods do not allow them to talk about things happened in the past or that are about to happen in the future. Their communication methods always concern about here and now.
3. Arbitrary:
Arbitrary means to happen by chance without being planned and expected. Human language is arbitrary because the words we use to name things occurred by chance without any formula. That's why the same thing may have different names in different languages. For example, the organ for sight is called "eye" in English, "yeux" in French and "macho" in Swahili.
4. Allows interchangeability:
Language allows us to speak in turn or interchangeably. When one person speaks, another one becomes a listener. And when a listener responds, a former speaker becomes a listener.
5. Duality:
Dual means two. Language is duality because it has two levels which are level of sound and level of meaning. The words we use are made-up of discrete sounds which when arranged in a particular order produce a particular meaning.
6. Transmitted by culture:
We learn language from the community, thus language is a part of human culture.
7. Reflexive:
Language reflexive because we can use language to describe itself. For example in this article we have discussed the characteristics of language, and we have used the language which is English to discuss those characteristics.
References: 7 Characteristics of language
