Function of language in human society

Felibert R. Salvador, AB BSC MBA

Ph.D. Student – Development Management

Divine World College of Laoag

Laoag City, Philippines

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.

 If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
    

                                                                                                           - Nelson Mandela

Abstract

What role does language play in our lives? Investigation of language functions is important on its own terms; in addition it is impossible to make progress on the topic of language evolution without a clear sense -- however speculative-- on the adaptive aspect of functionality of language in human society. Charles Darwin, for example, suggested the following: "As the voice was used more and more, the vocal organs would have been strengthened and perfected through the principle of the inherited effects of use...but the relation between the continued use of language and development of the brain, has no doubt been far more important....we may confidently believe that the continued use and advancement of this power would have reacted on the mind itself, by enabling it and encouraging it to carry on long trains of thought." Christian Butler has this to say, “I believe that all human functions the gift of speech is the most miraculous and that if speech were to stop all civilized living would suddenly vanish”. Speech is the precursor of language, therefore, if there is no speech there is no language.

 Keywords: Language, evolution, vocal organs, brain, thought, human functions, 

                  gift of speech,

 

Introduction

A distinguishing characteristic of man is his ability to communicate through the use of language. This means that language has no counterpart in the animal worldview. As the name goes, language is described as organized system of symbols that is used to express and receive meanings (Cropper, 2003). Unique to Homo sapiens, language appears inseparable to human nature and a feature of human intelligence. Contrary to the above is the acquisition, comprehension, or expression of spoken or written language by man. Adopting Darwinian perspective, language offers a bold synthesis of human and natural sciences. This is the more reason why Philosophers, Psychologists, Counselors, social workers, medical practitioners, scientists, researchers, administrators, CEO’s and clerical workers all perform their task through the power of the word. The power of the word classically called “phonetic competence” reflects a social pressure for vocal imitation, learning, and other forms of social interaction and transmission.

 

Language Defined

Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication. The scientific study of language in any of its senses is called linguistic. The approximately 3000–6000 languages that are spoken by humans today are the most salient examples, but natural languages can also be based on visual rather than auditory stimuli, for example in sign languages and written languages. Codes and other kinds of artificially constructed communication system such as those used for computer programming  can also be called languages. A language in this sense is a system of signs for encoding and   decoding information. The English word derives ultimately from Latin lingua, "language, tongue", via Old French. This metaphoric relation between language and the tongue exists in many languages and testifies to the historical prominence of spoken languages.[1] When used as a general concept, "language" refers to the cognitive  faculty that enables humans to learn and use systems of complex communication. (Wikipedia)   The human language faculty is thought to be fundamentally different from and of much higher complexity than those of other species. Human language is highly complex in that it is based on a set of rules relating symbols to their meanings, thereby forming an infinite number of possible innovative utterances from a finite number of elements.   Humans acquire language through social interaction in early childhood, and children generally speak fluently when they are around three years old. The use of language has become deeply entrenched in human culture and, apart from being used to communicate and share information, it also has social and cultural uses, such as signifying group identity,   social stratification and for social grooming and entertainment. The word "language" can also be used to describe the set of rules that makes this possible, or the set of utterances that can be produced from those rules.   Language is the most important aspect in the life of all beings. We use language to express inner thoughts and emotions, make sense of complex and abstract thought, to learn to communicate with others, to fulfill our wants and needs, as well as to establish rules and maintain our culture.   Language can be defined as verbal, physical, biologically innate, and a basic form of communication. Behaviorists often define language as a learned behavior involving a stimulus and a response. (Ormrod,1995) Often times they will refer to language as verbal behaviour, which is language that includes gestures and body movements as well as spoken word. (Pierce & Eplin,1999) When we define language we have to be careful not to exclude symbols, gestures or motions. This is because if we exclude these from our definition, we will be denying the language of the deaf community. All human languages share basic characteristics, some of which are organizational rules and infinite generativity - is the ability to produce an infinite number of sentences using a limited set of rules and words. (Santrock & Mitterer, 2001)

Language Is More than Communication

While Darwin believed language evolved from the calls and cries of animals, it is clear in the above passage that Darwin suggests it was the enabling of "thought" that drove the evolution of language.

We know that all animals engage in some form of social communication. Humans, as well as other primates, share in these basic functions in addition to whatever advantages human language itself provides. Jane Goodall notes that human language is the single most important difference between humans and chimpanzees. That chimpanzees have been as successful as they have been for several million years indicates human language is hardly necessary for creatures sharing many of our human characteristics.

 There are five subsystems for language: Phonology (sound), Morphology (word forms), Syntax (word order and sentence structure), Semantics (word and sentence meaning) and finally Pragmatics (social use of language). Phonology is the sound system of language and the linguistic rules that governs sound combinations. The ability of a child to have phonological awareness of likeness and differences in sounds is necessary for the development of speech patterns. This may be related to later reading and writing skills. Morphology is the linguistic system that governs the structure of words and the construction of word forms from the basic element of meaning. Children with problems in this area will experience difficulty in understanding or producing morphological inflections. The power and function of language is rooted in the understanding and use of suffixes and prefixes. Both can be described as major form of oral and written communication. Also Syntax is a philosophical and linguistic rule system governing the order and combination of words to form sentence (Cropper, 2003). On one hand Semantics is the psycholinguistic system that patterns the content of an utterance, intent, and meaning of words. The philosophy underplaying semantics require an individual who speaks to understand what has been said, to comprehend the meaning of what has been said, and express their intended meaning. Finally, Pragmatics is a sociolinguistic system that patterns the use of language in communication, which maybe expressed motorically, vocally or verbally (Copper, 2003). It is basically the use of social situations or settings which express one’s intention. In most instances when a person has difficulty with one subsystem, other subsystems may be affected. When children have a language disorder, generally one of the subsystems is substantially affected. A language disorder is the impairment or deviant development of comprehension and/or other symbol system.

Purpose and Functionality of Language

The role and functionality of language is manifold. The discourse of reason is the function and meaning of Greek logos. The primary meaning of word is language which attempts to communicate feelings or intention since communication of all realities are expressed in the here and now. The structuring of words most often becomes equivalent to the conferring of meaning and expressions. Man who is logos has the capacity to enhance the functionality of his expressions. Language gives reference to the expression of man; language purposefully communicates expressions; Language gives meaning and offers intelligibility-letting human feelings and emotions appear; letting be; meaningfulness becomes identified with the totality of reference. But constitutionally man who is logos is inescapably time-bound, historical, contextual, linguistic and relative. Therefore man’s ultimate interpretation, his philosophy is necessarily historical and culture-bound, relatively to his environment and worldview. His environment often prescribes the terminology, provoke the questions and predetermine the answer (Okere, 1983). Based on the above argument, one can make a clear distinction between man and animals. When objects perceived by animals are pleasant or painful, they make a sort of affirmation or negation and then pursue or avoid the object. This experience is so with human beings. True to all linguistic understanding, to feel pain or pleasure is to act towards what is good or bad. Man who is logos always asserts or denies a thing to be good or bad and avoids or pursues it. Above all, Man who is logos can speak and express his view or opinion. He can make what is not present manifest through words so that another can see, hear or perceive it. Through communication man expresses what he meant or what affects him. Through language man communicates rational words which build, praise or destroys another. Gossip is conveyed through the medium of word or language. That is why there exists in man common meaning and concepts.

 In the human world, language and communication is unique because of its rational nature. The rational nature of language distinguishes human language from animal whispering or signals. In the animal world language is expressive in signs. Although human language on one hand takes place in signs, they are not rigid. Human language is variable both in the sense that there are different languages and in the sense that within the same language, the same expression can designate different things or different expressions at the same time.

 We use language to express what we know and understand. We use language to express ourselves before another in our families, schools, neighborhood, churches and communities. We use language to teach and receive response from our students. We use language to engage is a dialogue with our physicians. We use language to engage in counseling. We chat in one language by voicing our feelings and making our anxieties felt. We use language to facilitate in group and therapies. The world and human persona are always there as the subject matter of a particular language community. The world without a language community is non-existent. Therefore, every language community has a peculiar ways of expressing itself which is not easily translatable into other languages. Every culture has a language through which they communicate meaning, symbols and emotion. English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek and Hebrew are major international languages that are distinguished from national dialects. All these languages have social and significant functions to those who use them as a medium of conveying thoughts. But no one has the capacity to know everything in his own language. This is the reason why any claim to know a particular language in totality as it is in itself would be a contradiction as much as it would amount to a claim to know something as it cannot be known. All languages have one thing in common; they are real. They are not repugnant to one another; there realities always arise from one source or an ultimate support or reality.

 Merton (1949, 1967) admitted that social function refers to observable consequences and not subjective disposition (aim, motives, purpose). And the failure to distinguish between the objective sociological consequences and the subjective dispositions inevitably leads to confusion of functional analysis. Therefore the social function of language is to communicate meaning in a thought without room for confusion in functional meaning. Often times this thought is packaged in a word with significant cultural meaning.

At this juncture, it should be clear that language is not simply an instrument or a tool. Rather, language has its true being in conversation in the exercise and promotion and understanding between peoples. The process of communication should not be understood as a mere action, a purposeful activity, a setting-up of signs. Language should not be a means to impose or transmit my will to another. Above all, language is a living process in which a community of life is lived out.  It should be thought that human language as a special and unique living process, in that in linguistic communication, word and human worldview is disclosed. This disclosure, this function of language means that language does not draw attention to itself but transparent to the realities that are manifested through it. Invented systems of artificial technological inventions of communication are not considered to be languages. They have no basis in the community of language or social life. Technological medium of language and expression contradicts the neo-functionalist movement in sociology that was adopted as tradition rather than as method (Alexander, 1985). The essential function of language is in its lessons/messages. To speak means to say what some other person understands. If this is the case, whoever speaks a language that no one else understands does not speak. To speak means to speak to someone who understands. To that extent, speaking does not belong in the sphere of the “I” but in the sphere of the “We.”(Gadamar, 1976)

Conclusion

Language is a universal medium of understanding. Understanding therefore is essentially linguistic, but to be properly so, it must transcend the limits of any particular language. There is therefore mediation between the familiar and the alien. It is a fact that no language is a world in itself. That means that language should not close itself against what is foreign to it, rather every language ought to be porous, and open to absorption of new ideas and contents. In this regard, the understanding of man’s linguistic community and his use of language ought to promote the relationship between him and others from other linguistic communities. No linguistic community is a world in itself. No linguistic culture is superior to another. It is only through openness to the other that every linguistic community can develops the dynamism that is inevitable in human development. Such openness contributes to authentic development of man who belongs to such linguistic communities. We must submit that the universality and meditative power of language can help promote proper understanding among the various cultures of the world. Admittedly, this type of understanding though radical is inevitable for peace, harmony and tranquility.

References:

Alexander, J (1985). Neo-functionalism, Beverly Hills: Sage

Aristotle, De Anima Book 111 (1985) in Jordan Bames (Ed), The complete works of Aristotle, Princeton University Press

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Gadamar, H, G (1979). Truth and method, London; Sheed and Ward

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 Gadamar, H.G (1976), the philosophical Hermeneutics, Trans & Ed by David. F. Lange, Berkley University of Californian Press.

 Goodall, J. (1986). The Chimpanzees of Gombe. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Publishing.

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 Kleine S (1981) Functionality of language p.67

 Merton, C (1949, 1967). Manifest and latent function pp.73-138 in Muller, R.L (1968) The linguistic Relativity and Humboldtain Ethno linguistics, Janua Ling arum, Nr. 67, Mouton the Hague Paris

Okere T. (1983), African Philosophy-A Historico-Hermeneutical Investigation of the conditions of its possibility, University Press of America.

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia