language

Language

2022

We explain what language is, what its functions and types are. Also, examples of languages ​​and differences with speech and language.

Language is a very complex faculty of the human being.

What is language?

Language is the ability of the human being to express themselves and communicate, through various communication systems signs: oral, written or gestural.

Thecommunication requires this system of signs to get toobjective of common understanding. Various factors come into play when communication is carried out through language, functions such asintelligence and the memory linguistics.

Language constitutes one of the main characteristics that separates the human race from theanimals. It is an innate capacity that all individuals have, which begins to develop from gestation and is definitively established in the relationship that the individual maintains with the social world in which it develops.

Mastering this communication ability allows each individual to express the message you want to convey in a particular way.

It is important to mention that the rest of the animals also have their own methods of communicating, but, in this case, we will speak of "language" as a human characteristic.

See also:Phonetics

Origin of language

Language arises from the need of men to establish social relationships with the purpose of the survival of the human species. Over time, various systems and languages ​​emerged that allowed the externalization of language and better communication between individuals.

However, current theories understand that language integrates the brain constitution of the human being and that languageeducation It only performs the function of developing this latent biological impulse in individuals.

Language functions

Various authors establish that language has six functions:

  • Referential function or informative. The individual uses language for the sole purpose of communicating a certain information, without making a value judgment or wanting to cause some kind of effect on the recipient. For example: Today its a sun day.
  • Emotional function. The sender communicates a message and tries to convey some state of mind, feeling or emotion. For example: Your departure hurts a lot.
  • Appellate function. Communication focuses on the receiver with the aim of provoking in him some particular reaction, either to do or stop doing something. For example: Turn off the TV, please.
  • Phatic function. Communication focuses on the channel of transmission and what is tried is to verify that it continues open in order to be able to establish or continue with a communication. For example: Hello, Yes? Can you hear me?
  • Aesthetic function. Communication focuses on language itself, which is used with the aim of creating some kind of beauty. This function predominates innovels, stories, poetry, songs and other creations. Here what matters about language is not its content, but its form. For example: All the leaves are from the wind, except the sunlight. (Luis Alberto Spinetta).
  • Linguistic function. Communication is focused on the code, a language is used to speak of itself or of another. For example: Shoe is written with Z, not with S.

More in:Language functions

Language characteristics

Although language is universal, education helps to develop it.
  • It is a rational capacity that all human beings have, so it is universal.
  • It is the basis of communication between individuals.
  • It is key in interpersonal relationships.
  • It uses different languages ​​to encode a message and then transmit it.
  • It allows the exchange of information between receiver and sender.
  • It uses symbols, sounds or signs.
  • It can be verbal or non verbal.
  • It is studied by the linguistics.

Language types

The language can be:

Verbal language. Sender and receiver use words and symbols to communicate with each other. In turn, it can be divided into:

  • Oral language. It is the spoken language, the voice is used to transmit a message through sounds.
  • Written language. They are the sounds of oral language represented in written form.

Nonverbal language. Sender and receiver do not use words or signs, but gestures or movements for communicating. In turn, it can be divided into:

  • Facial language The individual communicates through facial gestures.
  • Body language. The individual communicates through body movements.

Language examples

Sign language is used to communicate with people with little hearing.

There are several systems of signs that are recognized as languages, some are:

  • Sign language. Set of body gestures that represent different signs that serve to achieve communication, mainly withpersons who have reduced hearing ability.
  • Programming language. Rule setsyntax and instructions that allow experts incomputing create programs. By means of this language, the programmer can communicate with the different devices ofsoftware Yhardware that you have at your fingertips.
  • Musical language. Set of signs that are interpreted and understood by people dedicated to musical artistic expression. Fundamentally, they are expressed in written form in the scores.

Difference between language, tongue and speech

It is important to differentiate two terms that are often confused or used as synonyms for the concept of language: language and speaks.

While language is the innate ability of human beings to communicate and relate, the term "language" refers to a specific system of signs that a group of people uses to communicate. For example, him idiom Spanish.

The language changes and adapts according to the time, the context and events, but it should always refer to a system of stable codes that ensure that people can understand the message.

Language is an inherent faculty of the human being, instead the language must be taught and learned to make use of it, then it must be retained in the memory of the speakers and must be known by all the individuals with whom it is desired to establish the language. communication.

On the other hand, "speech" is the action of putting that system of signs into use by a group of individuals. This term refers to the individual and voluntary act in which the concrete signs that will be needed to establish a communication are chosen.

Literal and figurative language

Within the use of the term "language" it is possible to distinguish between literal language and Figurative language.

Literal language is the transmission of a written or oral message through words that maintain their conventional meaning, that is, that which is known to all who share a language. For example: The house is red.

Instead, figurative language occurs when a word or expression is used with a meaning other than the frequent one or the meaning it has in the dictionary. This language can be seen frequently in literary resources What metaphors. For example: Don't worry, my brother won't tell anything, it's a grave. The term "grave" refers to someone who knows how to keep a secret.

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