DESCRIBING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

PART 2

DESCRIBING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

A.    Language in Use

Language is governed by a number of rules, style and constraints, so we have to think about whether we are writing or speaking, texting or emailing. Text messaging has developed into a sophisticated way of convey messages in the shortest possible space (hence thx4= thanks for), more formal letters are written out in full. In emails we will often use constructed forms. In many ways, informal emails are like speaking in the way messages are put together, different with formal written language. But whether language users are texting, emailing, speaking, or letter-writing, they are making choices about the language they used based on what they want to say, what medium they are operating in, how texts are typically constructed in such situations, what grammar they can use and what words and expressions they can find to express their meanings.

B.     What We Want to Say

The issue faces us here is that the words we use and what they actually mean in the context we use them, are not the same thing at all. There is no one-to-one correspondence, in other words, between form and meaning.

1.      Form and meaning

There are many different way of expressing the future in English. If we take one of the grammatical constructions use to construct a future sentence, the present continues (I’m arriving at eight o’clock), another startling phenomenon becomes apparent. a possible meaning of the present continuous is exemplified by a sentence such as The problem with John is that he’s always laughing when he should be serious, it is describes a habitual, not a temporary action.

2.      Purpose

The purpose is to lead linguists to propose a category of language functions such as inviting, apologizing, offering and suggesting.

3.      Appropriacy and register

When we attempt to achieve a communicative purpose (such as getting someone to agree to an invitation), we have to choose which of these language forms to use.

Six of the variables which govern our choice are listed below:

·         Setting

We often use informal and spontaneous language at home, whereas we may use more formal pre-planned speech in an office or work environment.

·         Participants

We often use choose words and phrases in communication with superiors which are different from the words and phrases we use when talking tom writing o or texting our friends, members of our families or colleagues of equal status to us.

·         Gender

Women frequently use more concessive language than men, for example, and crucially, often talk less than men in mixed-sex conversation.

·         Channel

There are marked differences between spoken and written language, for example how the writing channel (internet, snail mail or SMS text) will also affect how we write.

·         Topic

The topic we are addressing affects our lexical and grammatical choices.

·         Tone

This includes variable such as formality and informality, politeness and impoliteness.

C.    Language as text and discourse

1.      Discourse organization

In order for collections of sentence or utterances to succeed affectively, the discourse needs to organized or conducted in such a way that it will be successful. In written English this calls for both coherence and cohesion.

2.      Genre

One of the reasons we can communicate successfully, especially in writing is because we have some understanding of genre. Genre is a type of written organization and layout (such as an advertisement, a letter, a poem, a magazine article, etc) which will be instantly recognized for what it is by members of a discourse community-that is any group of people who share the same language customs and norms.

D.    Grammar

Ø  Choosing words

The students need to understand at same level (concious or conciously) what these implications are. They need to aware of rules. The problems arise,however, when rules are complex and difficult to perceive.

E.     Lexis 

Lexis is the technical name for vocabulary of a languge, in part to the computerised analysis of language data. It is discuss about meaning, how words extend throught metaphor and idiom, and how they combine to form collacations and the longer lexical phrases which are a major feature of any language.

1.      Word meaning

The least problematic issue of vocabulary, it would seem, is meaning. Every word is has different meaning. What a word means is not necessarily the same as what it suggests-or rather than words have different connotations, often depending on the context they occur in.

2.      Extending word use

Words do not just have different meanings, however they can also can be stretched and twisted to fit different uses. Such metaphorical use words allows us to move beyond their purely denotation use (where a word only describes thing, rather than the feelings or ideas it suggest). It helps us extend our range of expression and interpretation, allowing us the opportunity to explain our feelings about things in a way that creates readily available image.

3.      Word combination

Words combinations have become the subject of intense interest in the recent past. Collocations are words which co-occur with each other and which language users.

F.     The sounds of the language

1.      Pitch

The pitch we use is, therefore, a device by which we communicate emotion and meaning. If we start speaking at a higher pitch than usual, this is noticeable. A low grunt gives some indication of mood too.

2.      Intonation

One of the uses of intonation is to show the grammar of what we are saying.

3.      Individual sound

Speakers of different languages have different sounds. For example French people are accustomed to the awkward way in which British speakers mangle French vowels because they are not the same as English ones. Japanese speakers, on the on the other hand, do not have different phonemes and so have differentiating between them, and often find it nearly impossible to make the different sounds.

4.      Stress

Stress is the term we use to describe the point in e word or phrase where pitch changes, vowels lengthen and volume increases.

G.    Paralinguistic features of language

1.      Vocal paralinguistic features

Is the way which we choose how we say thing. Depending on the situation we are in. irrespective of the sounds, stress or intonation we are using.

2.      Physical paralinguistic features

Ø  Facial expression: is powerful conveyor of meaning.

Ø  Gesture: we use gesture to indicate a wide range of meanings.

Ø  Proximity, posture and echoing: a feature of posture and proximity has been noticed by several observers is that of echoing.