Language Cannot Be Devoid Of The Social Context Of Its

Too view language as if it were an object devoid of its social context would not be seeing language for its creation and use, language is used at its full potential when spoken, language is so important to humans, we use language to express, to think and communicate within the world we live. Language has changed over time, it is thought that at one time we had one original language that was spoken, and “as different human groups spread across the world and communicated only with each other, the original language changed in different ways in different places” (Gee, P,. & Hayes, E. (2011). pg 8), because of these changes, and socialisation of different humans, we now have many diverse human languages. Language has changed and will continue to

The article ‘My Two Lives’ which that highlights the concept of ‘Language and Society’ published by the Newsweek, inspires this task. Language is both a system of communication between individuals and a social phenomenon. The area of language and society, sociolinguistics, is intended to show how such factors as class, gender, race, and more govern our use of language. In short, language constitutes humans and their identities. All people either utilize varieties of a language or use two or more languages to respond to a whole range of affective and interpersonal demands; language by depiction must be defined as multilingualism.

Language is an integral part of human existence. It is not only a crucial tool in which we use to convey meaning to others, but also a cultural construct passed down from previous generations that helps to define who we are and how we relate to others. Ultimately language defines our relationships with others, the way we use language is shaped by our own socio- cultural background and also that of whoever we may be communicating with. Self awareness of how our own use of language has been shaped by our background and an understanding of what shapes others use of language leads to better communication, understanding and empathy.

Language has been an integral part of human existence since the dawn of time. Our innate ability to communicate has guided the progress of civilization since its modest beginnings and facilitates our understanding of what it means to be human. The only practical way to thoroughly express one’s identity is through language, whether it be verbal speech or written text. It is only through this medium that we are able to fulfill our roles as a social people, who use discourse to cultivate relationships both on a personal and communal level. Language defines the human notion of self by revealing culture and beliefs, making individuality context-specific, and providing identity markers.

The term “context” is vast, but it can be defined as the elements that surround an utterance and determine its meaning. The meaning of the utterances is inferred, that means that the meaning is implicit and is interpreted subjectively which also affects to the number of interpretations that can derive from one context. One same sentence can have two different meaning in a different context. For instance, consider two people, Jane and Ron, who have just started dating. If Ron says to Jane at the end of the night, "I like you a lot.” Jane will most likely feel great about the situation. But imagine that Jane and Ron have been dating for some weeks now, and Jane asks, "Do you love me?" Now if Ron says, "I like you a lot," her reaction will most definitely be very different, as Ron’s statement would be taken as a negative

In the chapter, “The Socially Charged life of Language” in Living Language: An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology, Laura Ahearn (2012) discusses language in relation to social interactions. According to Ahearn, “language is not a neutral medium for communication but rather a set of socially embedded practices.” Ahearn references Ferdinand de Saussure and his understanding of language as a system of rules as well as Chomsky and his interest in discovering Universal Grammar. De Saussure used langue and parole as an explanation of how language works. Langue refers to language, as a specific set of rules while parole is the performance aspect of language in which language functions as “speech arts.” Similarly to de Saussure, Chomsky believes that there is a “competence” or an abstract knowledge that one has about language, and a “performance”, which involves putting those rules into practice (Ahearn 2012).

their meaning. The students will repeat the vocabulary words every time the teacher says the

The Language of our Time Language, spoken or written, is a form of human communication consisting of the use of words in a conventional and structured way. The language of our birth, the language of everyone’s first words, creates a powerful bond and shapes an individual’s perception of the world. And yet, only few people truly understand the effects a language can have on others or the extent a language can manipulate people through their state of mind. Language can help define the identity of an individual. It shapes a person’s mind based on their past and helps people into the future.

Famous American anthropologist and social theorist Clyde Kluckholm , claims in one of his publication that “Every language is also a special way of looking at the world and interpreting experience concealed in the structure of language are a whole set of unconscious assumptions about the world and the life in it”(Writing logically, Thinking critically 7th edition P 35). Based on this theory, we can learn more

Language is used to communicate and convey meaning from one person to another. It is an arbitrary system of sounds and symbols in which it is contextualised and is used to express cultural identity and social relationships. Language can be seen by the way individuals communicate through gestures and facial and body expressions. Language can be heard through voice and attitude (Gee & Hayes, 2011). Language is diverse in the sense that different languages have different words for the same concept. However language allows communication of values and beliefs. Kilickaya (2009) highlights that, ‘English is the best option for people from different backgrounds’. Within Standard English different registers are used to assist communication,

As Bilmes has perspicuous remarked, the context is the total social setting in which the speech events take place: “the meaning of an utterance is determined in large part by how it responds and how it is responded to, by its place in an interactional sequence” (1986), that is the context of use. Most of the traditional linguists have recognized the need to incorporate the context into their explanations. The pragmatics gives in this context as one, in the user of great interest, in as much as they represent the driving force behind the linguistic enterprise, both in its theoretical and practical

Key features of language include its words and their sub structures such as morphemes, graphemes and syllables at the writing level as well as reading or speaking, words, their meanings and contexts in which the words get spoken or read. Language has to be interpreted as a whole, and not just as the specific word. There must be an explicit pattern or structure. In order for language to be understood correctly, the meaning of words must be arranged in a given context. This is what constructs language; even though words are arbitrary themselves, in order to integrate as a language, they must be used in the appropriate context. This pre-established cultural context is what will enable effective communication. (Daniel Willingham, 2007, p. 1).

Over the centuries of human development, initial grunts and hand signs have been replaced by more complicated language structures as a basis of communication. Today, it is not only words and their assigned meanings that make the bulk of communication among people. There are also subtle nuances of meaning and implied meaning that are often misunderstood or misconstrued. Furthermore, elements such as lying and misunderstanding also influence how language is used and perceived among individuals. Because language forms the majority of communication among human beings, it is also true that it is closely connected to cognitive psychology and the way in which human beings ensure their health on various levels, including the mental level. In order to further consider this, concepts such as lexicon, the features of language, and the four levels of language can be usefully examined.

For all humans, language is the most common means of communication with others and it enables us to share our experiences and stories and to tell about our needs and feelings. For example, Yamamoto states that sociolinguistics see, it is ‘primarily through the use of language that people communicate with each other’ (1979: 146). We all speak one or more languages and as the main way of communication it is an important and vital part of our lives. There is many languages in the world and they differ from one another in many ways. But does the language we speak reflect to the way we see and experience the world around us? This paper will explore the question through the Sapir Whorf hypothesis and arguments for and against it.

Cultural Context-high implicit meaning contents during conversation is as important as the spoken word. Legend culture is important in understanding what is being said.