THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION IN NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
BY
ONUOHA BEATRICE N. (MRS.)
DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL STUDIES
HUSSAINI ADAMU FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC,
KAZAURE, JIGAWA STATE
BEING A PAPER PRESENTED AT WOMEN IN TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT (WITED) NATIONAL CONFERENCE
AT
THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC ILARO, OGUN STATE
8TH – 11TH OCTOBER, 2012
ABSTRACT
The relationship between language and communication in the business of information encoding and dissemination cannot be over looked. Despite the fact that the two concepts are different in meaning, the roles they play are complementary in many ways. Language is a process by which information can be carried out from one party to another, while communication refers to the chain
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Bolinger (1975:14), views language as: “a system of vocal-auditory communication interacting with the experiences of its users, employing conventional signs composed of arbitrarily patterned sound units and assembled according to set rules”. In another development, Essien (1998:2) sees language as: A system of structured arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which human beings make meaning and communicate with each other in a given community…. These definitions recognize the communicative role of language which is specifically used by human beings for the purpose of interaction. By implication, language is in essence a perfect means of expression among every known people. It is important to note that language determines the world-view of a people. It is the connection between language and communication in information delivery for national transformation that is the fulcrum of this discourse. In as much as human beings use language, communication remains its primary target.
2.1: FUNCTIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE
These can be seen as some special qualities and role that are common to a typical human language. Human language is used in a number of functions and topmost among which is communication. In the same vein, language is known with the following properties:
LANGUAGE IS A LIVING PHENOMENON: This is attributed to a
Communication is a two-way process that takes practice and time to be fully effective and is very important in every aspect our personal and professional lives. We communicate every day of our lives both verbally or nonverbally. The process of verbal communication is the exchanging information by transmitting an idea, send that idea, receive feedback, understand the idea and the feedback and provide feedback to the person who sent the message. The main components of communication are context, encoder, message, medium, decoder, and feedback. The context could be social, chronological, cultural, or physical. The individual sending the message will
Language is the the primary way of communicating with one another. This can be written or spoken.
The term language refers to an understood, systematic arrangement of signs, symbols and gestures used to communicate.
Language is our thoughts expressed, it’s how we attempt to define ourselves and set ourselves apart as individuals or as part of a social gathering of living situation.
In conclusion, it is evident that communication, both verbal and nonverbal plays a key role in the advancement of the different aspects of different languages through symbols or the communicated language. While verbal communication relies on the coding and
Language can be described in three main ways. Clark (1996, cited in Gee & Hayes, 2011, p.6) called it a 'cognitive phenomenon, and talks of it as being the way we think or something that is in our heads. The second view of language is that it can
Language is a tool people use to communicate with others, it can be both seen and heard and it can be standard or diverse. It is the way in which individuals share information and encompasses many forms including written and spoken, body language and signals, visual stimuli and even the use of electronic devices. Language can be spoken, written or signed and involves many facets. According to Gee & Hayes, 2011, language is influenced by both social and cultural environments, it is often social in that it can be personalised to a group or individual and cultural whereby the way a person speaks is relative to the rules of the society they live in and governed by the cultural acceptances of that society.
Burling’s article analyzes language as a system of sounds, words and sentences. In short, this article points to the notion that human beings communicate with digital and analog signals. Additionally, the title of this article refers to the idea that smiles, winks and words are precursors to a fully developed language.
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).
Language is the only way to communicate effectively, explaining what is wanted, needed and what is meant. There are many ways of communicating effectively, for example, written language. Written language is an
Language is a fundamental part of everyday life. Thinking of language as an object implies that it is nothing more than neutral words arranged in a formula or code, which can be interchanged with other words to form new meaning (Davidson 2010, p.247). It doesn’t take into consideration any nonverbal factors, such as body language, tone of voice, etiquette, context, or culture that are combined and implied when people communicate verbally. Studying language has been
Language is a very important system of communication that can be either spoken, written, or consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way. Language has the profound ability to be communicated either verbally or nonverbally, using the movements of the lips (reading lips), hands (motions), and even body language as methods of communication. Language widely varies among communities and one's abilities (hearing, mobility, etc).
According to Edward Sapir (1921), language is defined as a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desire by means of voluntarily produced symbols. As stated in ‘Language and Communication’ by Jack C. Richard, communication is understood as the exchange and
Communication through language performs a pivotal role in a human life as it sustains it and therefore essential. Of course, various means of communication like gestures and others can never replace the use of a language in a human life. A human being is a God’s creation, but a language is a human creation. The same information in one language can be communicated differently through different languages depending on culture, region, religion, politics and above all the society of the speaker of a particular language. The interaction between two persons of two diverse nations would be completely impossible due to the absence of knowledge of the other’s language with each other. Thus, the same situation extends itself to even at the level of a
Communication can be conveyed in a plethora of different ways, whether it is a debatable topic between individuals a group of individuals, a problem or issue discussed in a relationship, or every day conversation between friends. Regardless of the situation, the information must be communicated, and perceived, accurately in order for the discussion to yield the intended result. According to “What is Communication?” (2013), “the discipline of communication focuses on how people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, cultures, channels, and media” (para 1). Information can be transferred by using numerous different communication methods such as verbal communication, written