LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

The goal of a course on language and communication is to help students understand the
particular relationships that exist between language and communication, and to heighten their
respect for the richness, power, and vitality of language.
What is Language?
In brief definition, Language is a medium that helps in the sending of thoughts and feelings of
two individuals. Similarly, Language allows us to express our feelings and thoughts via sounds,
symbols, written or spoken words, posture, gestures or signs, etc. Thus, we can continue
communication through language.

While communication refers to the interchange of message or information from one person to
another, either verbally or non-verbally. On the other hand, language is a human communication
method or the system through which two people interact. It is used in a particular region or
community, for imparting a message, to each other, with the use of words.

In the process of communication, language plays an important part. Indeed, all the living beings
in this world communicate in their own language. These two terms are so closely intertwined
that people cannot easily recognise their difference and end up using them synonymously. But,
in reality, there exist a fine line of difference between language and communication.

Language Vs Communication

1. Comparison Chart
2. Definition
3. Key Differences
4. Conclusion

BASIS FOR
LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION
COMPARISON

Meaning Language implies Communication refers

the system of to the way of
communication exchanging message
which relies on or information
the verbal or non- between two or more
verbal codes, people.
used in

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 transferring
information.

What is it? Tool Process

Stresses on Signs, words and Message

symbols

Occurs in Primarily, in All sensory channels

auditory channels

Change Dynamic Static

Definition of Language

Language is described as a tool which helps in the transmission of feelings and thoughts, from
one person to another. It is the means of expression of what a person feels or thinks, through
arbitrarily produced symbols or sounds, such as words (spoken or written), signs, sounds,
gesture, posture, etc., that convey a certain meaning.

Language is sole medium of communication between two persons, through which they can share
their views, ideas, opinions and emotions with one another. It is aimed at making sense of
complex and abstract thought and that also without any confusion. As a system of
communication, different languages are used by people residing in different areas or belonging
to a different community.

Definition of Communication

Communication is described as an act of interchanging ideas, information or message from one

person or place to another, via words or signs which are understood to both the parties.
Communication is vital for the organisation because it is a principle means by which
organisational members work with each other. It flows in various directions, such as upward,
downward, horizontal or diagonal.

Communication is a pervasive process, i.e. it is needed in all the levels and types of the
organisation. It is a two way activity, which consists of seven major elements, i.e. sender,
encoding, message, channel, receiver, decoding and feedback. Getting feedback, in the process
of communication is as much important as sending the message, because only then the process
will be completed. There are two channels of communication, which are:

1. Formal Communication

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 2. Informal Communication

Further, communication can be classified as:

• Verbal Communication
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication

Conceptual Issues in Language And Communication

Language issues are related to many other issues in the world because language is systematically
related to most of human behavior. Studies of linguistics, regardless of perspective, do not
proceed in a vacuum with only language as the subject of concern.
Language is best considered in relation to many human capacities and behaviors. Most
fundamental of the dialectical tensions that characterize language study are (a) biology versus
mind, (b) structure versus function, and (c) the relationship between the individual and
the group.

Humans are biologically predetermined to develop and use language. Although this is not a
controversial claim. In order to understand the language system the student must become
familiar with issues in evolution and biology. There is a distressing tradition in the social sciences,
and communication in particular, that neglects evolutionary and biological perspectives on
communication,
Regardless that it is impossible to separate language from human biological evolution and the
general debate about whether or not animals can communicate.

The study of language is the study of humans within the wider context of the physical, social, and
intellectual world. But other species share some of these characteristics. It is important to study
and understand these characteristics so as not to inappropriately privilege the human position in
the world.
Darwin's (1874) The Descent of Man argued rather forcefully that the differences between
human language and the cries of animals was only one of degree. This issue can be treated in
class very interestingly by discussing the animal communication classification system developed
by Charles Hockett in 1960 that establishes the design features of human language and
determines the extent to which each is found in other animal communication systems.
and a discussion of chimpanzees and language. I would like to conclude that animal
communication typically benefits from a clear statement that language capacity is species
specific. This is why all human languages are alike in some fundamental ways and the human
communication system is structurally different from any other.
After studying biological issues in language, students are prepared to discuss the relationship of
language and mind.
Students should understand that language is only one system of representation. Artists,
scientists, and mathematicians all report that their insights come in many forms and often do not
even resemble language. But language is the most pervasive system of representation of the
human experience.

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Structure Versus Function
The distinction between linguistic structure and function is important for students to grasp
because it helps them focus on the communicative functions of language. Students are quick to
associate the study of language with the study of grammar. High school English courses and
college composition courses reinforce the idea that language is all about grammar and linguistic
prescriptions.
But a communication perspective on language concentrates more on the "strategic" or
"functional" properties of language. Language is assumed to be a resource that communicators
use to accomplish their own, sometimes convoluted, goals. It is important to distinguish for
students between linguistic structure and function, and the related principles of descriptivism
and prescriptivism, and competence and performance. Students must understand how language
is a structured system before they can understand more functional communicative
uses.

Language structure is taken for granted by most people. In the same way that most people start
and drive an automobile without understanding anything about the internal combustion engine
that is operating under the hood, they use language without understanding its operating
principles.
The use of language and its symbolic functions may look the same but may mean different things.
"The dog bit the man" is not the same as "The man bit the dog,"even though all the words are
the same.
Four Types of Verbal Expressions

Type Description Example

Report of sensory experiences or “Pauline asked me to bring this file to

Observation
memories you.”

Conclusion about or judgment of “Students today have much less respect

Thought
experiences and observations for authority.”

Feeling Communicating emotions “I feel at peace when we’re together.”

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 Type Description Example

“I’m saving money for summer vacation.

Stating wants or requesting help
Need Is it OK if we skip our regular night out this
or support
week?”

Functions of Language

What utterances make up our daily verbal communication? Some of our words convey
meaning, some convey emotions, and some actually produce actions. Language also provides
endless opportunities for fun because of its limitless, sometimes nonsensical, and always
changing nature. In this section, we will learn about the five functions of language, which show
us that language is expressive, language is powerful, language is fun, language is dynamic, and
language is relational.

Language Is Expressive

Verbal communication helps us meet various needs through our ability to express ourselves. In
terms of instrumental needs, we use verbal communication to ask questions that provide us
with specific information. We also use verbal communication to describe things, people, and
ideas. Verbal communication helps us inform, persuade, and entertain others, which as we will
learn later are the three general purposes of public speaking.

Expressing Observations

When we express observations, we report on the sensory information we are taking or have
taken in. Eyewitness testimony is a good example of communicating observations. Witnesses
are not supposed to make judgments or offer conclusions; they only communicate factual
knowledge as they experienced it. For example, a witness could say, “I saw a white Mitsubishi
Eclipse leaving my neighbor’s house at 10:30 pm.”

Expressing Thoughts

When we express thoughts, we draw conclusions based on what we have experienced. In the
perception process, this is similar to the interpretation step. We take various observations and

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evaluate and interpret them to assign them meaning (a conclusion). Whereas our observations
are based on sensory information (what we saw, what we read, what we heard), thoughts are
connected to our beliefs (what we think is true/false), attitudes (what we like and dislike), and
values (what we think is right/wrong or good/bad).

Expressing Feelings

When we express feelings, we communicate our emotions. Expressing feelings is a difficult part
of verbal communication, because there are many social norms about how, why, when, where,
and to whom we express our emotions. Norms for emotional expression also vary based on
nationality and other cultural identities and characteristics such as age and gender. In terms of
age, young children are typically freer to express positive and negative emotions in public.

Expressing feelings can be uncomfortable for those listening. Some people are generally not
good at or comfortable with receiving and processing other people’s feelings. Even those with
good empathetic listening skills can be positively or negatively affected by others’ emotions.
Expressions of anger can be especially difficult to manage because they represent a threat to
the face and self-esteem of others. Despite the fact that expressing feelings is more
complicated than other forms of expression, emotion sharing is an important part of how we
create social bonds and empathize with others, and it can be improved.

In order to verbally express our emotions, it is important that we develop an emotional

vocabulary. The more specific we can be when we are verbally communicating our emotions,
the less ambiguous our emotions will be for the person decoding our message. As we expand
our emotional vocabulary, we are able to convey the intensity of the emotion we’re feeling
whether it is mild, moderate, or intense. For example, happy is mild, delighted is moderate,
and ecstatic is intense; ignored is mild, rejected is moderate, and abandoned is intense (Hargie,
2011).

Expressing Needs

When we express needs, we are communicating in an instrumental way to help us get things
done. Since we almost always know our needs more than others do, it’s important for us to be
able to convey those needs to others. Expressing needs can help us get a project done at work
or help us navigate the changes of a long-term romantic partnership. Not expressing needs can
lead to feelings of abandonment, frustration, or resentment. For example, if one romantic
partner expresses the following thought “I think we’re moving too quickly in our relationship”
but doesn’t also express a need, the other person in the relationship doesn’t have a guide for
what to do in response to the expressed thought. Stating, “I need to spend some time with my
hometown friends this weekend. Would you mind if I went home by myself?” would likely make
the expression more effective. Be cautious of letting evaluations or judgments sneak into your

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expressions of need. Saying “I need you to stop suffocating me!” really expresses a thought-
feeling mixture more than a need.

Language Is Powerful

The contemporary American philosopher David Abram wrote, “Only if words are felt, bodily
presences, like echoes or waterfalls, can we understand the power of spoken language to
influence, alter, and transform the perceptual world” (Abram, 1997). This statement
encapsulates many of the powerful features of language. Next, we will discuss how language
expresses our identities, affects our credibility, serves as a means of control, and performs
actions.

Language Expresses Our Identities

In the opening to this chapter, I recounted how an undergraduate class in semantics solidified
my love of language. I could have continued on to say that I have come to think of myself as a
“word nerd.” Words or phrases like that express who we are and contribute to the impressions
that others make of us. We’ve already learned about identity needs and impression
management and how we all use verbal communication strategically to create a desired
impression. But how might the label word nerd affect me differently if someone else placed it
on me?

The power of language to express our identities varies depending on the origin of the label
(self-chosen or other imposed) and the context. People are usually comfortable with the
language they use to describe their own identities but may have issues with the labels others
place on them. In terms of context, many people express their “Irish” identity on St. Patrick’s
Day, but they may not think much about it over the rest of the year. There are many examples
of people who have taken a label that was imposed on them, one that usually has negative
connotations, and intentionally used it in ways that counter previous meanings. Some country
music singers and comedians have reclaimed the label redneck, using it as an identity marker
they are proud of rather than a pejorative term. Other examples of people reclaiming identity
labels is the “black is beautiful” movement of the 1960s that repositioned black as a positive
identity marker for African Americans and the “queer” movement of the 1980s and ’90s that
reclaimed queer as a positive identity marker for some gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender
people. Even though some people embrace reclaimed words, they still carry their negative
connotations and are not openly accepted by everyone.

Language Affects Our Credibility

One of the goals of this chapter is to help you be more competent with your verbal
communication. People make assumptions about your credibility based on how you speak and

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what you say. Even though we’ve learned that meaning is in people rather than words and that
the rules that govern verbal communication, like rules of grammar, are arbitrary, these norms
still mean something. You don’t have to be a perfect grammarian to be perceived as credible. In
fact, if you followed the grammar rules for written communication to the letter you would
actually sound pretty strange, since our typical way of speaking isn’t as formal and structured as
writing. But you still have to support your ideas and explain the conclusions you make to be
seen as competent. You have to use language clearly and be accountable for what you say in
order to be seen as trustworthy.

Language Is a Means of Control

Control is a word that has negative connotations, but our use of it here can be positive, neutral,
or negative. Verbal communication can be used to reward and punish. We can offer verbal
communication in the form of positive reinforcement to praise someone. We can withhold
verbal communication or use it in a critical, aggressive, or hurtful way as a form of negative
reinforcement.

Language Is Performative

Some language is actually more like an action than a packet of information. Saying, “I promise,”
“I guarantee,” or “I pledge,” does more than convey meaning; it communicates intent. Such
utterances are called commissives, as they mean a speaker is committed to a certain course of
action (Crystal, 2005). Of course, promises can be broken, and there can be consequences, but
other verbal communication is granted official power that can guarantee action. The two simple
words I do can mean that a person has agreed to an oath before taking a witness stand or
assuming the presidency. It can also mean that two people are now bound in a relationship
recognized by the government and/or a religious community. These two words, if said in the
right context and in front of the right person, such as a judge or a reverend, bring with them
obligations that cannot be undone without additional steps and potential negative
repercussions. In that sense, language is much more than “mere words.”

Performative language can also be a means of control, especially in legal contexts. n some
cases, the language that makes our laws is intentionally vague. In courts all over the nation, the
written language intersects with spoken language as lawyers advocate for particular
interpretations of the written law.

Language Is Fun

Word games have long been popular. Before Words with Friends there was Apples to Apples,
Boggle, Scrabble, and crossword puzzles. Writers, poets, and comedians have built careers on
their ability to have fun with language and in turn share that fun with others.

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Language Is Dynamic

As we already learned, language is essentially limitless. We may create a one-of-a-kind

sentence combining words in new ways and never know it. Aside from the endless structural
possibilities, words change meaning, and new words are created daily. In this section, we’ll
learn more about the dynamic nature of language by focusing on neologisms and slang.

Neologisms

Neologisms are newly coined or used words. Newly coined words are those that were just
brought into linguistic existence. Newly used words make their way into languages in several
ways, including borrowing and changing structure. Taking is actually a more fitting descriptor
than borrowing, since we take words but don’t really give them back. In any case, borrowing is
the primary means through which languages expand.

Compound words are neologisms that are created by joining two already known
words. Keyboard, newspaper, and giftcard are all compound words that were formed when
new things were created or conceived. We also create new words by adding something,
subtracting something, or blending them together. For example, we can add affixes, meaning a
prefix or a suffix, to a word. Affixing usually alters the original meaning but doesn’t completely
change it. Ex-husband and kitchenette are relatively recent examples of such changes (Crystal,
2005).

Existing words also change in their use and meaning. The digital age has given rise to some
interesting changes in word usage. Before Facebook, the word friend had many meanings, but it
was mostly used as a noun referring to a companion. The sentence, I’ll friend you, wouldn’t
have made sense to many people just a few years ago because friend wasn’t used as a
verb. Google went from being a proper noun referring to the company to a more general verb
that refers to searching for something on the Internet (perhaps not even using the Google
search engine). Meanings can expand or contract without changing from a noun to a verb. Gay,
an adjective for feeling happy, expanded to include gay as an adjective describing a person’s
sexual orientation. Perhaps because of the confusion that this caused, the meaning of gay has
contracted again, as the earlier meaning is now considered archaic, meaning it is no longer in
common usage.

Slang

Slang is a great example of the dynamic nature of language. Slang refers to new or adapted
words that are specific to a group, context, and/or time period; regarded as less formal; and
representative of people’s creative play with language. Research has shown that only about 10
percent of the slang terms that emerge over a fifteen-year period survive. Many more take
their place though, as new slang words are created using inversion, reduction, or old-fashioned
creativity (Allan & Burridge, 2006).

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QUESTIONS
1. Has the development of the internet and social media caused a change in the way
we communicate (quality, quantity, style etc.)?
2. On a scale of 1-10, what would you score yourself in language use and
communication and why?.
3. Briefly convince me with your language and communication skills why you deserve
an A” in this course.

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