Important of Language in Our Life
INTRODUCTION:
Language is basically a system of communication where sound or signs convey objects, actions and ideas. “The first sound a child makes on coming into the world is one of discomfort, it is a cry, a reflex action and the child does not expect a response.” The need of language can be realized best by those who suffer from the loss of speech, though it is beyond their power to explain it. In fact, we take speech for granted and are hardly aware of our interdependence upon it. It is difficult to conceive a society without it. Language seems to have born with the inception of the human race, so the credit goes to it for helping the survival of mankind. Not only this, it has also helped our race to mature by transmitting our culture and civilization to coming generations. The enormous development in various walks of our life has been possible only through language. Science, Technology, Religion, Art could make progress only with the help of language. Language is not merely the medium of instruction at all levels of education; it is the medium of growth. It provides capacity for preservation and communication of intellectual life. At higher level, language provides the medium of fresh and free thinking and research. In education it is supposed to communicate knowledge, and in general life it is the instrument to pick up information. We need language to learn, to retain and to recall our knowledge.
DEFINITION OF LANGUAGE:
1. "Language is a primarily human and non- instinctive method of communicating ideas,
emotions and
desires by means of a system of voluntarily produced symbols" (Sapir).
2. "Language, in its widest sense, means the sum total of such signs of our thoughts and
feelings as are capable of external perception and as could be produced and repeated at will" (A. H. Gardiner).
3. "Language may be defined as the expression of thought by means of speech-sounds"
(Henry Sweet).
4. "A system of communication by sound i.e., through the organs of speech and hearing,
among human beings of a certain group or community, using vocal symbols possessing
arbitrary conventional meanings." (Mario A Pei & Frank Gaynor).
5. Language is human...a verbal systematic symbolism... a means of transmitting
information...a form of Social behaviour... (with a) high degree of convention" (J. Whatmough).
6. "A language (is a) symbol system... based on pure or arbitrary Convention... infinitely
extendable and modifiable according to the l bunging needs and conditions of the speakers" (R. H. Robins).
7. "A language is a device that establishes sound-meaning correlations, pairing meanings
with signals to enable people to exchange ideas through observable sequences of sound" (Ronals W. Langacker).
8. "A language is "audible, articulate human speech as produced by the action of the tongue
and adjacent vocal organs... The body of words and methods of combining words used and understood by a considerable community, especially when fixed and elaborated by long usage; a tongue" (Webster).
LANGUAGE INVENTED BY HUMANS:
According to an alternative view, language is primarily a cultural phenomenon and
not a biological one, and explanations of the structure of language should be sought in
language functions and general aspects of human cognition. In this perspective,
language is invented by human beings, and through exaptation different parts of the
human body have acquired a linguistic function, primarily in addition to other and
primary functions that still survive.
IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE IN SOCIETY
Language is primarily spoken not written. But the development of the writing medium and later the printing system went a long way is the dissipation of knowledge and without which humans would have remained in the dark about the ways of life and the thought processes of their ancestors. Language is the key to human lives. They can eliminate misunderstanding by using it as an instrument to transfer communication among people. Malinowski suggests, language is "the necessary means of communion; it is the one indispensable instrument for creating the ties of the moment without which unified social action is impossible. "Language can thus be said to be at the core of humanity. Language is an extraordinary gift of God. It is part of what makes man fully human.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
Language is a social institution, both shaping and shaped by society at large, or in particular the "cultural niches’’ in which it plays an important role. Language is not an "autonomous construct" but social practice both creating and created by the structures and forces of the social institutions within which men live and function. Duranti defines culture as "something learned, transmitted, passed down from one generation to the next, through human action, often in the form of face-to-face interaction, and, of course, through linguistic communication". It becomes evident from this that language plays a pivotal role in culture transmission.
It is true that there are various forms of culture preservation like architecture, painting, music, etc. However language is the most dynamic of them all. Facts about language are handed down from person to person and from one generation to another through cultural transmission. Man's competence helps him to master the unique features of a particular language. Thus it is seen that language is the outcome of evolution and convention. Like most human institutions language also change and die, grow and expand.
Language is acquired by human beings and is non-instinctive. It is believed that due to language man became man.
Language also has a great role to play in cultural accumulation and historical transmission. "A great deal of the cultural stock in trade of a primitive society is presented in a more or less well defined linguistic form. Proverbs, medicine formulae, standardized prayers, folk tales, standardized speeches, song texts, and genealogies are some of the more overt forms which language takes as a culture-preserving instrument." When modern civilization is viewed, it is found that it is replete with schools, libraries and other stores of knowledge, opinions and sentiments but at the same time the realization dawns that all this would be impossible without language made eternal as document. Every system of storing uses language, be it drama, printed books, proverbs, symbols or music. It has been the constant endeavor of human beings to gain more knowledge about this world. Language makes this possible by providing a medium to express reason and make sense of human perceptions. By the very act of talking men assume social and cultural roles.
LANGUAGE AND NATION BUILDING
Language is known to be as old as human society whereas the concept of nation is of fairly recent origin. Language facilitates social communication and helps nurture mutual cooperation. Nation is a product of intense social communication and cooperation. Jespersen equates nation with a linguistic community. He asserts "You must understand by 'nation' merely a linguistic unit, a linguistic community." "Linguistic Unity", writes Jespersen "depends always on intercourse, on a community of life." The development of any nation will come to a standstill without a medium of communication like language. Karl Deutsch in his book 'Nationalism and its Alternatives' has defined nation as "a community of shared meanings or more broadly still, a group of people who have interlocking habits of communication." Joseph Stalin has also held a similar view when he states "a national community is inconceivable without a common language". Deutsch has made it clear that without communication social structuring amongst human beings would become impossible. Thus he states that "The richer their cooperation in producing tangible goods and services, in developing highly developed societies, and developing and sharing intangible treasures of knowledge, art, and values, the greater their need for rich, varied, quick and accurate communication." A nation today may be of two types: a monolingual or culturally homogeneous nation or a multilingual and culturally heterogeneous nation i.e., a nation with multiple of nationalities. The important fact is that whether monolingual or multilingual what is essential is social communication. As Stalin suggests, "A nation is formed only as a result of lengthy and systematic intercourse as a result of people living together generation after generation." To make a nation globally competitive the study and knowledge of foreign language is important.
LANGUAGE AND EDUCATION
Education and language are closely interrelated because the content of education is passed on through the medium of language. Education is a dynamic process which helps to mould the personality, the character and behavior of a person in a positive direction. It helps young people to mould themselves and also carve a niche for themselves in society. According to Ottaway, "Education is the process of preparing people to fit into this complex social structure, and to play particular social roles as members of more than one institutional group." Education can be said to be a social institution charged with Cultural and Social reproduction, that is, with the education of children and youth for individual and social survival. Recent scientific and technological advancements have given a totally new dimension to education. Without the help of language there is no way in which education can be imparted in modern times. In ancient times there was the oral transmission of knowledge and even that would not have been possible without the help of language. In developed societies there is the stress on formal education which is imparted in schools and other institutions of higher education.
Language is representative of the culture and psychological make up of a speech community. The society has precious cultural heritage in the form of arts, science, language, literature, philosophy, religion, values, customs and traditions. It has already been seen that language and culture are interlinked.
Preservation of culture for the forthcoming generations is one of the first functions of education. The invention of the printing machine has enabled the publication of literatures which in turn has helped in the preservation of knowledge. In fact language itself apart from being a medium also happens to be the subject matter of education.
LANGUAGE DIVERSITY
Language is the main resource which has been gifted to all humans. Human beings have broken the code in this unique and complicated diverse world that they live in. Language diversity contributes to the very existence of man. It clearly demonstrates the will and perseverance for survival that is continuously changing in varied conditions. The loss of any language brings a potential threat to the existence of human beings as a collective.
Globally the role of languages has become increasingly vital and a sensitive subject. Language is such a powerful tool that it can build or destroy a person or a country. The ability to have a huge databank of words and to be able to formulate the words intelligently is part of critical thinking. It is language which paves the way and develops the process of thinking and expressions.
It is essential to know what it means, and how to use and interpret the meaning. Language empowers man and without it they would not be able to deal with conflicts, make decisions, and argue. Words man chooses to use can tell the truth, lie to, mislead or bamboozle others. It is imperative to differentiate words that are used to communicate the way of thinking and ideas, instead of controlling the thoughts and behaviour. Language only limits empowerment when men allow themselves to not care about anything, not be interested in facts, have low esteem and be close minded or insensitive.
Language can have great persuasive effects in human life. Persuasion changes attitudes, motivation, behaviour, compliance and helps develop a different outlook of the world. Reading the daily newspapers, watching television, surfing the internet are methods of persuasion whether intentionally or not. The environment is full of influencing ingredients. The skill to persuade and to resist is related to an individual's accomplishment in life. There are some who are able to resist and others who are gullible and unable to resist.
Diversity in the languages, its persuasive effect in the day to day life, and knowing how to use language to empower people, all require a critical thinker to know how and when to use the knowledge to reach the objective.
DIFFERENT USES OF LANGUAGE
Language is undoubtedly a vital means of verbal communication and it is often said that it is language which makes "humans". Language involves interpersonal communication which includes language within the individual and language and society. Together, as a family, a society, or a country, speakers of the same dialect all share an immediate sense of recognition. As a result, men inevitably transcend and perpetuate their traditions, myths and religion via the societal functions of their respective language. Language is used in everyday thought processes and also to blend into societies and perpetuate lifestyles. The pillar stones of any society are its population and human potential, both of which rely greatly on the presence of communication in the form of language.
Communication of ideas and emotions is essential for the development of society and this has been made possible because of the formation of language. Language has assisted society in many ways due to the domino effect of the benefits achieved from the opportunity to communicate. The common conversations and exchange of words and thoughts that forms and maintains societal relationships in everyday lives is intentional communication. Language has a great role to play in interpersonal communication and also in communication within individual humans and within human society. Therefore, language plays a very important role in human lives.
LANGUAGE AND THOUGHT:
Experimental situations are far removed from the complexities of real life, and it is difficult to know how to interpret the results of the studies above. In some cases, it is uncertain whether it is language that influences thought, thought that influences language, or some other factor that influences both language and thought. On the whole, however, the studies do provide support for linguistic relativity. Language does seem to have a certain influence on thought.
LANGUAGE AND THE INDIVIDUAL:
As a symbolic system, language reports to, refers to or substitutes for, direct experience. Whatever the case may be, language cannot "stand apart from or run parellel to direct experience, but completely inter-penetrates with it."
THE EXPRESSIVE FUNCTION
Language is a great force of socialization. "Language is primarily a vocal actualization of the tendency to see realities symbolically". There cannot be any meaningful social interaction without language. The language binds the people into one large group called nation. The national language socializes the behaviour of the whole nation, whereas, the regional languages help integrate regional groups. Language is the greatest and most potent force of integration.
AESTHETIC ASPECT
Language helps store culture experiences in the form of literature and other written records for the posterity. These cultural experiences form the nexus of individual realisation. It breathes life into our poets and dramatists. Short of a language, such fine arts were not possible. Aesthetic experiences are the treasure for the posterity to feel proud of it as a national treasure-house.
CONCLUSION: In the last we can say that, Language covers the entire expanse of life. It preserves the best human thoughts and achievements which enriches life. A speech without proper language is similar to a car without engine or A person with speaking abilities, but without any knowledge of language is similar of having a heart which does not beat.
Summing up language is something which distinguishes humans from other animal species, without this we are just homo-sapiens.
THE END
Rafiq Azad
Department of Information Science
and Library Management
University of Rajshahi