LECTURE NOTES: LESSON 1 – ALL ABOUT LANGUAGE

What is Language?
Here are the important concepts about language:

• It is an important part of human behaviour because we use language to communicate

with others. We use language to express our thoughts, feelings, intentions and desires
to others.
• It is a communicative system made up of formal units that are integrated through
process of combination. This means that in studying language, there is a need to
understand the components of sound patterns (phonology), structure of sentences
(syntax); and analysis of meaning (semantics); structure of words (morphology) are
related and expressed; and speech sounds ( phonetics).
• Language pertains to a separate ability to put together through a system which
individuals use for communication.
• Linguists is defined as someone who studies foreign language or can speak them very
well, or someone who teaches or studies linguistics.
• Linguistic refers to language or the study of language.
What are the Characteristics of Language?
To broaden our understanding of Language, we need to understand its characteristics
1. Language is a system of communication. This means that we use language to express our
emotions—happiness, sadness, worries, knowledge, concepts and disappointments.
2. Language is human and structurally complex. This means that only human beings have
been given the gift of language however because of linguistics, cultural, social and individual
factors, it can create confusion. That is why it is said to be challenging but can be adjusted to
tailor fit the needs of everyone.

3. Language is arbitrary. Language is considered arbitrary because at times the natural

relationship between the signifier (language form) and the signified ( referent).

4. Language is a social phenomenon. It is believed that language is part of the society

because it enhances and sustains us in our human relationship. As we interact with others,
we can relate, connect and influence others, which makes us human.

5. Language is a symbolic system. The sounds, symbols that were use and their
graphological patterns that we used to create in some objects’ importance.

6. Language is systematic. It is arranged in a specific system and later on into sub systems
so that phonological, syntactical and morphological aspects will be considered.

7. Language is vocal, verbal and sound. It explains that language is consisted of sounds as
part of the physiological aspect of the human body. Our speech organs enables us to
produce sounds. On the other hand, writing can also represent vocal sounds since it
represents a graphical presentation of the sounds of language.
8. Language is productive and creative. In the study of language, new expressions may be
used or created by the speaker. It can also change depending on the need of the society
which makes it productive and creative.

9. Language is a system of communication. This means that language is used primarily for
communication to allow human beings to verbalize their opinions, longing, and emotions. It
is also thought to be the best system of communication.

10. Language is human and structurally complex. Human language is unbiased, flexible and
adjustable which is the opposite of animal language. It is only human beings who is gifted
with this ability.

What is Culture?

• The word culture originated from the Latin word cultura which means cultivation or
tending. This word was launch in the English language in the year 1430, Oxford
Dictionary
• Culture is all about a standard to life which can be gained or discovered by the
members of the group or society in a given period of time.
• It pertains to the things that you should do and you should not do.
• Culture varies with people and no society can be considered with less or more culture.
• It includes knowledge, beliefs, morals, laws, customs, habits and other thins learned by
man.
What are the Elements of Culture?
1. Values-it pertains to what is considered as good or bad but may vary from one society to
another
2. Beliefs-it refers to the body of beliefs where they based their course of actions such as
fables, superstitions, proverbs, myths, folklore, theology, philosophy, art and sciences,
and these are affected by the attitudes, emotions and values
3. Norms- these are standards of what the society believes to be acceptable and right as
part of social behaviour. This includes etiquette, speech, facial expressions and
mannerisms.
There are two types of norms
3.1. Prescriptive Norm-considered as acceptable, right and appropriate
3.2. Proscriptive Norm-unethical, wrong, illegal, inappropriate
4. Language-an important part of communication and used to pertain to the values of the
society. Language also refers to a purely human and non- instinctive method of
communicating ideas, emotions and drives by mean of voluntarily produced symbols,
(Sapir, 1961).
5. Folkways-this refers to the customs, habits and repetitive patterns of expected behaviour.
6. Mores-provides moral or ethical values which resulted from customs long used by the
people. Taboos are used when we refer to the large part of mores which are forbidden or
prohibited acts. Ex. circumcision
7. Laws-formalized norms which the state mandated through the constitution.
8. Material Culture-physical objects that is used by men.
Ex. Bow and arrow (primitive), cellular phones (millennial)
 9. Technology-these are the different procedures and information that one uses in preparing
food, tools, clothing, shelter, means of transportation and weapon.
Characteristics of Culture
1. Culture is shared.
This means that culture is shared to others through social interactions by sharing
beliefs, values and expectations of people.
2. Culture is a group product
It is considered as a group product because the habits and experiences we acquire then
passing it from generation to generations.
3. Culture is learned.
A person can learn the rules and standards of behavior through socialization or
enculturation which making learning a culture conscious or unconscious Enculturation and
socialization enables a person to learn what is socially acceptable in the society.
4. Culture is transmitted from generation to generation.
This means that culture can be transmitted to others through various forms such as
communication, mass communication, suggestion and others.
5. Culture is patterned and integrated.
In culture, it has elements which are arranged systematically to make it complete. It is
considered as integrated not just by dominant activities and social patterns but through
sustaining themes, values configurations and world views.
6. Culture is adaptive and maladaptive
Culture is considered as adaptive when the people use it to assist in gaining a stable
economy while maladaptive pertains limited resources becomes destroyed or depleted.
7. Culture is compulsory.
This characteristic of culture emphasized the need for us to accept and obey the culture
in terms of how they relate with others or else sanctions for their misdeeds will be imposed.
8. Culture is cumulative.
All cultures are dynamic and constantly changing as individuals navigate and negotiate
the beliefs, values, ideas, ideals, norms, and meaning systems that make up the cultural
environment in which they live.
9. Culture is dynamic.
It is changing as a result of human interaction.
10. Culture is diverse.
It pertains to the acceptance given by the society to people of different language, religion,
race, gender, age, religion and ethnicity. Also called as multiculturalism.
Nature of Culture
It can be said that our culture is a result of what is pass to us from one generation to
another through various forms such as imitation, instruction and examples. Biology and
instinct are not all related to culture. However, man as a member of the social group, we are
to obtain unified sets of behavioural patterns, environmental perceptions and knowledge of
existing technologies.
Main Types of Culture
1.Material Culture-It includes materials or physical culture through studying their
contemporary technology, artifacts, relics, fossils and other visible objects that will remind
them of their cultural development from past or present time.
2. Non-Material Culture-It pertains to the non-material or non-tangible culture like values,
norms, beliefs, traditions and customs that is used by a society and it can influence the way
an individual interacts with the society. Examples of these are politics, religion, language,
norms and values.
Important Terms about Culture
Culture Shock-it is described as the displeasing or confused feeling a person experiences
when they went to new surroundings. It may include feelings of anxiety, stress, frustration or
dismay.
Ethnocentrism-this happens when a person considers their culture to be more superior,
normal and right above others.
Cultural Relativism- it considers cultural practices as neither good nor bad in itself and that
its attractiveness depends on meaning, value and function in the culture which one is part of.
What is Society?

• It pertains to an organization or club that is created for a particular purpose.

• It is a big group of individuals who live together in an organized way, making decisions
about how to do things and sharing the work that needs to be done, Cambridge
Dictionary.
• Described as a voluntary association of individuals for common ends especially an
organized group working together or periodically meeting because of common
interests, beliefs or profession, Merriam Webster Dictionary.
• It pertains to the sum of the different social organizations which includes schools,
hospitals, corporations and religious groups who jointly live in a dwelling place and
depend on each other in order to survive.
Language and Culture
Language is an important part of culture and human beings cannot live without it. While
other creatures like animals can be taught how to talk, human beings are gifted with the ability
to communicate with others without any restrictions. In a research made by Edward Sapir and
Benjamin Whorf found out that the language we speak shapes the way we think about reality
or how we perceived the world.
In the Philippines, we use different kinds of words to refer to bananas ( saba, tundan,
lakatan) and others. Another example is our likeness for kinship such as sister ate ( kapatid
na babae), brother ( kapatid na lalaki), while others have a definite terms for their sister like
dichi ( second sister), sansi ( third sister) kuya ( eldest brother), diko ( second brother, sangko
( third brother).
 Here are the different roles performed by language in our culture.
1. Language is one of the most important sources of permanence for culture, outliving any
particular member. This means that culture is the most important channel of
communication and used as a means of identifying the value of society. Language can be
used to investigate the value system of individuals since it shows their choices, interest,
differences among age, sex and occupational groups.

2. Language is constantly changing through use and become richer with addition of words
through the years. The advances made by the different social and technological
advancement and the interaction of individuals with others, led to the changes in
languages. New terminologies are introduced while words can also be borrowed and
adapted.