The Nature, Goals and Content of the Language Subject Areas

Introduction
The language subjects are tool subjects. Language proficiency is basic in learning. If a child fails to acquire these basic language skills, his/her academic performance suffers. If a child is frustrated with his/her academic performance, chances are he/she drops out of school and eventually reverts to illiteracy. When we teach language subject, what is it we are occupied with? We are occupied with the teaching of a system of symbols and rules that is used for meaningful communication.

The Nature and Structure of Language

The Criteria of System of Communication A language uses symbols which are sounds, gestures or written characters that represent objects, actions, events and ideas. A language is meaningful and therefore can be understood by other users of that language A language is generative which means that the symbols of a language can be combined to produce an infinite number of messages. A language has rules that govern how symbols can be arranged

The Building Blocks of Language Phonemes. They are the smallest distinguishable units in a language. Morphemes. They are the smallest meaningful units in a language and usually whole words or meaningful parts of words such as prefixes, suffixes and word stems. Syntax is a system of rules that governs how words can be meaningfully arranged to form phrases and sentences.

Properties of Human Language Creative and Dynamic. In Filipino new words like tapsilog, pogi prove that language is indeed creative and dynamic. Our emerging Filipino language accepts the influences from other languages and so is very dynamic and continually evolving Structured. There are grammatical rules to follow. Meaningful. It can be understood by other users of the language Referential. Evening star, morning star. Interpersonal. My description has to be understood by my listeners.

Purposes of Language Teaching Our focus in teaching communication is to help our students develop communicative and academic competencies. The use of multidisciplinary approach in teaching language is very appropriate. In our language teaching, we should a get hooked not only in the development of cognitive and academic competencies but also with the development of cultural enrichment and aesthetic appreciation for both English and Filipino. This is the rationale beyond the current practice of interspersing our language lessons with literary study especially in the secondary level.

Course Descriptions of the Language Subject Areas and Goals of Language Teaching

It has been observed that education students go through their pre-service education without becoming fully familiar with the descriptions of the subjects they will teach and the goals and objectives with which they should be most concerned and for which should be prepare. They get concrete grasp of their course or subject expectations perhaps partially when they are engaged in student teaching and fully only when they are already in the classroom to teach, when pre-service is over. Of course teachers can always familiarize themselves with their subjects once they get hire for teaching but it could have been better if, before they were thrown into the classroom, they were already fully acquainted with the content and expectations of their courses. If we agree with what was once said of Education students and Teachers: First Year Education Students are characterized by no concern, student teachers by increased concern, beginning teachers by survival concerns and experienced teachers by self concerns., then it is indeed wise to ensure that Education students are introduced to the subjects they will teach to have increased concern over pre-service preparation early enough because they see its significance in the light of the future teaching job. Besides forewarned is forearmed! A thorough study of the course descriptions and goals or expectations of the subjects they will be teaching will avoid the pitfall met by those ahead of them. The course description is the birds eye view of the language subjects they will be teaching soon and the foals and expectations will further clarify their view.