FUNCTION OF LANGUAGE IN HUMAN SOCIETY

Felibert R. Salvador, AB BSC MBA

Ph.D. Student – Development Management

Divine World College of Laoag

Laoag City, Philippines

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.

If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”

- Nelson Mandela
Abstract

What role does language play in our lives? Investigation of language functions is important on its
own terms; in addition it is impossible to make progress on the topic of language evolution
without a clear sense -- however speculative-- on the adaptive aspect of functionality of language
in human society. Charles Darwin, for example, suggested the following: "As the voice was used
more and more, the vocal organs would have been strengthened and perfected through the
principle of the inherited effects of use...but the relation between the continued use of language
and development of the brain, has no doubt been far more important....we may confidently
believe that the continued use and advancement of this power would have reacted on the mind
itself, by enabling it and encouraging it to carry on long trains of thought." Christian Butler has
this to say, “I believe that all human functions the gift of speech is the most miraculous and that
if speech were to stop all civilized living would suddenly vanish”. Speech is the precursor of
language, therefore, if there is no speech there is no language.

Keywords: Language, evolution, vocal organs, brain, thought, human functions, gift of speech,

Introduction

A distinguishing characteristic of man is his ability to communicate through the use of language.
This means that language has no counterpart in the animal worldview. As the name goes,
language is described as organized system of symbols that is used to express and receive
meanings (Cropper, 2003). Unique to Homo sapiens, language appears inseparable to human
nature and a feature of human intelligence. Contrary to the above is the acquisition,
comprehension, or expression of spoken or written language by man. Adopting Darwinian
perspective, language offers a bold synthesis of human and natural sciences. This is the more
reason why Philosophers, Psychologists, Counselors, social workers, medical practitioners,
scientists, researchers, administrators, CEO’s and clerical workers all perform their task through
the power of the word. The power of the word classically called “phonetic competence” reflects
a social pressure for vocal imitation, learning, and other forms of social interaction and
transmission.

Language Defined

Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex
systems of communication or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication.
The scientific study of language in any of its senses is called linguistic. The approximately 3000–
6000 languages that are spoken by humans today are the most salient examples, but natural
languages can also be based on visual rather than auditory stimuli, for example in sign
languages and written languages. Codes and other kinds of artificially constructed
communication system such as those used for computer programming can also be called
languages. A language in this sense is a system of signs for encoding and decoding
information. The English word derives ultimately from Latin lingua, "language, tongue", via Old
French. This metaphoric relation between language and the tongue exists in many languages and
testifies to the historical prominence of spoken languages.[1] When used as a general concept,
"language" refers to the cognitive faculty that enables humans to learn and use systems of
complex communication. (Wikipedia)

The human language faculty is thought to be fundamentally different from and of much higher
complexity than those of other species. Human language is highly complex in that it is based on
a set of rules relating symbols to their meanings, thereby forming an infinite number of possible
innovative utterances from a finite number of elements.

Humans acquire language through social interaction in early childhood, and children generally
speak fluently when they are around three years old. The use of language has become deeply
entrenched in human culture and, apart from being used to communicate and share information,
it also has social and cultural uses, such as signifying group identity, social stratification and
for social grooming and entertainment. The word "language" can also be used to describe the set
of rules that makes this possible, or the set of utterances that can be produced from those rules.

Language is the most important aspect in the life of all beings. We use language to express inner
thoughts and emotions, make sense of complex and abstract thought, to learn to communicate
with others, to fulfill our wants and needs, as well as to establish rules and maintain our culture.

Language can be defined as verbal, physical, biologically innate, and a basic form of
communication. Behaviorists often define language as a learned behavior involving a stimulus
and a response. (Ormrod,1995) Often times they will refer to language as verbal behaviour,
which is language that includes gestures and body movements as well as spoken word. (Pierce &
Eplin,1999) When we define language we have to be careful not to exclude symbols, gestures or
motions. This is because if we exclude these from our definition, we will be denying the
language of the deaf community. All human languages share basic characteristics, some of which
are organizational rules and infinite generativity - is the ability to produce an infinite number of
sentences using a limited set of rules and words. (Santrock & Mitterer, 2001)

Language Is More than Communication

While Darwin believed language evolved from the calls and cries of animals, it is clear in the
above passage that Darwin suggests it was the enabling of "thought" that drove the evolution of
language.

We know that all animals engage in some form of social communication. Humans, as well as
other primates, share in these basic functions in addition to whatever advantages human language
itself provides. Jane Goodall notes that human language is the single most important difference
between humans and chimpanzees. That chimpanzees have been as successful as they have been
for several million years indicates human language is hardly necessary for creatures sharing
many of our human characteristics.

There are five subsystems for language: Phonology (sound), Morphology (word forms), Syntax
(word order and sentence structure), Semantics (word and sentence meaning) and finally
Pragmatics (social use of language). Phonology is the sound system of language and the
linguistic rules that governs sound combinations. The ability of a child to have phonological
awareness of likeness and differences in sounds is necessary for the development of speech
patterns. This may be related to later reading and writing skills. Morphology is the linguistic
system that governs the structure of words and the construction of word forms from the basic
element of meaning. Children with problems in this area will experience difficulty in
understanding or producing morphological inflections. The power and function of language is
rooted in the understanding and use of suffixes and prefixes. Both can be described as major
form of oral and written communication. Also Syntax is a philosophical and linguistic rule
system governing the order and combination of words to form sentence (Cropper, 2003). On one
hand Semantics is the psycholinguistic system that patterns the content of an utterance, intent,
and meaning of words. The philosophy underplaying semantics require an individual who speaks
to understand what has been said, to comprehend the meaning of what has been said, and express
their intended meaning. Finally, Pragmatics is a sociolinguistic system that patterns the use of
language in communication, which maybe expressed motorically, vocally or verbally (Copper,
2003). It is basically the use of social situations or settings which express one’s intention. In
most instances when a person has difficulty with one subsystem, other subsystems may be
affected. When children have a language disorder, generally one of the subsystems is
substantially affected. A language disorder is the impairment or deviant development of
comprehension and/or other symbol system.

Purpose and Functionality of Language

The role and functionality of language is manifold. The discourse of reason is the function and
meaning of Greek logos. The primary meaning of word is language which attempts to
communicate feelings or intention since communication of all realities are expressed in the here
and now. The structuring of words most often becomes equivalent to the conferring of meaning
and expressions. Man who is logos has the capacity to enhance the functionality of his
expressions. Language gives reference to the expression of man; language purposefully
communicates expressions; Language gives meaning and offers intelligibility-letting human
feelings and emotions appear; letting be; meaningfulness becomes identified with the totality of
reference. But constitutionally man who is logos is inescapably time-bound, historical,
contextual, linguistic and relative. Therefore man’s ultimate interpretation, his philosophy is
necessarily historical and culture-bound, relatively to his environment and worldview. His
environment often prescribes the terminology, provoke the questions and predetermine the
answer (Okere, 1983). Based on the above argument, one can make a clear distinction between
man and animals. When objects perceived by animals are pleasant or painful, they make a sort of
affirmation or negation and then pursue or avoid the object. This experience is so with human
beings. True to all linguistic understanding, to feel pain or pleasure is to act towards what is good
or bad. Man who is logos always asserts or denies a thing to be good or bad and avoids or
pursues it. Above all, Man who is logos can speak and express his view or opinion. He can make
what is not present manifest through words so that another can see, hear or perceive it. Through
communication man expresses what he meant or what affects him. Through language man
communicates rational words which build, praise or destroys another. Gossip is conveyed
through the medium of word or language. That is why there exists in man common meaning and
concepts.

In the human world, language and communication is unique because of its rational nature. The
rational nature of language distinguishes human language from animal whispering or signals. In
the animal world language is expressive in signs. Although human language on one hand takes
place in signs, they are not rigid. Human language is variable both in the sense that there are
different languages and in the sense that within the same language, the same expression can
designate different things or different expressions at the same time.

We use language to express what we know and understand. We use language to express
ourselves before another in our families, schools, neighborhood, churches and communities. We
use language to teach and receive response from our students. We use language to engage is a
dialogue with our physicians. We use language to engage in counseling. We chat in one language
by voicing our feelings and making our anxieties felt. We use language to facilitate in group and
therapies. The world and human persona are always there as the subject matter of a particular
language community. The world without a language community is non-existent. Therefore, every
language community has a peculiar ways of expressing itself which is not easily translatable into
other languages. Every culture has a language through which they communicate meaning,
symbols and emotion. English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek and Hebrew are major
international languages that are distinguished from national dialects. All these languages have
social and significant functions to those who use them as a medium of conveying thoughts. But
no one has the capacity to know everything in his own language. This is the reason why any
claim to know a particular language in totality as it is in itself would be a contradiction as much
as it would amount to a claim to know something as it cannot be known. All languages have one
thing in common; they are real. They are not repugnant to one another; there realities always
arise from one source or an ultimate support or reality.

Merton (1949, 1967) admitted that social function refers to observable consequences and not
subjective disposition (aim, motives, purpose). And the failure to distinguish between the
objective sociological consequences and the subjective dispositions inevitably leads to confusion
of functional analysis. Therefore the social function of language is to communicate meaning in a
thought without room for confusion in functional meaning. Often times this thought is packaged
in a word with significant cultural meaning.

At this juncture, it should be clear that language is not simply an instrument or a tool. Rather,
language has its true being in conversation in the exercise and promotion and understanding
between peoples. The process of communication should not be understood as a mere action, a
purposeful activity, a setting-up of signs. Language should not be a means to impose or transmit
my will to another. Above all, language is a living process in which a community of life is lived
out. It should be thought that human language as a special and unique living process, in that in
linguistic communication, word and human worldview is disclosed. This disclosure, this function
of language means that language does not draw attention to itself but transparent to the realities
that are manifested through it. Invented systems of artificial technological inventions of
communication are not considered to be languages. They have no basis in the community of
language or social life. Technological medium of language and expression contradicts the neo-
functionalist movement in sociology that was adopted as tradition rather than as method
(Alexander, 1985). The essential function of language is in its lessons/messages. To speak means
to say what some other person understands. If this is the case, whoever speaks a language that no
one else understands does not speak. To speak means to speak to someone who understands. To
that extent, speaking does not belong in the sphere of the “I” but in the sphere of the
“We.”(Gadamar, 1976)

Conclusion

Language is a universal medium of understanding. Understanding therefore is essentially

linguistic, but to be properly so, it must transcend the limits of any particular language. There is
therefore mediation between the familiar and the alien. It is a fact that no language is a world in
itself. That means that language should not close itself against what is foreign to it, rather every
language ought to be porous, and open to absorption of new ideas and contents. In this regard,
the understanding of man’s linguistic community and his use of language ought to promote the
relationship between him and others from other linguistic communities. No linguistic community
is a world in itself. No linguistic culture is superior to another. It is only through openness to the
other that every linguistic community can develops the dynamism that is inevitable in human
development. Such openness contributes to authentic development of man who belongs to such
linguistic communities. We must submit that the universality and meditative power of language
can help promote proper understanding among the various cultures of the world. Admittedly, this
type of understanding though radical is inevitable for peace, harmony and tranquility.

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