MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
MODULE 1
REVIEW ON LINGUISTIC COMPONENTS OF LANGUAGE
1|P age
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
Module REVIEW ON LINGUISTIC
1 COMPONENTS OF LANGUAGE
INTRODUCTION
“For a nation of people, with their language threading throughout the various
components of their society, what exudes from that nation is its overall culture—its way of
doing things, its way of seeing the world (worldview), its way of believing, its values. As a
result, when the nation experiences a ‘shift’ in its language by the interjection of another
language, the original culture is correspondingly interrupted and skewed towards a new way
of doing things, seeing things, and believing,” - Bonnie Jane Maracle
(Source: 15 Quotes That Remind Us How Important Language and Culture Are (2020) Retrieved August 21, 2020 from
[Link]
d49rUdd5aEe1aZRcNLWGSA)
Language, culture and society have cyclical and overlapping relationship with each
other, just like what Maracle stated in the quote above. The words that we speak are greatly
influenced by our society and culture. Moreover, the words that we speak influence and may
cause changes to our society and culture. Hence, as what Maracle specified, if the language
of a certain group of people living in a specific society is changed, the original culture is
interrupted – the culture may stop or modified. And, if this happens the way of life in the
society also changes, ushering new characteristics or traits of the society.
For example, when we in the Asian countries, especially in the Philippines accepted the
English language as a medium for academics, business and governance; we also embraced
western wisdom and liberal ways. Hence, some of our traditional and strict processes in these
areas became more ‘western’ or ‘modern’.
Another example that shows that the actual language we speak plays an important role
in shaping our reality is the differences in how the English and the Swedish call their
grandparents. The English people have the words grandfather and grandmother, but they
have no single word that distinguishes between a maternal grandfather and a paternal
grandfather. The Swedish on the other hand, have a specific word for each grandparent:
• morfar is mother’s father,
• farfar is father’s father,
2|P age
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
• farmor is father’s mother, and
• mormor is mother’s mother (Crystal, 2005 a).
Crystal, D. (2005). How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning, and Languages Live or Die .
Woodstock, NY: Overlook Press, 155
Comparing languages, we can see differences in how we are able to talk about the
world. In the example above, we can see that the words available to us, based on the language
we speak, influence how we talk about the world due to differences in and limitations of
vocabulary.
Hence, we can say that language is a very powerful factor in the developments of culture
and society. As pre-service teachers majoring in the English language, you need a
comprehensive understanding of the nature and components of language for you to become
a better agent of language and a responsible steward of the ideals of culture and society and
transmitter of good changes for progress and development.
This chapter will introduce to you the nature and linguistic components of language so
that you can fully understand and appreciate the complex relationship of language to culture
and society.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the chapter, the students should be able to:
1. describe the nature, functions, important concepts and terms related to
language;
2. compare and contrast related linguistic terms and concepts ;
3. cite real-life instances that illustrate the functions and importance of language,
and the linguistic terms and concepts discussed in this chapter; and
4. explain the complex relationship of language, culture and society
WARM UP ACTIVITY
Let us define language, culture and society. Match the following definitions to the
fitting column in the given table. Write the letter of the definition only.
Definitions:
a. the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community
3|P age
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
b. the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation,
people, or other social group
c. an organization or club formed for a particular purpose or activity
d. the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group
of people at a particular time
e. the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and
understood by a community
f. the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people,
encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts
g. the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of
the use of words in a structured and conventional way
h. a large group of people who live together in an organized way, making
decisions about how to do things and sharing the work that needs to be done
i. a system of communication used by a particular country or community
Answers:
Language Culture Society
LESSON 1
Nature of Language
Language refers 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 linguistics.
Language is a system of signs for encoding and decoding information. The English word
“language” is derived from Latin lingua “language, tongue”. This metaphoric relation between
language and the tongue exists in many languages and testifies to the historical prominence
of spoken languages. When used as a general concept, “language”; refers to the cognitive
faculty that enables humans to learn and use systems of complex communication.
Relationship of Language to Culture and Society
4|P age
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
The image below will tell us about the relationship of language and culture.
Language is a part of the culture, so the relationship between language and culture is
subordinate relationship, which the languages are under the cultural sphere. Language and
culture are the two systems that attached in human life. If culture as a system that regulates
the human interaction in society, the language will be a system that serves as a means of the
interaction ongoing.
Central Activity 1
-A
Watch an informative video from YouTube which can be accessed in this URL:
[Link] . This video is created by Guanqing Lin
(2018) and is titled, “The Relationship between Language and Society”. List down important
concepts as you watch the video.
The video by Lin (2018) focused more on the relationship between language and
society. To substantiate your learning of the relationship of language and culture, read the
article by Aubrey Neil Leveridge (2008) titled, “The Relationship Between Language & Culture
and the Implications for Language Teaching”. This article can be accessed from
5|P age
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
[Link] . Read the article
critically, taking down important notes.
After watching and reading these resources, do the instructions below.
Instructions: Search for two related quotes from famous and respected individuals.
Make sure these quotes are related to the topics discussed in the video that you
watched and read. Explain why these quotes you have chosen are related to the
materials you studied. Encode your answers in the template below.
Answer Sheet Template for Finding Related Quotes
Name: _________________________________________
Year and Section: _________________________________
Date of Submission: _______________________________
Quote 1:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________
By: ________________________________________________________________________
Reference: __________________________________________________________________
Explain in not more than 100 words but not less than 50 words how this quote is related to
the lesson. Make sure to have this explanation undergo plagiarism check conforming with
the policy as discussed in the syllabus.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Quote 2:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
6|P age
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________
By: ________________________________________________________________________
Reference: __________________________________________________________________
Explain in not more than 100 words but not less than 50 words how this quote is related to
the lesson. Make sure to have this explanation undergo plagiarism check conforming with
the policy as discussed in the syllabus.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
LESSON 2
Roles and Functions of Language
There are two authorities pertaining functions of language. They are Michael
Halliday and Roman Jakobson.
Halliday (1975) identifies seven functions that language has for children in their early
years. Children are motivated to acquire language because it serves certain purposes or
functions for them.
The first four functions help the child to satisfy physical, emotional and social needs.
These are:
1. Instrumental: This is when the child uses language to express their needs (e.g.
'Want juice')
2. Regulatory: This is where language is used to tell others what to do (e.g. 'Go
away')
3. Interactional: Here language is used to make contact with others and form
relationships (e.g 'Love you, mummy')
7|P age
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
4. Personal: This is the use of language to express feelings, opinions and individual
identity (e.g. 'Me good girl')
The next three functions help the child to come to terms with his or her environment.
These are:
5. Heuristic: This is when language is used to gain knowledge about the
environment (e.g. 'What the tractor doing?')
6. Imaginative: Here language is used to tell stories and jokes, and to create an
imaginary environment.
7. Representational: The use of language to convey facts and information
(Source: [Link] )
The table below is supplemental to Halliday’s classification of functions of language:
(Retrieved August 22, 2020 from [Link]
[Link])
On the other hand, Roman Jakobson defined six functions of language (or
communication functions), according to which an effective act of verbal communication can
be described. Each of the functions has an associated factor.
The six functions of language according to Jakobson are:
1. Referential function - corresponds to the factor of context and describes a
situation, object or mental state. The descriptive statements of the referential
function can consist of both definite descriptions and deictic words.
Example: "The autumn leaves have all fallen now."
Similarly, the referential function is associated with an element whose true value
is under questioning especially when the truth value is identical in both the real
and assumptive universe.
8|P age
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
2. Poetic function - focuses on "the message for its own sake" (how the code is
used) and is the operative function in poetry as well as slogans.
3. Emotive function - relates to the Addresser (sender) and is best exemplified by
interjections and other sound changes that do not alter the denotative meaning
of an utterance but do add information about the Addresser's (speaker's)
internal state.
Example: "Wow, what a view!"
4. Conative function - engages the Addressee (receiver) directly and is best
illustrated by vocatives and imperatives.
Example: "Tom! Come inside and eat!"
5. Phatic function - language for the sake of interaction and is therefore associated
with the Contact/Channel factor. The Phatic Function can be observed in
greetings and casual discussions of the weather, particularly with strangers. It
also provides the keys to open, maintain, verify or close the communication
channel.
Example: "Hello?", "Ok?", "Hummm", "Bye"...
6. Metalingual (alternatively called "metalinguistic" or "reflexive") function - is the
use of language (what Jakobson calls "Code") to discuss or describe itself.
( Source: [Link] )
9|P age
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
(Retrieved August 22, 2020 from [Link]
Retrieved August 22, 2020 from [Link]
10 | P a g e
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
In the diagram above, Jakobson illustrated that context, message, channel and code
operate between the sender (addressee) and the receiver (addresser). Without one of these
elements, communication fails. (Heber, 2020)
Heber, L. (2020). The Functions of Language. Retrieved August 22, 2020 from
[Link]
Central Activity 2
-A
Study the table on Language Functions as shown below. Relate this table to the
information presented to you about Halliday’s and Jakobson’s Functions of Language. Discuss
the similarities and differences of this table from the theories of Halliday and Jakobson.
Follow the suggested format of the answer sheet for this purpose. Again, make sure to have
your answer undergo plagiarism check in consonance with the policy discussed in the syllabus.
Retrieved August 22, 2020 from [Link]
11 | P a g e
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
Name: ____________________________________________
Year and Section: ___________________________________
SIMILARITIES:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
DIFFERENCES:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
LESSON 3
Importance of Language
How powerful language is to you, to your community and to the world? Can you
function without language? Can you realize your needs and wants without using any
language? Will things be better and easier in your life if you know two or more languages?
Will you be willing to learn more languages and be multilingual? How important is it for you
to master the English language?
12 | P a g e
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
Let us find out answers to these questions from selected videos which can be accessed
from the following URLs:
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
Language is what makes us human. It is how people communicate. By learning a
language, it means you have mastered a complex system of words, structure, and grammar
to effectively communicate with others.
To most people, language comes naturally. We learn the to communicate even before
we can talk. As we age, we discover ways to govern language to truly convey what we wish to
mention with words. Of course, not all communication is through language, but mastering a
language certainly helps speed up the process. This is one of the many reasons why language
is important.
Language Is Important To Culture And Society
Language helps us express our emotions and thoughts — this is unique to us because it
is a way to express unique ideas and customs within different cultures and societies.
By learning a foreign language, you can understand ideas and thoughts that may be
different from your own culture. You can learn customs and how people interact in a given
society. Language helps preserve cultures, but it also allows us to learn about others and
spread ideas quickly.
Language Is Important To Business
The importance of language in business is unmatched. Without language here, we can’t
share ideas and grow them into something more. Whether this implies learning a foreign
language so you can share ideas with people who come from a different country, or simply
learning how to use language to master an interview, demand presence in a room, or network
with others, language is vital.
Language Is Important For Individuals And Development
Humans all learn to talk at slightly different times, and observing when a child starts to
use language can be indicative of how well they are developing. But this does not just apply
to babies. It also applies to young children learning a second language in school that’s
different than the language they speak at home, adults learning a second language, or even
those who may have lost language due to some type of accident, and are working on regaining
it.
13 | P a g e
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
Language Is Important For Personal Communication
Though much of human communication is non-verbal (we can demonstrate our
thoughts, feelings and ideas by our gestures, expressions, tones, and emotions) language is
important for personal communication. Whether it’s being able to talk to your friends, your
partner, or your family, having a shared language is necessary for these types of interactions.
LESSON 4
Kachru’s Concentric Circles (Inner, Outer, Expanding Circles)
Throughout the history of English, experts have proposed many models to try to classify its
speakers. However, not all linguists agree on which one is the best. In this lesson, we are trying to take
a look at Kachru’s model proposed four decades ago. But, before starting to discuss the model, we
need to be aware of the fact that this is a three-group model. That is, one that classifies speakers as:
• ENL: English as a native language, these are native speakers born in an English-speaking
country, having then this language as their mother tongue.
• ESL: English as a second language, these are the non-native speakers who have learnt English
almost at the same time as their mother tongue.
• EFL: English as a foreign language, these are the non-native speakers who learnt English in a
country where English is not usually spoken.
For many sociolinguists, the one proposed by Braj Kachru in 1988 is the most important and
accurate model. His “Three circle model of World Englishes”, states that there are three circles inside
which, the different speakers are classified. The different circles are:
• The Inner Circle which is made up the traditional bases of English and its speakers are the
ones in charge of providing the norms. These places are where the norms are created and
from which they spread to the other circles. Some of the countries that conform the Inner
Circle are USA, UK and Canada.
14 | P a g e
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
• The Outer Circle represents the places where they speak official non-native varieties of English
because of their colonial history. The speakers of these places are the ones who challenge the
norms and develop them and are mainly ESL. Some of the countries that belong to this circle
are India, Pakistan and Egypt.
• The Expanding Circle is made up by EFL speakers where English is not usually
spoken. In this circle, the speakers have to follow the rules stablished by the Inner Circle and
developed by the Outer one. Some examples of countries that belong to this circle are China,
Russia and Brazil.
The Inner Circle, as explained, is made up by the countries which belong to the first diaspora.
These countries are where the linguistic and cultural bases of English are traditionally located. The
Outer Circle belongs to the second diaspora - thanks to the colonization of different places in Asia and
Africa by the British Empire. One of the most important things to take into account regarding this circle
is that the English varieties spoken there are usually in constant contact with other languages. This
causes the English variety to be influenced by those other languages and in some cases to incorporate
some of their features. This is why the Outer Circle is norm-developing – the contact with other
languages prompts changes in its vocabulary and sometimes in its grammar. The Expanding Circle was
15 | P a g e
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
never colonized by the British Empire and therefore English is not a language spoken by a significant
number of people in the country.
However, we also have to take into account that this model also presents some problems because
it does not take into account ecosystems in its classification but nations. Because of this, Kachru is, for
instance, only including Standard English without analyzing the numerous other varieties of UK. The
same thing happens regarding the Outer Circle. Secondly, we have the problem that he only
considers pidgins and creoles that are considered official in their different countries. This leaves many
of speakers out of his model as well. And lastly, he does not consider the notion
of proficiency importance, and therefore a native speaker who left school at an early age and does
not know many of the grammar rules of the language is considered to be a better speaker than for
example an English teacher from Spain who is more prepared and is aware of all the rules of the
language.
All in all, Kachru’s model has had a lot of importance in the history of sociolinguistics,
however, it also shows some problems that need to be solved in order to include all the speakers of
the English language. (Source: Kachru Model “The Three Circles of English. 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2020 from
[Link]
To substantiate this reading about Kachru’s model, you are required to read the
following web articles which can be accessed from:
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
Central Activity 3
-A
To substantiate the reading about Kachru’s model, you are required to read the
following web articles which can be accessed from:
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
16 | P a g e
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
After reading, write your learnings through an essay that is not more than 100 words
following the template below. Make sure to have your essay undergo plagiarism check as
discussed in the syllabus.
Name: ____________________________________________
Year and Section: ___________________________________
LEARNINGS:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
LESSON 5
Overview of Linguistic Terms and Concepts
In this part of the chapter, we are going to define important terms and concepts needed
to build the foundation knowledge that you need to fully understand the rest of the topics in
the next chapters of our course. There are several concepts that needed to be compared and
contrasted.
Macro Skills
This refers to the primary skills set relative to a particular context especially in the use
of a language. The five macro skills are listening, speaking, reading, writing and viewing.
Communicative Competence
17 | P a g e
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
This refers to a learner's ability to use language to communicate successfully. It involves
Linguistic Competence, Discourse Competence, Sociolinguistic Competence and Strategic
Competence.
Multilingualism
This refers to the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by
a group of speakers.
First Language (L1)
This refers to the first language, native tongue, native language, or
mother/father/parent tongue, is a language that a person has been exposed to from birth or
within the critical period.
Second Language (L2)
This a language that is not the native language of the speaker, but is learned later. This
may be a target language.
Macro and Micro Linguistic Studies
Macro-linguistics is the study of language on a large scale, relating to the development
and trends of languages and usage. Micro-linguistics is a small scale observation of language,
particularly dealing with the concepts of grammar, syntax, and individual words.
18 | P a g e
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
Prescriptive vs. Descriptive
Prescriptive grammar describes when people focus on talking about how a language
should or ought to be used. It tells how one should speak, and what type of language to avoid.
It is about distinguishing correct from incorrect sentences. It is concerned with what the
grammarians think to be right or wrong, that is, it differentiates between good and bad
language users.
Descriptive grammar focuses on describing the language as it is used, not saying how it
should be used. It is based on the language used by its speakers. Descriptive linguists try to
analyze real language data so that they can formulate rules governing its use. The aim is not
to distinguish good from bad language users. Many forms of language that prescriptive
grammarians think are not grammatical may be included in the data the descriptive linguists
analyze.
Diachronic vs. Synchronic
Diachronic is the approach of analysis and investigation of a particular language in its
entire history, while the synchronic approach on the other hand does only takes into account
one sole aspect of the examined language.
Contrasting terms in LINGUISTICS, which make a distinction between the study of the
history of language (diachronic linguistics) and the study of a state of language at any given
time (synchronic linguistics).
Oral Language vs. Written Language
Oral language is meant to be spoken. Written is something taken down, either on a
paper or an online sheet.
Writing is a fairly static form of transfer. Speaking is a dynamic transfer of information.
To be an effective speaker, you must exploit the dynamism of oral communication, but also
learn to work within its limitations. While there is a higher level of immediacy and a lower
level of retention in the spoken word, a speaker has more ability to engage the audience
psychologically and to use complex forms of non-verbal communication. (Source:
[Link]
Standard English vs. World Englishes
Standard English (SE) is the type of English that underwent considerable regularization
and is associated with formal schooling and official use.
19 | P a g e
MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
World Englishes refers to the different “English languages” that emerge as it is used in
various contexts across the world.
Linguistic Universals and Universal Grammar
A linguistic universal is a pattern that occurs systematically across natural languages,
potentially true for all of them.
Universal Grammar states that a certain set of structural rules are innate to humans,
independent of sensory experience. It believes that the human brain contains a limited set of
constraints for organizing language. This implies, in turn, that all languages have a common
structural basis: the set of rules known as "universal grammar"
Central Activity 4
-A
Answer the quiz to be given by your professor.
Assessment
Design a collage summarizing Chapter 1: REVIEW ON LINGUISTIC COMPONENTS OF
LANGUAGE.
Present this is in class.
Your output will be graded through the following criteria:
Content / Message 30 points
Clarity and organization of visuals 20 points
Relatedness of the visuals and the slogan 20 points
Relatedness to the theme 20 points
Overall Impact / Artistry 10 points
========
100 pts
20 | P a g e