Language?

"Why do we use language?" 

                                                                                           Crystal (1997, p.10)

For many this question has never popped up into their minds, but for me lately it has. While reading Language and Deafness, by Peter V. Paul, it was one of the first things I read and it kind of stuck. To many, language will always be there and will just roll of the tongue but for me there is a need for the break down of it all. How does it all work? How do we come about language? What is language at its smallest form?
     
For me I would have to start by breaking it down, so let us do that together.
Good news, we can break it down into two major sections...

Structure                               &                               Function

            

Both structure and function are very important when it comes to the topic of language.

Structure is the framework, detailed with the components of language. Above and below you can see the five different levels of language and a little bit about what they mean.

Pragmatics-  meaning in context of discourse

Semantics- Literal meaning of phrases and sentences

Syntax- phrases and sentences

Morphology- words

Phonology- phonemes

Phonetics- speech sounds

To think that all of these components make up our structure of language can be a little over whelming. That without truly thinking about each individual morphology we use, our words for the most part come out sounding great. Pretty spectacular if you ask me. 

So how do we use our language, what is its true function? That would be communication. We are always communicating, seems to be everyday and every moment we are using language. Whether you or I are exchanging looks, texting, or yelling something out at a concert we are communicating. It cracks down to the interactions you have with yourself or one another. 

When looking at the breakdown of language it really is not to hard to see the organization of it all, but in reality how complex it would be to take every social interaction and break down the structure in each sound. Nuts!!! Lets just let our brains do all the work. 

Overall, language with its entirety was introduced to me in Chapter two of Peter V. Paul's book. I found it to be very educational with a basic introductory of the structure and function of language. The author did not try to over do the definitions but constructed the chapter in a very organized line of descriptions. 

For me I am a curious one... If I were Deaf and or Hard of hearing would the English language need to be my first experience with language? Would all these levels of language be of little use to one who will never learn to speak, only wishing to sign? What are the main levels to American Sign Language, ASL?