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5 Components of Language
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5 Components of Language
By: Sarah Minor
Syntax (AKA Grammar)
The (book) definition of syntax is: "An organizational rules specifying word order, sentence organization, and word relationships." For a sentence to work out and follow the component of syntax, there must be a noun phase and a verb phase.
This can be difficult when it comes to writing due to the fact that we try to write the way we talk, which is called "talking" language.
Syntax
Examples of Syntax
I went to the store yesterday.
She was throwing a fit for her doll.
He danced the night away.
The dog played with the yellow squeaky toy.
*Note: These are all correct because they all have a noun and verb phrases.*
Examples
Relation to Communication
The reason why we need syntax when it comes to communication is because it helps us form/structure sentences.
*Syntax, along with Morphology and Phonology helps form our language.*
Relation to Communication
Video for Syntax
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Morphology
The (book) definition of morphology is: "Aspect of language concerned with rules governing change in meaning at the intra-word level."
Morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning and cannot be broken into even smaller units of meaning.
There are 4 types of morphology:
- Free
- Bound
- Derivational
- Inflectional
Free morphemes can stand alone with meaning. This would be called the root word.
Bound morphemes cannot stand alone and must be attached to a free morpheme in order to make sense. These are considered to be prefixes and suffixes.
Derivational morphemes include prefixes and suffixes which can change the class of a word.
Inflectional morphemes can only be suffixes. They are the ones that make free morphemes more specific by in-directing tense, person, number, case, and gender
Morphology
Examples of Morphology
Examples
Free Morpheme: fit
Bound Morpheme: Un-fit
Derivational Morpheme: Loving-ly or reckless-ness
Inflectional Morpheme: Teach-er (pertaining to a person) or Hope-less
Relation to Communication
The reason why we need morphology in communication is because it helps us when it comes to speaking and saying words. Since morphology is the study of words, we have to understand it in order to correctly communicate. It also helps us put possession on a word or make it plural.
Relation to Communication
Video for Morphology
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Phonology
The book defines phonology as: "Aspect of language concerned with the sequencing of speech sound patterns."
Phonology tells us where to place sounds, which can appear in combinations and how we pronounce/emphasizes sounds.
Phonemes are the smallest unit of sound; group of smaller sounds.
There is approximately 43 to 45 phonemes in the English language. Each language has many different sounds which means many variations.
Phonology
Examples of Phonology
The letter /t/ in top and think sound completely different.
The reason why /t/ sounds different in think is because the /t/ is connected to an /h/ making it make a /th/ sound, where as the /t/ in top is 1 separate sound.
The letter /s/ in snake and shake sound completely different.
The reason why /s/ sounds different in snake is because the /s/ is connected to the letter /n/, likewise with shake but instead of /n/, it's with the letter /h/.
Examples
Relation to Communication
Phonology is the study of sounds. Sounds are constantly changing when they are in different words. Phonology helps understand the structure, distribution, and the sequence of speech sounds and shape syllables.
If we didn't know that letters can change sounds in different words, then it wouldn't sound right and we would be using the same sound for that specific letter. There wouldn't be a long word or a short word.
E.X: Like 'A' and 'ah' or 'O' and 'ooo'
Video for Phonology
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Semantics AKA Vocabulary
Semantics
The definition of semantics according to the book is: "Aspect of language concerned with rules governing the meaning or content of words or grammatical units."
World knowledge is your interpretation of specific events based on how we remember them (experience) which is words and symbols definitions (primarily verbal)
Adults semantics are more advanced than children's.
There are 3 concepts of semantics:
- Validity
- Status
- Accessibility
Validity is an agreement between the user's concept and the language community's concept.
Status is a substitution of less common concepts with more common ones.
Accessibility is the ability to remember and use a new term.
Examples of Semantics
Canine can be substituted for dog while dog can be referred to hot dog and dog days of summer.
Dog can be a broad term since there are so many breeds, so when someone says dog, you probably would ask them or think, what breed is that dog.
Examples
Relation to Communication
For semantics it is the content of language. Semantics has features and restrictions. The features can help identify things like gender, positions, etc. While restrictions are things that are not allowed or that wouldn't make sense. If we didn't properly understand semantics, then we wouldn't have any structure and meaning for a word.
E.X for features: mother can include female and parent.
E.X for restriction: a male cannot be a mother due to it corresponding with a female instead of a male.
Relation to Communication
Video for Semantics
Please start video at 30 seconds.
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Pragmatics
The definition of pragmatics according to the textbook is: "Aspect of language concerned with language use within a communication context." This is used in social situations.
This can consist of:
- The purpose of communicating
- The rule for conversation
- Verbal exchange of stories, ideas, and interests.
For the rule of conversation that means turning and making eye contact and proximity.
The 3 general categories of pragmatics is:
- Selection of the appropriate linguistic form
- Use of language forms consistent with assumed roles of the speaker
- Use of ritualized forms
There are also cooperation principle which consists of:
- Quantity
- Relation
- Manner
And there are speech acts like:
- Direct
- Indirect
- Literal
- Non-literal
Pragmatics
Examples of Pragmatics
3 general categories of pragmatic rules:
Selection of appropriate form = Formal vs. Informal This means how you talk to someone who has higher class/status vs. talking to a friend.
Use of ritualized forms = "How are you?" (We just expect a few responses) like, "I'm good. How are you? or "I'm fine, thank you."
For Cooperation Principle:
Quantity = "You talk to much!"
Quality = "Liar, Liar, pants on fire!"
Relation = "You are off in left field, what are you talking about?!"
Manner = "Stop beating around the bush."
Speech Acts:
Direct = "Change the channel?"
Indirect = "Boy, I wonder if football is on?" (Indirect way of requesting.)
Literal = "You're so smart!" (after a child earns an A on an important test/quiz.)
Non-literal = "You're smart!" (after a friend catches the Tv on fire while messing around.)
Examples
Relation to Communication
The reason why we need pragmatics is because pragmatics is social interaction. It is the overall organizing principle of language and that all of the components of language are linked in some way.
A change in one of the components can modify development/use of another component.
Video for Pragmatics
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Citation List:
Owens, R. E. (2019). Language development: an introduction. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.