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A Language System and Its Structural Pattern

Language is a complex system made up of interconnected subsystems. It includes phonology, which studies sounds; morphology, which studies word structures; syntax, which studies sentence structures; pragmatics, which studies language in context; and semantics, which studies meaning. These subsystems work together to allow humans to communicate effectively through spoken, written, or signed symbols within a social group and culture.

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Ronald Dorado
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53 views

A Language System and Its Structural Pattern

Language is a complex system made up of interconnected subsystems. It includes phonology, which studies sounds; morphology, which studies word structures; syntax, which studies sentence structures; pragmatics, which studies language in context; and semantics, which studies meaning. These subsystems work together to allow humans to communicate effectively through spoken, written, or signed symbols within a social group and culture.

Uploaded by

Ronald Dorado
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A Language System and Its

Structural Pattern
Presenter: Ronald L. Dorado
What is language?
a system of conventional spoken, manual (signed), or written symbols by means of
which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture,
express themselves. The functions of language include communication, the
expression of identity, play, imaginative expression, and emotional release
- britanica.com

the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining


them used and understood by a community
- Merriam-Webster
What is language?
is the inherent capability of the native speakers to understand and form
grammatical sentences. A language is a set of (finite or infinite)
sentences, each finite length and constructed out of a finite set of
elements.
- Noam Chomsky

is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas,


emotions, and desires through a system of voluntarily produced sounds
- Sapir
Language System
Language System

Language is a system and  a complex as organs of the human body.


The system of the body functions through different organs such as heart, lungs,
brain, ears and eyes. These various organs are interconnected and work in
coordination. Similarly, the systems of a language function through sound, words
and structure. These are integrated with one another and constitute the complex
organic whole which is language. While someone says, “My friends is reading a
book” he uses language, he uses sounds (m, ai, f, r, e, n, d, z, r, I’d, I, t], a, b, u,
k), words (my, friend, is, reading, a, book) and an accepted sentence pattern
(SvVo). He could not communicate if he were to use only of the elements of
language. It should be taught and learnt as a system.
Language System and Its Structural Pattern

Phonolo
gy

• Language is a system of
Morpho Syntax
structures logy
The
• Language is a linguistic system of
language
system made up of various
subsystems
Pragma Seman
tics tics
Language System and Its Structural Pattern

Phonology is the study of sound systems in language. This


includes phonemes (the smallest units of sound),
intonation/stress patterns, and syllable structure/sound
sequence.

Example: t says /t/ in baton but /sh/ in nation


Language System and Its Structural Pattern
Morphology is the study of the structure of words.  This includes
morphemes, the smallest units of meaning, and how they are used.  These
morphemes include root words, suffixes, prefixes, and the parts of
compound words.

Example: Paint has one morpheme, paint. Painted has two


morphemes, paint and –ed. The –ed makes the base word past-tense. 
Repainted has three morphemes, paint, –ed and re-, which changed the
meaning to imply that it was painted again.
Language System and Its Structural Pattern

Syntax is the rules that govern the way that words are organized
in a sentence and the way sentences are arranged.

Example: In the English language, we put adjectives before the


noun that they are describing. In other languages, like Spanish,
this is the opposite, and adjectives come after the words that they
describe.
Language System and Its Structural Pattern
Pragmatics is the study of language in context. Pragmatics also addresses
“invisible” meaning in language.

Example: The question “Why did you do that?” said by a teacher in the
context of a student completing a classroom project is likely genuine in its
need for a response and would encourage a student to vocalize their
critical thinking and problem solving skills.  The same question said by a
parent after a child draws on the walls or furniture would have a different
meaning.
Language System and Its Structural Pattern

Semantics is the study of the meaning and relationships of


words, phrases, and sentences in a language.  It also
addresses linguistic expressions, modality, and cognates.

Example: The word leaves can refer to the plural of “leaf”


or is a form of the verb “leave.”
REFERENCES:
https://karenaboutkids.wordpress.com/2017/04/29/the-5-subsystems-of-language/
https://sites.google.com/site/lang502structuresofenglish/elements-of-a-language
https://englishfinders.com/definition-of-language-by-scholars/
https://notesread.com/why-language-is-a-system-of-systems/

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