III.

Characteristics of Language • Similarly Syntactical rules of

the language., words too
a. Ten defined characteristics of
combine to form sentences
language which proves Language
according to certain
to be a unique possession of Human
conventions i.e. grammatical
Beings but not of Animals.
or structural rules of the
language. However, sentence
• Language is a mirror of mind
must conform to the
in a deep significant sense. It
established language
is a product of human
conventions of the Syntactical
intelligence, created anew in
rules of language.
each individual by operations
that lie far beyond the reach of
• Language is thus rightly
will or consciousness.
called as system of systems as
Non-human Communication Systems are it operates at the two levels of
based on one of the following three designs: ‘patterning’ which is also
called as ‘duality of
1. A finite repertory of calls (one for
patterning’.
warnings of predators, one for claims
of territory and so on.)
2. A continuous analog signal that
2. Discrete or Symbolic System:
registers of some state (the livelier
‘Language is a system of
the dance of the bee, the richer the
conventional spoken or written
food source that it is telling its
symbols by means of which human
hivemate.)
beings, as members of a social group
3. A series of random variations on a
and participants in its culture,
theme (a birdsong repeated with a
communicate’
new twist each time.)
- A symbol is a concrete event, object
or mark that stands for something
- Human beings also make noises to relatively abstract.
communicate with other human
beings. There are, however, - A speaker or writer wants to
significant characteristics features of communicate with another fellow
human languages are the following: being, puts his message across in the
form of symbols. The receiver of the
1. Duality or Patterning: ‘Language is message, who shares a common code
a symbol system based on pure or with the sender of the message,
arbitrary conventions… infinitely decodes this message sent in the form
extendable and modifiable according of symbols and interprets these to
to the changing needs and conditions arrive at a certain meaning.
of the speakers’. Robins (1985).
- Thus, language is a symbol system,
- Language is not an amorphous, and every language is discrete.
disorganized, or chaotic combination
of sounds. Language operates at two 3. Grammar: ‘When we study human
levels of systems: Phonological and language, we are approaching what
Syntactical. some might call the “human
essence,” the distinctive qualities of
• At the phonological level, mind that are, so far as we know,
Sounds are arranged in certain unique to mind’.
fixed or established,
systematic order to form - The human brain contains a program
meaningful units or Words that can build an unlimited set of
and of smaller formal units sentences out of a finite list of words
called Morphemes. called as ‘mental grammar’.
- Human language has a very different limit to the length of anyone
design. The discrete combinational sentence.
system called ‘grammar’ makes
human language infinite, digital and - It can be continued to any length by
compositional. repeating the relative clause pattern.
This property of language, which
4. Species-Specific & Species enables sentences to be formed inside
Uniform: “Language is a purely other sentences, is called
human and non-instinctive method of recursiveness or creativity.
communicating ideas, emotions and
desires by means of a system of 7. Arbitrariness: “A language is a
voluntarily produced symbols”. system of arbitrary vocal symbols by
means of which a social group
- Only human being possesses cooperates”.
language, and all normal humans
uniformly possess it and use it for - This means that there is no inherent
communication. Language is, in that connection between sounds and
sense, species-specific- it is specific symbols, or between symbols and
only to one set of species. their referents.

- Also, all human beings uniformly - Thus, the relation between a word and
possess language. It is only a few deaf its meaning is quite arbitrary; it is a
persons who cannot speak. Thus, matter of convention.
language is species-uniform to that
extent - Language is arbitrary in the sense that
there is no inherent relation between
5. Form of Social Behavior: the words of a language and their
“Language is the institution whereby meanings, or the ideas conveyed by
humans communicate and interact them.
with each other by means of
habitually used oral-auditory - Language may, therefore, be called a
arbitrary symbols”. system of conventional symbols,
where each symbol represents a
- Language has to be acquired and stretch of sounds with which a
learnt, it do not passes from parent to meaning is associated.
a child. Both acquisition & learning
of language is possible in society. A - It may be noted that had language not
human child learns to speak the been arbitrary, there would have been
language of the community or only one language in the world.
group in which he or she is placed.
8. Displacement: “No matter how
- Language is thus a form of social eloquently a dog may bark, he cannot
behavior. tell you that his parents were poor but
honest”.
6. Creativity: “A language is a set
(finite or infinite) of sentences, each - Human language possesses the
finite in length and constructed out of quality of being ‘context free’ i.e.
a finite set of elements” human beings can talk about
experiences without actually living
- Human brain is competent enough to them and of objects and events not
construct different sentences from out physically present at the time and
of the limited set of sound/symbols place of speaking because the use of
belonging to a particular language. human language is not directly
Human brain is so productive, that controlled by stimulus.
using a few basic principles of
construction, it can create a large - Only Human language users are
number of constructions; there is no capable of producing messages
pertaining to the present, past or
 future, near or distant places, i.e. in a - In order to choose the most effective
multidimensional setting. language, the writer must consider the
objective of the document, the
9. Culture-preserving & Culture- context in which it is being written,
transmission: ‘Thanks to language, and who will be reading it.
man became Man’.
(Characteristics of Effective Language)
- Language is culture-preserving and
culture-transmitting. Language is the There are six main characteristics of effective
most dynamic form in which language. Effective language is: (1) concrete
culture is preserved and and specific, not vague and abstract; (2)
transmitted to future generations. concise, not verbose; (3) familiar, not
obscure; (4) precise and clear, not
10. Dynamic: “A language is a symbol inaccurate or ambiguous; (5) constructive,
system…based on pure or arbitrary not destructive; and (6) appropriately
convention…infinitely extendable formal.
and modifiable according to the
changing needs and conditions of the
speakers”. 1. Concrete and Specific Language

- Language is dynamic; it is not - Concrete language includes

static. It keeps on changing at all the descriptions which create tangible
levels- at the level of sounds, words images with details the reader can
and word-meanings, sentences. visualize. Abstract language is vague
Language is changing, growing every and obscure and does not bring to
day, and new words continue to be mind specific visual images.
added to it in the course of time.
2. Concise Language
- Language is thus open-ended,
modifiable, and extendable. - A hallmark of effective writers is the
ability to express the desired
(The possession of language, perhaps more message in as few words as possible.
than any other attribute, distinguishes Good writers, in other words, use
humans from other animals and it makes language which is straightforward
humans ‘unique’.”) and to-the-point.

3. Familiar Language
b. Effective Use of Language.
- Familiar language is that which the
readers easily recognize and
(The Importance of Language)
understand because they use it on a
- As a writer, it is important not only to regular basis. One of the most
think about what you say, but how important functions of language is to
you say it. To communicate build "homophily" or a sense of
effectively, it is not enough to have commonality with one's readers.
well organized ideas expressed in
complete and coherent sentences and - Language which is foreign and
paragraphs. One must also think unfamiliar to the reader tends to
about the style, tone and clarity of emphasize the differences between
his/her writing, and adapt these writer and reader and makes the
elements to the reading audience. message difficult to understand. By
using language that is familiar to
- Again, analyzing one's audience the reader, the message is likely to
and purpose is the key to writing have more impact.
effectiveness.
4. Precise and Clear Language

- The use of appropriate language is a

tricky matter because the meaning of
words is relative and situational.

- In other words, words can be

interpreted in different ways by
different people in different
situations. For this reason, it is
important to choose language which
is as precise and clear as possible.
The more precise and clear one's
use of language becomes, the fewer
the number of possible
interpretations for a message.

- In short, it is wise to think carefully

about your choice of words and their
potential interpretations. To
communicate effectively, precise
and clear language is essential.

5. Constructive Language

- Constructive language phrases a

potentially negative message in a
positive way, whereas destructive
language directs blame and criticism
toward the reader, creating
defensiveness.

- Readers are likely to become

defensive when the writer's language
expresses any or all of the following:

• Superiority over the reader

• Indifference or apathy about an
issue of importance to the reader
• Negative evaluation or judgment
of the reader (as opposed to
neutral descriptions or
observations)
• Command or control over the
reader
• Skepticism or doubt about the
reader's credibility or the
legitimacy of their claim

6. Formality of Language

- The formality of the language one

uses should match the formality of the
situation and the relationship between
the writer and reader.