LECTURE ENGLISH 102

Nature and Significance of Language

Language – a system of communication both oral or written form between humans through
written or vocal symbols.
-a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventionalized
signs, sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meaning
- man’s chief means of communication.

Word – someting that is said.

short remark
verbal sign
fundamental unit of language
-a powerful agent
-words we use are image—makers and the first images they create are images of ourselves
-words can make or unmake you.

Nature of Language

1.Language is the expression of thoughts and feelings by means of speech sounds.

2.Language is the instrument for expression and communication.

3.Language is nothing but a set of human habits, the purpose of which is to give expression t thoughts
and feelings and especially to import them to others.

Functions of Language

1. Informative – gives information, knowledge

2. Affirmative – commands / imperative – request
3. Phatic communion – greetings for serial use

Hello! Good Morning! Hi! Bye!

4. Expressive – refers to emotion

5. Directive – instruction

Characteristics of Lanuguage

1. It is systematic – rule governed

2. It has to follow the hierarchy of grammar.
3. It has duality of structures.
Language always have sound (phoneme) and meaning (morpheme)
4. It has productivity and creativity
Learner of the language can produce sentences even never heard
After knowing the words – can produce combination and substition in the language
Literary output – making poem
5. It has recursion.
Making sentences very long by adding conjunctions , prepositions
Ex. Nursery rhymes
6. It uses Arbitrary (Symbol)
Symbol vary to a given symbol to a given country
Language will vary from culture to culture bec. Lang. Is a matter of conventon – rule method
practiced
7. It is a Social Phenomenon.
Language is used as a tool for communication
8. Mutual Intelligibility
Spoken by so many
Language Structure
1. Meaning – morpheme
2. Sounds – phoneme

phoneme – smallest unit of sound

morpheme – smallest unit of meaning
phrase – group of words, subject only, verb only, never combined
clause – group of words having subjects and predicate but even complete

Aspects of a Language
Forms

 Seamantics – study of meaning (science that deals w/ meaning of words.

 Morphology – study of morphemes .
o Morphemes – smallest unit of meaning .
 Phonology – science of articulate sounds.
o Phoneme – smallest unit of sound .
Content

 Syntax – the way in w/c word are arranged to form phrases and sentences.
 Grapheme – letter or letters of an alphabet representing one sound.
Use

 Pragmatics – actual application of language.

Variations of Language
1. Dialect - a regional/provincial variety of a language, distinguished from

other varieties by pronunciation, grammar or vocabulary.

2. Pidgin – a simplified form of speech, usually, a mixture of 2 or more languages, that has
vocabulary and is used for communication.
- a simple way of communicating one’s idea.
Ex.
Me Tarzan, You jane
Me no can
Me can do

3. Slang – expressiojn current at any period

-Language peculiar to a group

They used it exclussively

- colloquial
- vulgar – something regonal
- not normally last
Examples:

No bread bato
Yosi tsugi
 Erpat tigok
Ermat

4. Argot – refers to a non-standard word used by secret groups.

5. Lingua Franca – any hybrid or mixed language used as a medium of (diff.) communication bet. people

of different languages.

- mixture of Itlalian, French, Spanish, Arabic, Gk, Turkish spoken in the Mediterranean

- native tounge

6. Jargon – non-sensical, incoherent or meaningless atterances.

- language peculiar to a group or trade

- meaningless

- untelligible – capable of not being understood

- specialized language of a group

7. Standard Words – words w/c are used by the best speaker.

8. Technical Words – words w/c apply to some special field or activity.

9. Colloquial Words – words used in ordinary conversation – slang, informal.

10. Coined Words – words w/c are invented to meet a specific demand.

11. Slang – w/c are coined words not accepted in good usage.

12. Synonyms – are words that have almost the same meaning.

13. Antonyms – are words w/c have opposite meanings.

14. Homonyms – are words w/c are spelled differently but have the same pronunciation.

16. Obsolete Word – is one that was formely in good standing but is no longer used

17. Archaic Word – is a word w/c about its become obsolete

18. Provincial Word – is one that is used in specific parts of the country.

19. Dialectic Word – belongs to a dialect and differs from the standard language

20.Crude words – words that evoke unpleasant meaning or disagreeable association

Ex.

Toilet/comfort room(undesirable) – rest room, powder room, wash room, men’s/ladie’s room

Burial- interment

Cemetery- memorial park

Market(how dirty)- shopping center (how elite/class)

Hospital(sick smelling)- sanitarium(so clean’s fresh)

Retarted(embarrassing to parents)- special child (gentle)

Indebtedness(humiliating) – account

Servants – hired help (humanistics)

Master (auto cratic) – boss (democratic)

Wife (how possessive) – betterhalf (how sweet)

4 Governing Principles in Choosing the Words to Express

1. Correctness

The good use of a word means;

a. Present use – usage that is current

b. National use – understood throughout the nation

c. Reputable use – employed in the speech of well educated people.

2. Accuracy – if his meaning is not immediately clear, you should try to make his listeners understand

him.

- he must avoid ambiquity and vagueness w/c result from the use of “blanket words” bec. He is

Too lazy to consult a dictionary for a clearer, more difinite word.

Ambiquitty – doubtfulness of meaning

Vagueness – not defiinite

In order to be accurate – you should have the knowledge in the ff:

1. Denotation and connotation

Denotation – is the meaning that the dictionary gives.

Connotation – give its atmospheric and emotional associations.

2. Synonyms / Antonyms

3. idioms – to improve his speech and composition, he needs adequate practice in the use of the English

Idioms.

3. Conciseness – means avoiding using more words than you actually need to express your thoughts ad

Adequately.

- common fault against conciseness is using redundancy or wordiness.

4. Effectiveness – means that your written work will attract the attention of the reader.

- Effectiveness is produced by freshness, originality, and sincirity

RESEARCH PAPER
The word research came into our language from an old french word, “sercher” ,
meaning to seek or search and the prefix re –(“again”).

Research maybe defined as intensive search with the purpose of becoming certain

- it is a long writtencoposition aout a chosen topic done within the whole semester and intended for
submission at the end of te term.

- the time frame given for its completion makes people call it a “Term Paper”.

- it is a result from the researcher’s wide reading activities it is considered as a “standard” and
“scholarly” student activity that gives one in-depht knowledge of something.

- developing a research paper intails a lot of time and intellectualizing.

- by whatever name yo call it-

Research paper

Term paper

Reading report

Documented report

Library paper – based on publisher information

- is a paper you write to present he information you have uncovered on a specific topic
and the results you have obtained from readings.

Skills involved:

Outlining – guide / frame work

Note taking

Bibliography writing – list of references

Information organizing

Term paper – is intended for completion in a certain period of time such as in a semester or a quarter.

- it cannot be made over nigth

- it is a product of adequate planning, note taking, analysis, synthesis, and interpretation.

- is not just a summary of a books.

Purposes in Writing a Term Paper

1. It can provide you opportunities for organizing your thinking, stregthing you library skills and
enhance your writing abilities.
2. It trains you to suspend judgement until evidences are in hand.
3. It prepeares you for more complex reseaech.
4. Finshing a term paper gives you a sense of achievement and self-fulfillment.

Sources:
Published Information – printed nat (books, magazine, journals, and newspaper)
Supplemetary Sources – personal infuereus
Lectures
Talk shows in T.V
Seminar

- A research or term paper presents facts and opinions of other people about a particular
subject matter.

- It also includes the researcher’s own interpretations about these known facs.

* Is research paper similar to a report?

A Research Paper
- with present facts and opinions
- includes the researcher’s own interpretation
- RP givesyou what other people think of a certain topic plus the research thinks about this
Topic.

While report just present facts and information about a subject matter w/o adding something
new to this existing body of facts and opinions.

Characteristics of a Good College Research Paper

1. It must be truthful.
- it must present facts as accurately and as concisely as possible.
- these facts should be properly documented by means of footnotes, end notes
Or bibliography

2.It must be objective

- you should not be biased or prejudiced in the presentation of your findings.
- your statements shld. Be based on facts, not on personal experiences. One way
of showing hat subjectivelyis through the use of the third person throughout the
paper when referring to the writer.

3.It must be timely and relevant

- a good term paper shoould deal with a topic of current inferent. It mmust be of
help in the solution of problems that comfort modern man.

4.It must be clear

- the language used must be simple and straigth forward, so that the reader may
 Easily grasp the impt. Ideas of the paper.
- grammar shld. Be correct and the rules of the compositin followed. Technical
Terms must be clearly defined.

5.it must be complete

- all pertinent inforamtion regarding th topic should be included.
- the term paper must have a beginning or an introductory chapter, a body, and an
Ending.

6.It must be read and presentable

- the term paper must be type written or encoded following the rules or mechanics
Encoded materials.

Parts of a Term Paper (Main Parts)

1. Front matter or preliminaries – consist of title page and the preface w/c includes an
Acknowledgement (acknowledgement of help)

2. Text – consist of an introduction and the main body

3. the reference matter – consist if the bibliography

Steps/ Things to consider in writing a Research Paper

1. Choose a subject

a. choose a subject that interents you but from w/c you can still learn much.

b. choose a subject that is not too broad.

c. choose a subject not too difficult, one for w/c you can find materials from popular magazines or

books aimed at gen. Reading

d. choose a subject that has some interest from the average reader.

Gathering of Materials

Source of Materials

1. Observation or experience

2. interview

3. the library

4. special bullletins and report

 The line up below will prove helpful

For books you will used:

1. the author or editor

2. the title of the book
3. the place of publication
 4. the publisher
5. the date of publication
6. the call number

For magazines:

1. the author
2. the title of article
3. the name of the magazine or newspaper
4. the volumenumber
5. the data of the issue
6. the page no.

FORMAT/PARTS

PRELIMINARIES
Title page
Acknowledgement
Dedication
Table of Contents

Chapter I – THE PROBLEM

Introduction
Statement of the problem
Scope and Delimitation of the study
Definition of Terms

CHAPTER II – Presentation and Discussion of the Problem

CHAPTER III – Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

Appendices
Bibliography
Personal information

Preparing the Library Paper

1.an introduction that includes the purpose of your paper:

2. a body w/c is composed of supporting evidences for your topic, presented clearly and documented

Propely; and

3.a conclusion in w/c you summarize the main points of your findings.

STEPS IN THE PREPARATION OF A RESEARCH PAPER

1. Step One: Selecting a Subject and Defining the Problem

 Selecting a Subject
 First, choose a subject that will give you both pleasure and profile
 Second, choose a subject on w/c adequate materials are available
 Third, choose a subject that can be treated satisfactory within the time alloted.
2. Step Two: Locating Information

 Library Materials
 Books
 Magazines
 References Books
 Pamphlets
 Pamphlets, Reports, Documents, etc.
 Personal Interviews – knowledgeable people who can enligthen you on your topic and may lend
Human interest to your libarary paper
1) Be punctual and courteous.
2) Prepare yur questions in advance.
3) Keep careful notes of the interview
4) Use the exact of the interviewee if you want to qoute him.
5) Remeber that the interviewee’s opinions are his own

3.Step Three: Reading and Organzing the Library Paper

 Evaluating the Materials

1) Is the material up-to-date?
2) Is the material relevant?
3) Is the material unbiased?
4) Is the material authoritative?

Ways/Methods we could use in Writing the Research Paper

 Direct Qoutation – use the exact words of an authority or an expert especially if he has made
Important point tellingly.
 Paraphrase – is saying in your own words what someone else has said.
 Summary – is a condensation of piece of writing.
 Personal Comment – maybe your reactions to problems, insigths into situations, suggested
Solutions to problems, conclusions drawn from your findings, etc.
 Outlinig and Organizing the Materials

4.Step Four: Writing and Documenting the Library Paper

 Writing the First Draft

 Revising the First Draft
 Documenting the Library Paper
 Writing the Final Draft