Language: A Writer's Bread-and-Butter

To My Fellow Writers:

I would like to take a minute, or two, to dissect the bare elements of our artform, if you will.

Terminology. Vocabulary. Jargon. Words.

These are the essentials of our written craft; these are the components of the languages we utilize in order to express our thoughts, beliefs, opinions, and emotions. The languages we form with them allow us to relate to one another and, of course, communicate with each other:

In order for any society to maintain structure and balance there must be commonly used methods of communication. Among the most widely used types of communication are various arrangements of written symbols which are devised into forms of speech; within this vocal form of communication, native languages are often found.

Languages are often composed of two basic components:

(1) A collection of sounds, words, or phrases, also known as a lexicon, and

(2) A grammatical system which provides guidance in the formatting and combination of these words and phrases in order for them to make sense when written or spoken.

Although the aspects of language appear to be simply stated, the cognitive acquisition, comprehension, and utilization of language are anything but simple.

Levels of Language Structure and Processing

In addition to the basic components of a language, there are a series of levels within the language which make up the fundamental units or elements of that language; these elements are often described using a four-level organization system to identify the structure and/or processing of the language. The four levels of language are Phonemes, Words, Sentences, and Texts.

Phonemes (Pronounced Fow-Neemz)

The lowest level of language structure and processing is the analysis of speech sounds called phonemes which often correlate to the letters or symbols of a language. Phonemes are combined in order to form words, the next level of language organization.

Words

Each language has its own rules and grammar system which defines and permits the order and arrangement of certain phonemes into words which are comprehensible. Once the collection of phonemes is organized into words, the words are combined to formulate sentences, the next level of language organization.

Sentences

Similar to the rules and regulations of sequencing and arrangement of phonemes within word construction, the order, as well as the conjugation and spelling of a word are all vital to grammatically correct sentences.

Texts

The final level of language structure and processing is referred to as texts. This level is comprised of a collection of grammatically correct sentences which form a paragraph or group of paragraphs. In the case of paragraph grouping, it is ideal that the ending of the first paragraph should lead into the next paragraph with smooth transition.

The levels of language structure and processing allow for a better understanding of, with the possibility of improving, methods of conditioning, as well as diagnosis and treatment of language disorders.

Language Processing

The comprehension of language structure and processing is strongly connected to the methods we utilized in order to acquire knowledge. One of the more popular or acceptable means of knowledge obtainment is the identification-of-origin of that knowledge.

For instance, the commonly debated topic of ‘nature vs. nurture’ is often discussed when attempting to identify origin-of-knowledge. Was the knowledge obtained from innate biological factors, otherwise known as genetics (nature)? Or, was the knowledge acquired through teaching and lifelong learning (nurture)?

Whichever the means the knowledge is obtained, a question still remains. Did our comprehension of language allow for the acquisition of knowledge? Or, did the knowledge we gained, whether it be through genetics or external learning, allow us to understand the language?

Kind of a Chicken-and-the Egg situation.

Final Thoughts:

In conclusion, the structural components of a language are similar to the building blocks of a house, each block forms a piece of the puzzle to make the structure whole. Phonemes combine into words; words combine into sentences; and sentences into text. Although identifying the building blocks and the organization of a language is considerably easy, the cognitive acquisition, comprehension, and utilization of language are anything but simple.

In order to grasp a solid understanding of any language, an individual is required to demonstrate attention, focus, and active memory skills. Furthermore, proper language acquisition is not only beneficial to an individual, but it is required in order to actively participate in today’s societies. 

References

Dr. M.A. Nair. (2008, Oct 24). Basic language skills needed. New Straits Times. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/272145949?accountid=458

Willingham, D. T. (2007). Cognition: The thinking animal (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.