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    1) Language is constantly evolving as new words are created to describe new inventions and social practices. Words like "computer", "website", and "skype" did not previously exist but were added to describe technological advances. 2) Languages borrow words from one another through cultural contact between societies. For example, the Hebrew word "Shabbat" was borrowed into English as "Sabbath". 3) Language has power to influence people's attitudes, actions, beliefs, and emotions as it can impact decisions and elicit emotional responses like laughter or crying. 4) The social context influences the language used as people tailor their word choice, expressions, and sentence structure according to whether they are speaking to

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    1) Language is constantly evolving as new words are created to describe new inventions and social practices. Words like "computer", "website", and "skype" did not previously exist but were added to describe technological advances. 2) Languages borrow words from one another through cultural contact between societies. For example, the Hebrew word "Shabbat" was borrowed into English as "Sabbath". 3) Language has power to influence people's attitudes, actions, beliefs, and emotions as it can impact decisions and elicit emotional responses like laughter or crying. 4) The social context influences the language used as people tailor their word choice, expressions, and sentence structure according to whether they are speaking to

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    31 views2 pages

    Language Has Interactional and Transactional Functions

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    1) Language is constantly evolving as new words are created to describe new inventions and social practices. Words like "computer", "website", and "skype" did not previously exist but were added to describe technological advances. 2) Languages borrow words from one another through cultural contact between societies. For example, the Hebrew word "Shabbat" was borrowed into English as "Sabbath". 3) Language has power to influence people's attitudes, actions, beliefs, and emotions as it can impact decisions and elicit emotional responses like laughter or crying. 4) The social context influences the language used as people tailor their word choice, expressions, and sentence structure according to whether they are speaking to

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    37. Language breathes and is a living thing: This means that language is open-ended.

    The speaker of a
    language can create new words to refer to new ideas. Language keeps growing through the birth of new
    words that stand for the new things invented like (university, parliament, space shuttle, computer, lap
    top, television, and cinema). These are new words which did not exist in the past in English or in other
    languages. Language also changes over time. It does not persist. The major reason why languages
    change is because the needs of the users change. The second reason why languages change is attributed
    to the fact that over time, social practices change and language users need new words to express that
    change. For instance, we have now new words such as civil partnership, male partner, female partner,
    website, prebituary. The word (website) means (a web page where people post information about their
    wedding) and the word (prebituary) means (an obituary drafted prior to a person's death). Other new
    words added to English are like (skype, tweeter, face- book, e-mail). These new English words reflect the
    new socio-cultural practices in the English speaking countries. During the transmission of language from
    one generation to another, change takes place. However, speakers of the language are normally
    unaware of these changes; they do not know that these changes are going on. The style, the meaning of
    many words, and the new vocabulary of English today are different from those a thousand years ago.
    The language of English media is an example of this phenomenon.

    38. Language experiences inter-fertilization: People who are the speakers of a language interact with
    other people who speak different languages. Through this linguistic and cultural contact among different
    nations of the world, languages borrow words from each other. Thus, inter-fertilization among different
    languages occurs. For instance, the Hebrew word (Shabbat) meaning 'day of rest' has been borrowed
    into English as (Sabbath) and also occurs in the expression (sabbatical leave) meaning 'a leave to do
    research'. The Arabic word (hijaab) meaning (head cover for the lady) is borrowed into English as
    (hijaab).

    39. Language has power: Through written or spoken language, we can influence other people's
    attitudes, actions, beliefs, and emotions. Language can impact people's decisions. It can make people
    laugh or cry and can change their ideological views.

    40. Language is influenced by the social context: Because language has a social setting, people tend to
    use different forms of language in terms of words, expressions or sentences according to the social
    circumstance they are in. The language we use with our doctor, with a judge, or with a head of state is
    stylistically and linguistically different from the language we use at home with our family or the language
    we use with a taxi driver, a labourer, or a close friend.-In such spoken interaction, we notice differences
    in pauses between tums, interruptions, questioning and response patterns, changes in pitch, and non-
    verbal aspects of interaction, such as eye contact. Thus, the social context influences what we say and
    how we say it. In other words, the words and sentences I use with my friends, and the way I speak (the
    style of my language) with my friends are different from the words, sentences, and the way I speak to a
    head of state or to the president of the university. The judge is a serious person and uses words and
    sentences in the court different from the words and sentences he uses with his wife or children. Thus,
    we speak to each other using language forms specially tailored to the occasion. For instance, if I speak to
    a Minister's secretary, I say: (Good morning is the Minister in his office? I have an appointment at 10.)
    However, if I

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