Topic 1
Topic 1
Topic 1
TOPIC 1
Language as Communication: Oral and Written language.
Factors that Define a Communicative Situation: Transmitter,
Receiver, Function and Context
Index
1. INTRODUCTION
2. LANGUAGE AS COMMUNICATION
2.1. ORAL LANGUAGE
2.1.1. Characteristics of oral language
2.1.2. Development of oral language
2.1.3. Methodology for teaching oral language
2.2. WRITTEN LANGUAGE
2.2.1. Characteristics of written language
2.2.2. Development of written language
2.2.3. Methodology of written language
3. FACTORS THAT DEFINE A COMMUNICATIVE SITUATION
4. CONCLUSION
5. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. INTRODUCTION
According to the sixth Article of the Royal Decree 126/2014, one of the main principles
of the Primary Education is to learn to express and comprehend not only the mother
tongue but also the oral and written English foreign language and its culture. The
acquisition of the communicative competence in a foreign language is considered so
important that it is included as one of the main objectives of this stage in the seventh
Article of the same Royal Decree. As we can see in the preface of the Organic Law
8/2013 on the Improvement of the Quality of Education in its twelve point, the
knowledge of a second language has become a priority in our education in order to
build the European Project and what it entails. In this way, to get and improve the
knowledge of English, it is absolutely necessary to know its oral and written language
as well as its communication possibilities, what outlines the importance of this topic.
Linguistics is defined by Oxford Dictionary as the scientific study of language and its
structure. As a science, it was initiated in 1916 by Saussure, who conducted the
structuralism, considering the language as a system or structure valid to be studied by
its own. He also distinguished between inner linguistics, which is the study of language,
and external linguistics, which studies external aspects of language such as culture or
biology.
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TOPIC 1: Language as Communication: Oral and Written language. Factors that Define a Communicative
Situation: Transmitter, Receiver, Function and Context
However, in the sixties it was born another linguistic paradigm, the linguistic
communication, as a result of the interdisciplinary study of language. New disciplines
were created then, being one of the most important for us the psycholinguistics, which
studies basically the processes of comprehension and production of language and thus
the relation between language and communication.
All these theoretical descriptions are the basis of the explanation given in the
following. In this way, it will be defined language as communication, taking in account
that involves both oral and written language, each of them having their own
characteristics, development and methodological and assessment principles. It will be
also described the factors that define a communicative situation, emphasizing its
elements and functions, in order to understand and appreciate how children develop
and communicate their own language, so that we can transfer these elements to the
learning and acquisition of the English foreign language.
2. LANGUAGE AS COMMUNICATION
Language is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as the method of human communication,
either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and
conventional way. However, communication does not only imply oral or written
language, but also non-verbal language, other means such as gestures or body
language.
According to Berko Gleason and Bernstein Ratner, children are able to communicate
before acquiring oral language, that is, in a pre-linguistic way, from birth. Their
behavior during the first months of age hasn’t got a communicative intention by its
own, but their cries, smiles and other gestures are given intentionality by their
mothers. In this way, babies realize that their expressions have an impact and thus, get
motivate to want to communicate.
At the age of five months of age, facial imitation gets very frequent and vocalizations
and other movements are deliberated, although the intentionality doesn’t appear until
the eight months of age. From ten to twelve months of age children produce their first
words and thus start to communicate through oral language, but it is not until they
reach school when they start to use written language as communication.
In the following sections it will be described first oral language and then written
language as communication.
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TOPIC 1: Language as Communication: Oral and Written language. Factors that Define a Communicative
Situation: Transmitter, Receiver, Function and Context
a) Human language is mainly oral; from the historic point of view, written
language is secondary.
b) A child learns to speak before he/she acquires written language at school.
c) Oral language is the daily, vital and permanent mean of communication.
Taking this as a basis, the Decree 26/2016 outlines the importance of oral
comprehension and expression establishing that oral language must have a priority
treatment.
2.1.1. Characteristics of oral language
a) In oral language we have to treat with phonic and prosodic (rhythm and
intonation) features of speech.
b) Oral language is produced quickly and automatically, thus the learning process
for its application is more complex.
c) In oral communication the interlocutor is directly present and has direct
influence on the speaker.
d) Oral communication will always be more subjective as it is full of affective
interferences which depend on the speaker and the listener.
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TOPIC 1: Language as Communication: Oral and Written language. Factors that Define a Communicative
Situation: Transmitter, Receiver, Function and Context
Principle of activity: you learn to speak and listen well if you practise it every
day.
Principle of socialization: oral language is the main vehicle for establishing
social relationships with other people from the community. Therefore, it is
important to use group dynamic which facilitates the student’s interaction and
participation.
Principle of individualization. Linguistic and mental development is individual
and different in each child. The teacher must find out each pupil’s
characteristics and deal with them specifically to favour his/her qualities and to
correct mistakes.
Motivation. The first aim at school should be to motivate and release oral
language starting from the child’s interests and experiences.
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TOPIC 1: Language as Communication: Oral and Written language. Factors that Define a Communicative
Situation: Transmitter, Receiver, Function and Context
Keeping in mind that the final aim of teaching oral language is the pupils’ fluent
production of spoken language, first we need to develop the ability of understanding
by encouraging them to practise it in classroom.
As to the techniques and activities that could be used to practise oral communication,
Ellis and Sinclair distinguish between dialogues, that is conversation, role-playing,
interview…; and monologues, outlining narration, conferences, descriptions… On its
side, the Decree 16/2016 outlines the importance of the use of the information and
communication technologies and the audio-visual mediums.
The task of evaluating is a difficult one in any subject, but as far as oral language is
concerned, it is even more complex because of the fact that oral communication is not
only influenced by the way of expressing, but also by the speaker’s personality,
intelligence and emotions. Harmer outlines that evaluation in oral language must
include three levels: diagnostic of the difficulties and mistakes, correction and planning
of activities of reinforcement and extension.
down the larger units into their constituent elements; and mixed methods, combining
both synthetic and analytic methods.
What it is important, above all at elementary levels, is that the practice of written
language help us to reinforce what has been learnt orally before. Doing so, as
establishes the Decree 26/2016, we must not forget to make the students practise
vocabulary and structures which are characteristics of the written code.
Learning written language is a difficult task which requires techniques and activities
even in one’s mother tongue. We can combine picture books, children´s literature,
magazines, letters or e-mails treated through pre-reading, while-reading and post-
reading activities with some controlled, guided or free written production in which
pupils could transfer ideas from reading to writing.
It is not always easy to evaluate written language, thus almost always it has been used
written tests and questions. However, as establishes Littlegood, we could use many
other instruments and techniques such as rubrics covered by the teacher or the
students as well, interviews, students’ portfolios and notebooks or self-assessment.
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TOPIC 1: Language as Communication: Oral and Written language. Factors that Define a Communicative
Situation: Transmitter, Receiver, Function and Context
4. CONCLUSION
According to Royal Decree 126/2014, the foreign language area is of crucial
importance as it helps the students to acquire useful instruments to develop the
needed competences to live along with the actual society. The capability to
communicate or communicative competence, as says not only this document, but also
the European Community, is the first requirement to get on well in the multilingual
context, in the same way as some principles going with this competence, such as the
comprehension, the tolerance and the valuation of other cultures and diversities.
On its side, the Decree 26/2016 in the First Foreign Language section affirms that the
teaching and learning process in the foreign language area must be directed to the
development of the communicative competence through the integrated treatment of
the basic language skills, in which oral and written communicative language are the
main elements.
This topic, consequently, is of huge importance as it helps us not only to emphasize the
importance of language as communication, but also to describe both oral and written
language, what will be useful to understand and teach the sets described previously.
5. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chall, J. S. (1983). Stages of Reading Development. New York: McGraw Hill.
Chomsky, A. N. (1968). Language and Mind. Cambridge: CUP.
DECREE 82/2014, of 28 August, that regulates the ordinance and establishes the
Curriculum for Primary Education in the Asturias Principality (BOPA of 30 August).
Ellis, G. & Sinclair, B. (1988). Learning to Learn English. Cambridge: CUP.
Gleason, J. Berko & Ratner, N. Bernstein (2012). The Development of Language.
Boston: Pearson.
Harmer, J. (1983). The Practice of English Language Teaching. Longman. Burnt Mill.
Jakobson, R & Halle, M. (1956). Fundamentals of Language. La Haya: Mouton.
Kroll, B. M. (1981). Developmental relationships between speaking and writing.
Urbana, IL.
Lenneberg, E. H. (1967). Biological Foundations of Language. New York, Wiley.
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TOPIC 1: Language as Communication: Oral and Written language. Factors that Define a Communicative
Situation: Transmitter, Receiver, Function and Context