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Introduction to English Language Teaching
Meaning,
Characteristics and
Functions of Language
Meaning
Language
- a system of conventional spoken, manual (signed),

or written symbols by means of which human
beings, as members of a social group and
participants in its culture, express themselves.
“Language is the expression of
ideas by means of speech-sounds
combined into words. Words are
combined into sentences, this
combination answering to that of
ideas into thoughts.”
Henry Sweet
1845-1912
“A language is a system of
arbitrary vocal symbols by
means of which a social group
cooperates.”
Bernard Bloch
1907-1965
George L. Trager
1906-1992
Language is human so it differs from animal
communication in several ways. Language can have scores
of characteristics but the following are the most important
ones: language is arbitrary, productive, creative, systematic,
vocalic, social, non-instinctive and conventional.
These characteristics of language set human language
apart from animal communication. Some of these features
may be part of animal communication; yet they do not form
part of it in total.
Language is arbitrary.
Language is arbitrary in the sense that there is no inherent

relation between the words of a language and their meanings or the
ideas conveyed by them. There is no reason why a female adult
human being be called a woman in English, aurat in Urdu, Zen in
Persian and Femine in French. The choice of a word selected to
mean a particular thing or idea is purely arbitrary but once a word
is selected for a particular referent, it comes to stay as such. It may
be noted that had language not been arbitrary, there would have
been only one language in the world.
Language is social.
Language is a set of conventional communicative
signals used by humans for communication in a
community. Language in this sense is a possession of a
social group, comprising an indispensable set of rules
which permits its members to relate to each other, to
interact with each other, to co-operate with each other; it
is a social institution. Language exists in society; it is a
means of nourishing and developing culture and
establishing human relations.
Language is symbolic.
Language consists of various sound symbols and their

graphological counterparts that are employed to denote some
objects, occurrences or meaning. These symbols are
arbitrarily chosen and conventionally accepted and
employed. Words in a language are not mere signs or figures,
but symbols of meaning. The intelligibility of a language
depends on a correct interpretation of these symbols.
Language is systematic.
Although language is symbolic, yet its symbols are

arranged in a particular system. All languages have their
system of arrangements. Every language is a system of
systems. All languages have phonological and
grammatical systems, and within a system there are
several sub-systems. For example, within the grammatical
system we have morphological and syntactic systems, and
within these two sub-systems we have systems such as
those of plural, of mood, of aspect, of tense, etc.
Language is vocal.
Language is primarily made up of vocal sounds

only produced by a physiological articulatory
mechanism in the human body. In the beginning, it
appeared as vocal sounds only. Writing came much
later, as an intelligent attempt to represent vocal
sounds. Writing is only the graphic representation of
the sounds of the language. So the linguists say that
speech is primary.
Language is non-instinctive, conventional.
No language was created in a day out of a mutually

agreed upon formula by a group of humans. Language is
the outcome of evolution and convention. Each generation
transmits this convention on to the next. Like all human
institutions languages also change and die, grow and
expand. Every language then is a convention in a
community. It is non-instinctive because it is acquired by
human beings. No body gets a language in heritage; he
acquires it because he an innate ability.
Language is productive and creative.
Language has creativity and productivity. The structural

elements of human language can be combined to produce
new utterances, which neither the speaker nor his hearers
may ever have made or heard before any, listener, yet which
both sides understand without difficulty. Language changes
according to the needs of society.
Finally, language has other characteristics such as Duality referring to the
two systems of sound and meaning, Displacement which means the ability to
talk across time and space, Humanness which means that animals cannot
acquire it, Universality which refers to the equilibrium across humanity on
linguistic grounds, Competence and Performance which means that language
is innate and produced is society and furthermore, language is culturally
transmitted.
It is learnt by an individual from his elders, and is transmitted from one
generation to another. Thus using J. Firth’s term, language is a
‘polysystametic’. It is also open to be studied from multi-faceted angles.
Language is cultural.
The world for each society is different. In analysis,

this means that speaking a language means that the
person is assuming a culture. Knowing another culture,
based on this principle, is knowing its particular
language. And we need communication to highlight
interpretations and representations of that world.
Language is flexible.
The term flexibility of language is used to describe

its ability to alter responding to new conditions and
satisfying the existing demands. Besides, native
speakers could be considered the main contributors to
the creation of new forms and meanings (Yan &
Vaseghi, 2010).
Unlike other animals, humans can communicate an
infinite number of thoughts through language. And one
reason that language is powerful is because we can use
each of our words flexibly, with several different
meanings.
Language has rules of usage.
Language is a rule-governed system composed of

symbols that is shared by a group of people. A rule-
governed system includes spoken and signed
language. Each of these languages has a function.
However, the function of a language is different from
the form.
Language is dynamic and not static.
Functions of Language
-communication
-identity
-play
-imaginative expression
-emotions

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Introduction to English Language Teaching

- a system of conventional spoken, manual (signed),

Language is arbitrary in the sense that there is no inherent

Language consists of various sound symbols and their

Although language is symbolic, yet its symbols are

Language is primarily made up of vocal sounds

No language was created in a day out of a mutually

Language has creativity and productivity. The structural

The world for each society is different. In analysis,

The term flexibility of language is used to describe

Language is a rule-governed system composed of

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