Languageand Language Skills
Languageand Language Skills
Languageand Language Skills
What is Language?
Language is the divine gift of god. It is language that distinguishes man from animals. Language
is man’s finest asset. Language does mean a collection of words strung together in sentences but
each word having a separate identity and meaning. In fact, the words are brought together in
special ways to give a highly systematic order from which we get a meaning. Language is not
random behaviour but is systematic where certain orderings are accepted as having prescribed
meanings. For example, “The sun is shining” is not the same as “Is the sun shining”. The
following definitions will make the meaning of language more clear-
(1) According to Block & Trager- “A language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by
means of which a social group operates.”
(2) According to Allen- “Language is a means of communicating thoughts.”
(3) According to O. Jesperson- “Language is a set of human habits, the purpose of which is
to give expression to thoughts and feelings.”
(4) According to Webster- “Language is a audible, articulate human speech as produced by
the action of the tongue and adjacent vocal organs.”
According to all these definitions, it becomes clear that language is used to give expression to
thoughts and feelings of a social group.
English Language
English is also a language used to give expression to thoughts and feelings of a social group. But
it is a foreign language for Indians.
Language as Skill
Language is essentially a skill. It is not a content-based subject like-Science, Social Studies,
Commerce, Mathematics, etc., which aim is to imparting information and fill the human mind
with knowledge. Since language is a skill, it naturally comes under psychomotor domain. A skill
may be called the ability to do something well. Swimming, playing, etc. are skills which people
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perform after acquiring them. Knowing about these things is an intellectual exercise (cognition)
and using or doing them is a skill (action). Language is a complex skill involving four sub-skills,
which are as follows-
Listening
Reading
Productive Skills
(Active Skills) Receptive Skills
(Passive Skills)
Speaking Writing
Listening Reading
Figure-2: Classification of Language Skills
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Speaking and writing are called productive skills because while using these skills a learner/user
is not only active but also produces sounds in speaking and symbols (letters, etc.) in writing, on
the other hand, listening and reading are considered receptive skills because here a learner is
generally passive and receives information either through listening or reading. The following
table gives a better idea of these skills-
The same idea can be shown through a flow chart as given below-
Language
Skills
Aural-Oral Graphic-Motor
Skills Skills
We may categorize these four language skills into two other ways-
Language Skills
Proper Skills)
Casual Skills)
Listening Speakin
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Writing Reading
Forms of Language:
A language normally proceeds from the spoken language to the written language. So it has two
forms-
(a) Spoken Language
(b) Written Language
(1) Phonology
The sound system of a language is called phonology. Language has a set of sounds peculiar to it. The
sound stands for words; the words stand for object, ideas, process, etc. For example, pen, advice, relative,
selling and singing etc. Each word has a meaning.
(2) Morphology
Words what they are, their formation and their various changes in their form, is called
morphology.
(3) Semantics
Words’ formation, giving the meaning in a systematic way is called semantics.
(4) Syntax
Constructions and arrangements of words into definite meaning i.e. phrases, formulae and sentences are
called syntax.
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Groups of Organs of Speech
Respiratory
System Phonatory Articulatory
System System
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Organs of Speech
Source: http://myhome.hanafos.com/~philoint
LL Lips
TT Teeth
Alveolar ridge, convex part of the mouth,
TR
immediately behind the teeth
H Hard palate, concave part of the roof of the mouth
S Soft palate in lowered position
U Uvula, the loose hanging end of the soft palate
P Pharynx
Blade of the tongue, including the tip, the part
BL
opposite the teeth ridge
F Front of the tongue, the part opposite the hard palate
B Back of the tongue, the part opposite the soft palate
Epiglottis; this is drawn over the windpipe when
E
swallowing
W Windpipe
FP Food passage
V Vocal cords or vocal lips
The upper extremity of the windpipe (Adam’s
Larynx
apple) which contains and protects the vocal cords
Nouns Adjectives
Uvula Uvular
Pharynx Pharyngeal
Tip Apical
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Blade Laminal
Front Dorsal
Back
Dorsal
Consonants Place
/p/ Bilabial
/b/ Bilabial
/t/ Tip-alveolar
/d/ Tip-alveolar
/k/ Back-velar
/g/ Back-velar
/ / Blade/front –palato-alveolar
/ / Blade/front –palato-alveolar
/m/ Bilabial
/n/ Tip-alveolar
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/ / Back-velar
/f/ Labio-dental
/v/ Labio-dental
/ / Tip-dental
/ / Tip-dental
/s/ Blade-alveolar
/z/ Blade-alveolar
/ / Blade/front –palato-alveolar
/ / Blade/front –palato-alveolar
/h/ Glottal
/l/ Tip-alveolar
/r/ Blade-postalveolar
/j/ Front-palatal
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Phonetics & Phonology it's important to know the Vocal Organs places; to be able to pronounce
correctly...
The Vocal organs of speech are:
• Upper Lip
• Teeth
• Alveolar Ridge
• Hard Palate
• Soft Palate
• Uvula
• Pharynx
• Lower Lip
• Tip
• Blade
• Front
• Center
• Back
• Root
(1) The Respiratory System
The respiratory system consists of the following organs-
• Lungs
• Muscles of chest
• Wind pipe (trachea)
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• Mouth: The mouth includes the following organs-
(I) Tongue
(II) Teeth
(III) Roof of the mouth
(IV) Lips
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