The Nature of Language: George Yule's Observations

Introduction:

Language is an essential aspect of human communication, and understanding its nature is crucial in any field of study. George Yule, a renowned linguist,  in his book "The Study of Language" (1996) observed various aspects of language that provide insights into its nature. In this essay, we will critically analyze Yule's observations on the nature of language.

The Origin of Language:

One of Yule's observations is that the origin of language is still a mystery. He notes that many theories attempt to explain how language originated, but none have been conclusive. It is to be agreed upon Yule that the origin of language remains an enigma, and it is a topic that linguists should continue to explore.

The Structure of Language:

Yule observes that language has a specific structure that consists of sounds, words, and sentences. He notes that the sounds of language, known as phonemes, combine to form words, which then combine to form sentences. Complying to Yule's observation it is evident that understanding the structure of language is essential in learning any language.

Language and Culture:

Yule notes that language and culture are intertwined, and they influence each other. He observes that language reflects the values, beliefs, and traditions of a society. Similarly, culture shapes the way people use language. Thus, studying language and culture together is crucial in understanding the nature of language.

Language Acquisition:

Yule observes that humans have an innate ability to acquire language. He observes that children learn language naturally without formal instruction. He also notes that the environment and exposure to language play a crucial role in language acquisition. The process of language acquisition can help in teaching languages.

Six Crucial Attributes of Human Language:

Yule in his book "The Study of Language" (1996) highlights six crucial attributes of human language. These are:

a. Displacement: this attribute allows human language to refer to events and places beyond the immediate context in time and space.

b. Arbitrariness: this attribute implies that there is no direct relationship between the words used to represent a reference and the reference itself. For example, the word "food" has no inherent connection to the actual substance of food. This is why different languages have different names for the same reference. It is "ounje" in Yoruba, "abinchi" in Hausa,  "isare" in Ebira, "nri" in Igbo, "Khabar" in Bengali and "food" in English.

c. Productivity: this attribute enables the creation of new words over time. As observed by Yule (1996) and Scovel (1998), children are particularly adept at this skill. The ability to generate new words is an integral part of language learning and acquisition. Hence, the word "computer" emerged in English when a term was needed to describe the invention.

d. Cultural Transmission: language serves as a means of transmitting culture from one generation to another. Hudson (1980) refers to language as the vehicle of culture.

e. Discreteness: each sound in language is regarded as a distinct entity. The discreteness of each sound enables the differentiation between different sounds in a language. The identification of these sounds is often achieved through the use of minimal pairs.

f. Duality: language comprises both physical and meaning levels.

These characteristics of language form the foundation of its description. Language is a human system of communication that utilizes arbitrary, conventional symbols. All these features contribute to the linguistic nature of language.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Yule's observations provide valuable insights into the nature of language. The origin of language remains a mystery, and linguists should continue to explore it. Language has a specific structure consisting of sounds, words, and sentences, and studying this structure is essential in learning any language. Language and culture are intertwined, and understanding this relationship is crucial in understanding language. Finally, language acquisition is an innate ability that humans possess, and understanding the process of language acquisition can help in teaching languages. As graduate students, we should continue to explore these observations and use them to advance our understanding of language.

Ardhendu De

Reference

1. Yule, G. (1996). The study of language. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.

2. (PDF) Psycho Linguistics by Thomas Scovel - DOKUMEN.TIPS. (n.d.). dokumen.tips. https://dokumen.tips/documents/psycho-linguistics-by-thomas-scovel.html