Wanted potent language buffs!

Most of us take language skills for granted. It is true that as children we acquired them through a trial and error process. In our adult life, most of us think that what we know is enough for effective communication. Unfortunately, when we do not pay attention to major areas of the language, our listeners and readers fail to understand what we communicate.

Some of those who wield the language for various purposes fail to understand the semantics or the meanings of sentences and words. When we use words haphazardly, the end result would be a muddled sentence or a paragraph. Many instances can be found in newspapers and books. Some writers ignore the grammatical arrangement of words or the syntax within a sentence.

Words produce sounds. The system of sounds is regulated by phonology. For instance, we cannot pronounce the words in any way we wish. There are rules of pronunciation without which what we say would be meaningless. Daniel Jones compiled a comprehensive dictionary which highlighted the Received Pronunciation or what is popularly known as the “RP.” However, except the older generation and some committed teachers, others pronounce words in an unacceptable way.

Social rules

Apart from semantics, syntax and phonology, we need to honour the social rules involved in language use. The rules are known as ‘Pragmatics’ in linguistics. Whether a language user is aware of these rules is not the point. When we use the language in speech or writing, others infer our linguistic knowledge from our observable behaviour.

During the past century, psychologists too have shown a keen interest in the language. They studied how people used the language in social intercourse. In fact, no human transaction can be performed without using the language. Even infants know how to draw the attention of their parents by crying, smiling and grimacing. Particularly mothers know how to interpret their body language accurately. Children gradually learn how to speak first and then to write in their mother tongue.

Daniel Jones, author of Pronouncing Dictionary

Children use a type of jargon unintelligible to adults. When children become adults, they too begin to use jargon depending on their professions. So, the language becomes a passport to enter social circles. It also gives an identity to the user. Although some people are satisfied with a limited vocabulary, a very few of us make an attempt to enrich our word stock by learning new words and phrases.

Language skills

It is not surprising that some of us turn to write poetry, short stories and novels because we want to use our language skills. We begin to love words and word play. At least some of us play word games, fill out crossword puzzles and anagrams for the sheer joy of using words. We begin to read while travelling or during our leisure. Even those who send short messages (SMS) use a type of language to pass on information to others. Thus, most of us have understood the value of the language as a tool of communication.

Although psychologists are primarily concerned with human behaviour, they began to study the mental processes involved in language use. At first they paid attention to language comprehension in speech and writing. Secondly, they studied how a person forms an idea and put it in a complete sentence. Thirdly, psychologists did research on how children acquired language skills. The whole process is now popularly known as Psycholinguistics.

Psycholinguistics belongs to an emerging field of study called ‘Cognitive Science’ which is an interdisciplinary venture that draws upon the insights of psychologists, linguists, computer scientists, neuroscientists and philosophers. Perhaps this is a new extension of psychology into linguistics which studies the origin, structure and use of the language.

Paucity of language

Basically, psycholinguistics is concerned with two areas of the language. The first issue is what knowledge of language is needed for us to use it. We ask ourselves the same question when we read some news reports and passages in books. Some writers show their paucity of language skills, poor vocabulary, disregard of grammatical rules and lack of elegance in the sentence structure.

Most writers have the tacit knowledge to write something to convey ideas. However, they have no explicit knowledge of how the language can be used more effectively using various nuances and idiomatic expressions. While some writers can write grammatically, they do not aim at elegant writing. The lethargic attitude has eaten into the very fabric of education. As a result, we have not been able to produce great writers as in the past. Those who wish to write elegant English should read J. Vijayatunga’s Grass for My Feet at least once in their lifetime!

The downward trend in speech we hear over some FM channels and the slipshod writing in certain newspapers and periodicals can be checked if the speakers and writers are willing to go that extra mile to learn the niceties of the language. Print and electronic media need language buffs, not mechanics who turn out gobbledygook!