This document provides an introduction to the study of language. It begins by outlining the objectives of the course, which are to define and compare grammar components, discuss views on language origins and teaching methods, and examine the relationship between language and society. It then gives an overview of topics to be covered, including definitions of language from linguists, the macro skills of language, and theories of language study. The document proceeds to define linguistics as the scientific study of language, then discusses definitions of language from different scholars which emphasize communication through arbitrary symbols. It outlines the main macro skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing as well as their receptive and productive aspects. In closing, it notes the structural view of language and thanks the

1. Introduction to language
study

2. objective: At the end of these weeks, the pre-
service teacher (PST) should be able to:
⊹ define, compare and contrast the
components of grammar; and
⊹ d. share arguments and contentions
on the incidence of various
Englishes, NESTs and non-NESTs
and standard English.
⊹ discuss the scientific study of
language in relevance to
language teaching, learning,
and benefits to community
and society;
⊹ differentiate the views on
language study in order to
explain further possible
language origins and language
teaching methods;
2

3. Overview of Introduction
to Language
1

4. “
⊹ Linguistics as the Science of Language
⊹ Definitions of Language according to
Famous Linguists/Theorists
⊹ Macro Skills of Language
⊹ Views and Overview on Theories in
Language Study
4
Topics for this week

5. Check yourself
⊹ What does it mean to say
that Linguistics is a science?
5

6. Linguistics as the Science of Language
⊹ Linguistics is the science of language, and linguists are
scientists who apply the scientific method to questions about
the nature and function of language.
⊹ Linguists conduct formal studies of speech sounds, grammatical
structures, and meaning across all the world’s over 6,000
languages.
⊹ It investigates the history and changes within language families
and how language is acquired when we are infants.
⊹ Linguists examine the relationship between written and spoken
language
6

7. Linguistics as the Science of Language
7

8. Big concept
Linguistics, attempts to understand how language is stored in the
human mind/brain and how it is part of everyday human behavior
through its sister fields of neuroscience, philosophy, psychology,
anthropology, sociology, and computer science. 8

9. Definitions of Language
according to different
authors
2

10. ⊹ Modern Linguistics, summarized by Carroll (1973:289) teaches that a
language is a structured system of arbitrary vocal sounds and
sequences of sounds which is used in interpersonal communication and
which rather exhaustively catalogs the things, events, and processes of
human experience.
⊹ Form the social scientist’s point of view, language is an open system
interacting with, changed by, and changing its environment as part of
culture. The humanness of language and its place in human society is
one of the most necessary and complex of all social skills.
definitions of language
10

11. ⊹ The transformationalists spearheaded by Chomsky view language as a
system which relates meanings to substance. Language is a mental
phenomenon. It is innate. Man has the genetically imparted ability for
language learning.
⊹ Language is a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by
the use of conventionalized signs, sounds, gestures or marks having
understood meanings. (Websters New International Dictionary of the
English Language 1961:1270).
⊹ Language is any set or system of linguistic symbols as used in a more or
less uniform fashion by a number of people who are thus enabled to
communicate intelligibly with one another ( Random House Dictionary
of the English Language 1966)
definitions of language
11

12. ⊹ Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human
communication (Wardhaugh 1972).
⊹ Language is a system of arbitrary, vocal symbols which permit people in
a given culture, or other people who have learned the system of that
culture to communicate or interact (Finocchiaro, 1964).
definitions of language
12

13. Important points
⊹ Language is used for
communication.
⊹ Language is
essentially human,
although possibly not
limited to humans.
⊹ Language is a set of
arbitrary symbols.
⊹ Those symbols are
primarily vocal, but
may also be visual.
⊹ The symbols have
conventionalized
meanings to which
they refer.
⊹ Language is
systematics and
generative
⊹ Language operates
in a speech
community or
culture.
13

14. Macro skills of language
3

15. Macro skills of language
15

16. ⊹ The five skills of language (also known as the four skills
of language learning) are a set of four capabilities that
allow an individual to comprehend and produce spoken
language for proper and effective interpersonal
communication.
⊹ Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing
⊹ English Language has 5 main skills and each skill
has other sub-skills and skill activities.
Macro skills of language
16

17. ⊹ Macro skills refer to the primary, key, main, and largest
skill set relative to a particular context. It is commonly
referred to in English language.
⊹ Listening and speaking are brain input skills but reading
and writing are brain output skills.
Macro skills of language
17

18. Receptive Vs. Productive
⊹ Listening and reading are known as ‘receptive’ skills
while speaking and writing are known as ‘productive’
skills.
⊹ Listening to and reading content in the language you are
learning is a great way to develop your vocabulary and
comprehension.
Macro skills of language
18

19. Receptive Vs. Productive
⊹ Developing your speaking skills will involve gaining fluency in spoken
interactions with others, as well as practicing your pronunciation.
⊹ As in your first language, your writing will be improved by becoming
a critical reader - try to think actively about how texts are structured
and what kinds of phrases or vocabulary are used for different
purposes (e.g. introducing a topic, describing, comparing and
contrasting, writing conclusions).
Macro skills of language
19

20. Listening
⊹ You should understand the main ideas of most speech
in a standard dialect.
⊹ You should demonstrate an emerging awareness of
culturally implied meanings beyond the surface
meanings of the text.
Macro skills of language
20

21. Speaking
⊹ You should be understood without difficulty by natives,
and converse in a clear and participatory fashion.
⊹ You should be able to initiate, sustain, and bring closure to
a wide variety of communicative tasks.
⊹ You should be able to narrate and describe concrete and
abstract topics using sustained, connected discourse.
Macro skills of language
21

22. Reading
⊹ You should easily follow the essential points of written
text.
⊹ You should be able to understand parts of texts which
are conceptually abstract and linguistically complex.
Macro skills of language
22

23. Receptive Vs. Productive
Macro skills of language
23

24. Writing
⊹ You should be able to address a variety of topics with
significant precision and detail.
⊹ You should be able to write competently about topics
relating to particular interests and write clearly about special
fields of competence.
⊹ You should be able to organize writings with a sense of
theoretical structure
Macro skills of language
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25. It has been said elsewhere
that knowing much about
the form or structure of a
language is not a guarantee
of being able to use said
knowledge in actual
communication situation.
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26. The structural view of language
concentrates on the grammatical system,
describing ways in which linguistic items
can be combined. 26

27. Thanks!
Any questions?
You can find me at:
⊹ https://facebook.com/aizabheal
⊹ 201160kitani@bcu.edu.ph
27

28. references
http://www.bchmsg.yolasite.com/skills.php
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-B_ONJIEcE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUuMf4EumsQ
Orillos, L.Q. Language Acquisition Theories, Principles and
Research (1998).UP Diliman, Quezon City.
28

29. Presentation
29
Aiza Bheal M. Kitani, LPT, Ma.Engl.
SHS Teacher/ Instructor
Baguio Central university