The language and language are different terms, but often confused. Language is the set of signs and language is the ability to communicate. For example, the German language is spoken by more than 80 million people. On the contrary, language is the words and signs that make up the language. That is, it is not said "German language" or "Italian language".
Definitely; The language is what each person writes and speaks, learning it from birth and through social learning (Spanish language, French language, Korean language, Japanese language…). Language refers to the rules, spelling and grammar, that are used in a given language.
Language is a public property that is available to everyone. When a person wants to express something, she selects signs of the language to convey what she wants to say. This means that all language processes are mediated by language.
Linguistic diversity has gone hand in hand with human history. Man has always had to bear with these differences and try to overcome them. One of the most unique things about human beings is the ability to use language and tongue to communicate.
The main difference is that language is the ability that human beings have to learn languages. Language is the set of signs or abstract system that we use primarily to communicate. On the other hand, speech is the materialization of language.
Between language and language there is a kind of intermediary that is known as the norm. For linguists, the norm is one that limits the use of linguistic forms. This in turn attends to the logic of the language. The norm is what allows us to make logical corrections in our way of speaking. When a child says "I walked," the correct thing to do is "I walked."
Knowing the above, it is curious to know why people often confuse these concepts so often. Authors maintain that in English the language and language only have an equivalent "language", many times we read or listen to translated content that uses both one and the other, leading to a violation of our linguistic system.
Differentiation between language and language
Language
Language is the ability to establish communication through signs. These signs can be oral or written. Which indicates the multiple manifestations of language on the planet. It can be said that language is universal and its manifestations are different languages.
To illustrate, let's look at the concept of body language for a moment, you've probably heard it. This involves a series of behaviors, gestures and behaviors that convey certain information about the mental state of the person observed. In this case the “body language” is universal and does not distinguish between South Koreans, Guatemalans or Filipinos.
English, French or Spanish are therefore the languages or languages. It would be aberrant to speak of the “Spanish language”, it is important to know how and when to use these terms with precision.
According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) "Language is a group of phonemes or sounds that we make when we speak" it can also be said that they are the set of signs or words that give shape to the language.
Language is not only conceived as the genesis of human communication but it is also understood as the human capacity that allows thought. Can a humanity be imagined without thought? Surely, if it weren't for language, we humans would still be in prehistory.
Human beings go from prehistory to history at the time of the appearance of writing in the 4th millennium BC. Without human language the creation of writing would have been impossible and, therefore, the advancement of history to what man knows today.
Language is the medium of human convenience. In it there are two grammatical systems (oral and gestural) and each one houses its own elements and different combinations of signs. In short, language allows, through the use of grammatical units, to express a vast number of sentences.
Language
Language is the set of systems, forms and signs that human beings prefigure in our minds and serves to communicate with people from our same linguistic community. However, the ultimate act of communication is not language but speech.
It is also suggested that language is a compendium of abstract and concrete signs that human beings learn and store in memory. It is the code that the person knows and uses every time they need it. Without this code, communication simply would not materialize.
Language is a property of the entire humanity, of almost 8 billion inhabitants. On the contrary, the language, in this case Spanish, belongs to only 500 million people.
Each language denotes a different worldview and culture. Linguists argue that language translates the way people solve their problems and relate to each other.
In this way, language is a cultural and historical heritage of each linguistic community. Therefore, when a language dies we lose track of the essence of the human being and the different visions that have prevailed throughout history.
In this way, the difference between language and language clearly lies in the fact that language is a universal capacity to establish communication; while language is the set of forms or signs that a certain community adopts to communicate.
Speaks
Another concept that is often confused is that of speech. Speech is an individual act in which the person transmits a precise message and for this he selects codes and rules that the language allows. Speech is the ultimate act of communication. It can be given through phonation or in writing, it uses language to materialize communication.
References
- Cultural Submanagement of the Bank of the Republic. (2015) Open Fund of Colombian Authors - León de Greiff (1895 - 1976). Recovered from banrepcultural.org.
- AHow (2015) What Is The Difference Between Language And Language. Recovered from: educacion.uncomo.com.
- Home Room (2014) Language And Speech. The Great Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Living Room Project.
- New Universal Student Consultant Curriculum (2007) Language Sciences - Language and Literature. Editorial Cultural SA Madrid, Spain.
- Royal Spanish Academy. (2006). Spanish dictionary.