Language locations in the material world

Dr. Senarath TENNAKOON

Human beings are the only animal species that use a language for communication. Although some higher animals make sounds and gestures to express their needs, demands and desires, these systems are not imaginative, creative and elaborate apart from being flexible, diverse, effective and efficient. There are several definitions of language.

However the definition by Bernard Bloch and George L Trager in 1942 is well accepted by many linguists. It states that language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group cooperates. Crystal has defined it as the systemic, conventional use of sounds, signs or written symbols in a human society for communication and self expression (Cristal, 1998).

In a given situation or a context a person's art of speaking, writing or using signs is referred to as language in performance (parole in French) while the linguistic system lying underneath is called competence. (Langue in French). Of the several distinguishing features of a language in use its creativity or productivity is quite inspiring, significant and relevant for effective communication as well as for imaginative practical use.

language structures

In particular the spoken form is very versatile, flexible and its creative potential is very high. Almost anything under the sun can be expressed at any time to any one who shares a particular language or a dialogue. Language is looked upon as a system of signs. Language is a part of genetic endowment. A language has a three tier structure:a phonological structure, a syntactic structure and a semantic structure. Language is rule governed. Chomsky was particular on the grammatical use of the language when he wrote about the deep and superficial structural formats of any language. According to Chomsky universal grammar is an innate component of the human mind and in his small book Syntactic Structures (1957). he emphasized the introduction of mentalist concepts into linguistic theories and severely criticized the behaviourist theory of B.f Skinner. According to Chomsky the human subject has an innate ability to create new sentences-sentences that he has never used before and has an internalized system of rules that relate sound and meaning in a particular way. Hymes was particular about speech communities and communicative competence of speakers. Whenever we use language we make our speech acts and speech events context sensitive. Language use cannot exist in isolation without being context sensitive.

Relationship of a word

Crystal (1998) has given two explanations for the word context in linguistics. In one he relates it to the focus of attention which is the environment. Without knowing about the context the meaning of a word becomes ambiguous. Providing this context is called contextualization. In most instances words, phraces, clauses and sentences' are context sensitive and not context free. In a context sensitive grammar the rules apply in particular contexts. The other explanation of context is the relationship of a word in relation to another word in a linguistic environment (situation context). Usually in English the noun comes before the verb.

There are also relationships of words with history, geography and human ethnicity etc. Social contexts identify a word in relation to age, sex, occupation and status of the speaker. But the use of language by way of signs in relation to specific locations is becoming very popular and is almost ubiquitous phenomenon in all parts of the world.

This field is Geosoemiotics-the study of the meaning systems by which language is located in the material world (Scollon, 2003). It is a global phenomenon; the best example is expressed by the numerous trade advertisements that appear in urban environments throughout the year. In the semiotic theory, there are three specific ways where a sign such as a word, a sentence, a picture, a graph, or a gesture can convey some meaning. An icon, a symbol and an index are these three forms of signs. One knowingly or unknowingly observes or sees these signs whenever one takes a walk along public roads day and night even in the middle of busy cross roads (Traffic islands) these signs are visible. The picture of a pretty baby in an advertisement for some brand of artificial milk is a favourite icon.

The colour lights at cross roads are symbols and an arrow drawn on a white board displayed at a road bifurcation, indicating a direction for motorists to follow, is an index. Economic and health indices are being used by most countries to demonstrate their respective socio-economic development. But in all these three signs an indexation is inherent as all three indicate or represent some situation or a context.

But the most important fact is that if these signs are displayed out of place these will not carry meanings. If the road colour lights are displayed in a house or a classroom rather than at a traffic junction it lacks meaning and is not instructive. Thus language (as it is a system of signs) used out of place (context) lacks meaning and relevance. The use of context free language has become disfavour over the years for this reason.

These signs in the form of icons, symbols and indexes either in isolation or in combination and sometimes together with verbal signs promote communication and discourse among the various observers who view these. The first display of a new icon would attract the attention of the public and stimulate them to guess the content meaning.

A few days later the same icon would be displayed with some verbal message so as to clear the doubts created by the first icon. This is the strategy adopted for advertising new services and new consumer products. The advertising of modern mobile telephone facilities segregated into different brand types has been operating on a competitive basis over the years fortified with numerous attractive incentive packages.

In the world of advertisements it is not necessary always to explain issues, matters and thoughts by way of writing lengthy explanations or by way of making grand speeches. Indexicality can be impressively carried out through icons, indexes and symbols.

Icons

A sign can resemble an object (icon), it can point to or attached to the object (index) or it can conventionally or arbitrarily associated with the object (symbol). Icons are largely in pictorial form. At railway stations and bus halts there are pictorial presentations to assist the passengers on various aspects of travel. These are in pictorial forms. Sometimes small maps are displayed for the passengers to identify their spatial locations.

The road map is a powerful icon where one can locate ones position on the roads. A casual walk along the city streets would open opportunities for viewing the numerous advertisements, notices, posters and bill boards and cut outs which are attractively displayed. Some are electronically operated.

All these are rich in signs (icons, symbols and indices). Firstly they impart messages for communication and observer interaction. Some of these provide information about the socio-economic and health situation of the country. The death notices inform the public about some one's death. Consumer products are well advertised.

The incentive schemes offered by trade organizations and banks too are prominently advertised. Advertisements indicating joyous situations such as musical shows, dramas and films as well as political meetings are not uncommon.

Large icons of political heroes adorn even nearby traffic junctions. Sometimes these posters provide amusement even to a morose person. When a nasty or a foolish comment by a politician is dissected or humorously criticized or turned into a cartoon the viewers are entertained free of financial charges. The existence of religious institutions and educational institutions and signs pertaining to their activities epitomize the prevalence of good virtues in the society amidst an indolent consumer oriented society which is highly volatile in political flavour and charge.

Commercial advertisements

The other important observation is that the society is perpetually in a state flux and change as exemplified by the constant and repeated change in the nature, design and visibility aspects of these signs. As the famous Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure observed “Time changes all things: there is no reason why language should escape this universal law” (Saussure, 1959). Another aspect denoted by these commercial advertisements is the fact of social evolution and survival of the fittest in competitive social and commercial activities.

The spirit of competition in an open economic milieu is clearly indexed by the eposidic, repetitive and ever surging different types of commercial advertisements that enliven the social environments. Occasionally it is possible to observe some advertisements abruptly or slowly leaving out the street walls and notice boards.

Sometimes the audience come to know that some profit making commercial enterprises have dissolved away because they are unable to make ends meet or because they have completely lost in crisis situations.

These accounts are at times revealed through the print and the electronic media. For private enterprises, competition among them is perhaps the greatest challenge for their survival and evolving to a more efficient state. In such a situation the sudden or gradual disappearing of relevant icons, symbols and indexes become obvious.