2024年2月21日发(作者：庚昊焱)

The Modes of Language

Good morning, everyone!

In our last lecture, I was talking about language as part of our semiotic system.

And today I am going to move on to another topic, that is, the modes of language. As

you may know, messages are transmitted in human language most frequently through

two primary modes: speech and writing.

Well, you know, there is also a third mode, which is not that frequently used as

speech and writing.（1）The third mode is called signing, which is used by deaf

people. But in today's lecture, we will just focus on speech and writing, and the

specific features of these two modes.

（2）In linguistics, it is commonly noted that speech is primary and writing

secondary. Linguistics take this position because all languages are spoken except

those dead languages such as Latin, which is only existent in written

children will naturally acquire the spoken version of a language if they are exposed to

it.

They acquire the spoken form of their mother tongue during the formative period of

language acquisition. （3）However, to become literate, a child will need some kind

of formal schooling in reading and writing. In many respects, we might call speech

"primary" and writing "secondary". It implies that writing has a second-class status

when compared with speech.

（4）In fact, it is more accurate to view the two modes as having different but

complementary roles. For instance, in most legal systems, while an oral contract is

legally binding, a written contract is preferred. The reason is simple—unlike speech,

writing provides a permanent record of the contract.（5）Thus, if the terms of the

contract are disputed, the written record of the contract can be consulted and

interpreted. Disputes over an oral contract will involve one person's recollection of the

contract versus another person's. （6）While writing may be the preferred mode for a

contract, in many other contexts, speech will be more appropriate. Because the most

common type of speech—face-to-face conversation—is highly interactive. This mode

is well-suited to many social contexts, such as casual conversations over lunch,

business transactions in a grocery store, discussions between students and teachers in

a classroom.

（7）And in these contexts, interactive dialogues have many advantages over

writing. For instance, individuals engaged in conversation can ask for immediate

clarification if there is a question about something said; in a letter to a friend, in

contrast, such immediacy is lacking.

（8）When speaking to one another, speakers are face to face and can therefore see

how individuals react to what is said. On the other hand, （9）writing creates

distance between writer and reader, preventing the writer from getting any immediate

reaction from the reader.

（10）Speech is oral, thus making it possible to use intonation to emphasize words or

phrased and express emotion. Of course, one might say that writing has punctuation.

Well, it can express only a small proportion of the features that intonation has.

Because speech is created "on-line," it is produced quickly and easily. This may result

in many "ungrammatical" constructions, but rarely do these rough sentences cause

miscommunications. You know, if there is a misunderstanding, it can be easily

corrected. On the contrary, （11）writing is much more deliberate. It require

planning, editing and thus taking much more time to produce on the part of the writer.

Because of all these characteristics of writing, if an individual desires a casual,

intimate encounter with a friend, he or she is more likely to meet personally than write

a letter. In this case, writing a letter to a friend might turn out to be too

course, in today's world, the highly-developed technology has made such encounters

possible with "instant messaging" over a computer or a smart phone. And if someone

wishes to have such an encounter with a friend living many miles away, then this kind

of on-line written "chat" can mimic a face-to-face conversation.（12）But because

such conversations are a hybrid of speech and writing, they still lack the intimacy and

immediacy of a face-to-face conversation.

（13）While speech and writing are often viewed as discrete modes, it is important

for us to note that there is a continuum between speech and writing.（14）While

speech is in general more interactive than writing, various kinds of spoken and written

English display various degrees of interactivity. For instance, various linguistic

markers of interactive discourse, such as first and second person pronouns,

contractions, and private verbs such as think and feel, occurred very frequently in

telephone and face-to-face conversations but less frequently in spontaneous speeches,

interviews, and broadcasts. In addition, some kinds of writing, such as academic prose

and official documents, exhibited few markers of interactive discourse, but the other

kinds of written texts, particularly personal letters, ranked higher on the scale of

interactivity than many of the spoken texts.

In other words, （15）how language is structured depends less on whether it is

spoken or written but more on how it is being used. For example, a personal letter,

even though it is written, will contain linguistic features marking interactivity because

the writer of a letter wishes to interact with the receiver of the letter.

On the other hand, in an interview, the goal is not to interact necessarily but to get

information from the person being interviewed. Therefore, though interviews are

spoken, they have fewer markers of interactivity and contain more features typically

associated with written texts.

OK, to sum up, we have been dealing with the modes of language in today's lecture.

The two most frequently used modes are speech and writing. As two different modes

of language, speech and writing have their own characteristics. Speech is a preferred

mode in many social contacts where interactivity is needed. Of course, when a formal

stable record is preferred, writing should be an appropriate mode. Finally, I have also

emphasized that there is a continuum between speech and writing. In the following

lecture, we will concentrate on the linguistic structures of language.

Thank you!

2024年2月21日发(作者：庚昊焱)

The Modes of Language

Good morning, everyone!

In our last lecture, I was talking about language as part of our semiotic system.

And today I am going to move on to another topic, that is, the modes of language. As

you may know, messages are transmitted in human language most frequently through

two primary modes: speech and writing.

Well, you know, there is also a third mode, which is not that frequently used as

speech and writing.（1）The third mode is called signing, which is used by deaf

people. But in today's lecture, we will just focus on speech and writing, and the

specific features of these two modes.

（2）In linguistics, it is commonly noted that speech is primary and writing

secondary. Linguistics take this position because all languages are spoken except

those dead languages such as Latin, which is only existent in written

children will naturally acquire the spoken version of a language if they are exposed to

it.

They acquire the spoken form of their mother tongue during the formative period of

language acquisition. （3）However, to become literate, a child will need some kind

of formal schooling in reading and writing. In many respects, we might call speech

"primary" and writing "secondary". It implies that writing has a second-class status

when compared with speech.

（4）In fact, it is more accurate to view the two modes as having different but

complementary roles. For instance, in most legal systems, while an oral contract is

legally binding, a written contract is preferred. The reason is simple—unlike speech,

writing provides a permanent record of the contract.（5）Thus, if the terms of the

contract are disputed, the written record of the contract can be consulted and

interpreted. Disputes over an oral contract will involve one person's recollection of the

contract versus another person's. （6）While writing may be the preferred mode for a

contract, in many other contexts, speech will be more appropriate. Because the most

common type of speech—face-to-face conversation—is highly interactive. This mode

is well-suited to many social contexts, such as casual conversations over lunch,

business transactions in a grocery store, discussions between students and teachers in

a classroom.

（7）And in these contexts, interactive dialogues have many advantages over

writing. For instance, individuals engaged in conversation can ask for immediate

clarification if there is a question about something said; in a letter to a friend, in

contrast, such immediacy is lacking.

（8）When speaking to one another, speakers are face to face and can therefore see

how individuals react to what is said. On the other hand, （9）writing creates

distance between writer and reader, preventing the writer from getting any immediate

reaction from the reader.

（10）Speech is oral, thus making it possible to use intonation to emphasize words or

phrased and express emotion. Of course, one might say that writing has punctuation.

Well, it can express only a small proportion of the features that intonation has.

Because speech is created "on-line," it is produced quickly and easily. This may result

in many "ungrammatical" constructions, but rarely do these rough sentences cause

miscommunications. You know, if there is a misunderstanding, it can be easily

corrected. On the contrary, （11）writing is much more deliberate. It require

planning, editing and thus taking much more time to produce on the part of the writer.

Because of all these characteristics of writing, if an individual desires a casual,

intimate encounter with a friend, he or she is more likely to meet personally than write

a letter. In this case, writing a letter to a friend might turn out to be too

course, in today's world, the highly-developed technology has made such encounters

possible with "instant messaging" over a computer or a smart phone. And if someone

wishes to have such an encounter with a friend living many miles away, then this kind

of on-line written "chat" can mimic a face-to-face conversation.（12）But because

such conversations are a hybrid of speech and writing, they still lack the intimacy and

immediacy of a face-to-face conversation.

（13）While speech and writing are often viewed as discrete modes, it is important

for us to note that there is a continuum between speech and writing.（14）While

speech is in general more interactive than writing, various kinds of spoken and written

English display various degrees of interactivity. For instance, various linguistic

markers of interactive discourse, such as first and second person pronouns,

contractions, and private verbs such as think and feel, occurred very frequently in

telephone and face-to-face conversations but less frequently in spontaneous speeches,

interviews, and broadcasts. In addition, some kinds of writing, such as academic prose

and official documents, exhibited few markers of interactive discourse, but the other

kinds of written texts, particularly personal letters, ranked higher on the scale of

interactivity than many of the spoken texts.

In other words, （15）how language is structured depends less on whether it is

spoken or written but more on how it is being used. For example, a personal letter,

even though it is written, will contain linguistic features marking interactivity because

the writer of a letter wishes to interact with the receiver of the letter.

On the other hand, in an interview, the goal is not to interact necessarily but to get

information from the person being interviewed. Therefore, though interviews are

spoken, they have fewer markers of interactivity and contain more features typically

associated with written texts.

OK, to sum up, we have been dealing with the modes of language in today's lecture.

The two most frequently used modes are speech and writing. As two different modes

of language, speech and writing have their own characteristics. Speech is a preferred

mode in many social contacts where interactivity is needed. Of course, when a formal

stable record is preferred, writing should be an appropriate mode. Finally, I have also

emphasized that there is a continuum between speech and writing. In the following

lecture, we will concentrate on the linguistic structures of language.

Thank you!