英语专业英语语言文学本科毕业论文.docVIP

1 Introduction Language is one of the decisive factors that enable man different from other animals to live on earth. Without language we can not learn, and solve problems. Any simple tasks require language. Without language it is difficult to refer to anything away from us in space and time. Language allows human beings to adapt to changing circumstances far more quickly than would be achieved by evolution. Human language is infinitely versatile. Honeybees have a remarkable way of letting others know the direction in which a source of nectar lies and how far away it is by means of a dance, but they could not begin to discuss the merits of other food stuffs or alternative ways of constructing their homes. In short, the nature and the dominance of the way of life that the human race possesses are due in very large part to the fact that human beings can speak. Since we have seen the significance of language, then, how might we define it? An earlier American linguist, Edward Sapir, gives a definition.He supports the hypothesis that language relates to communication between human beings. To him language does not include such instinctive forms of communication as smiling and cries of pain. His definition that Language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions, and desires by means of a system of voluntarily produced symbols. For comparison we may look at a definition given by a modern British linguist, David Crystal, who wrote the following:``The discussion may be summarized by referring to language as human vocal noise (or the graphic representation of this noise in writing) used systematically and conventionally by a community for purpose of communication. Thus this definition also proposes communication as the principal function of language. What it does not do is the attempt to specify what is communicated. 2 Literature Relevance The theory of this paper is mainly about the definition and the function of