Contents
1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………1
1.1 Rationale for the Study……………………………………………………………1
1.1.1 Motivations of the Study ………………………………………………………1
1.1.2 Current Status of the Study ……………………………………………………1 1.2 Aims of the Study…………………………………………………………………2
2 Related Notions of the Study ………………………………………………………2
2.1 Notions of Spoken Language ……………………………………………………2
2.1.1 The Definition of Spoken Language …………………………………………3
2.1.2 The Application of Spoken Language…………………………………………3
2.2 Notions of Written Language ……………………………………………………4
2.2.1 The Definition of Written Language……………………………………………4
2.2.2 The Application of Written Language …………………………………………5
3 The Findings of the Study…………………………………………………………6
3.1 The Similarity between Spoken and Written Language…………………………6
3.2 The Differences between Spoken and Written Language…………………………6
3.2.1 Lexical Level …………………………………………………………………6
3.2.2 Syntactic Level…………………………………………………………………7
3.2.3 Semantic Level………………………………………………………………8
4 Implications of the Study to Language Teaching and Learning……………8
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………10
References……………………………………………………………………………11
1 Introduction
There is a heated controversy as to what language is, and different people have different concepts. Oxford’s Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary (2004：960) advances several most frequently used senses of the word “language”, namely , 1[C] the system of communication in speech and writing that is used by people of a particular country: 2[U] the use by humans of a system of sounds and words to communicate; 3[U] a particular style of speaking or writing; 4[C,U] a way of expressing ideas and feelings using movements, symbols and sound; 5[C,U] a system of symbols and rules that is used to operate a computer;…
Dating back to the history of linguistic origination, it is found that the spoken language appeared earlier than the written language. In order to adapt to the urgent need to communicate with each other, language with sound is created in the process of their collective labor. In this period, human beings’ communication is only one mode that is oral language. “With the development of human civilization, another kind of language—written language was created.” (Wen Qiufang, 2004: 40). From then on, two modes of expressions about the concept of language have appeared: one is spoken language, the other is written language.
1.1 Rationale for the Study
1.1.1 Motivations of the Study
The present study was motivated by my initial interests and the importance to grasp the modes of languages.
As language learners, everyone endeavors to understand the language better. Especially for the second language learners, the better they can know about the language, the better they can learn.
It is well believed that students write English more frequently than speak English in traditional English class. As a result, they can’t talk to others in English fluently although their written English is very good. Nowadays, people have more and more chances to use English, especially spoken English when communicating with others. In fact, written English differs from spoken English in many folds. Spoken language plays a very important role in communicating with foreigners. However, written English is also very necessary to students.
Therefore, if the language learners can learn more about the relationships between spoken language and written language, they can have better ability of communication by utilizing written and spoken strategies flexibly and appropriately.
1.1.2 Current Status of the Study
For all sorts of reasons, the relationships between the two modes have been examined from many aspects by the linguists (Qing Xiubai, 2002; Per Linell, 2005; Zhao Jinming, 2004, etc).
Qing Xiubai (2002: 129-135) has analyzed the differences about the structures of sentence and grammar, but he has not pointed out the reasons. Per Linell also has done some research on the analysis of written language, which necessarily focuses on the products of the writer's activities (2005: 122). In addition, Zhao Jinming (2004:100-102) finds out the differences in the lexicon and has given the reasons, but not in detail. Moreover, many famous scholars have done some researches on the differences and have advanced some theories. Although their studies are correct and unchallenged, the context is not new and hasn’t been updated. This study is based on the predecessors’ theories to update and complete the present study.
1.2 Aims of the Study
As many language learners are difficult to distinct the differences between spoken and written languages and often use them inappropriately. The present study attempts at exploring the questions and the findings of the study can shed some light on English language teaching and learning. The research questions of the present study involve:
(1) What the similarities between spoken and written languages are;
(2) What the differences between spoken and written languages are;
(3) How to apply the results of the study to English language teaching and learning.
2 Related Notions of the Study
It is easy to see that spoken language is different from written language, but it’s not easy to tell the differences exactly. Some people use spoken language in formal texts, which may produce unfavorable results (It leads to grave consequences if a person writes his contract in spoken language, because the other side has the right to claim it an invalid contract i.e.). It also sounds weird when someone always talks genteel. However, there are some special reasons that spoken language is applied in a book or the written language in oral expressions in the hoping of making a particular effect. Thus, it is necessary to apply the language properly in different situations.
2.1 Notions of Spoken Language
Over the past few years, there has been a gradual shift research both in China and U.S. In addition to continued researches on the transcription problem, i.e., the conversion of the spoken language signal to text, many researchers have begun to address as well the problem of spoken language understanding. “This shift is at least partly bought on by the realization that many of applications involving human/machine interface using spoken language require an ‘understanding’ of the intended message” (Edward, 2007: 44-45). In fact, to be truly effective, many potential applications demand that system carry on a dialog with the user, using its knowledge base and information gleaned from previous sentences to achieve proper response generation. Current advances in research and development of spoken language can be found, for example, in the proceedings of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) spoken language and natural language workshops, as well as in the publications from participants of the Speech Understanding and Dialogue (SUNDIAL) project.
2.1.1 The Definition of Spoken Language
In the past decades, a numbers of scholars have advanced different definitions about spoken language which have made great contributions to study of spoken language.
Professor Marc Marscharh (2003: 233) points out that spoken language is described from several viewpoints in terms of receptive and expressive components; sensory, cognitive, and motor components; or phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Dong Qiming (2008: 51) indicates that spoken language is a big category which may include different things, such as an interview between the boss of a company and a job hunter, a football commentary, a sermon in a church, a lecture in a university, an inaugural spoken language by the president elect, a debate over a political issue, or a daily conversation among friends.
Moreover, Yan Zhiqiang (2002: 55) has made a brief introduction about spoken language: 1) generally faster than writing 2) loudness or quietness 3) gestures - body language 4) intonation 5) stress Rhythm Pitch range.
It can be generalized from the above discussions that spoken language is a form of communication in which words derived from a large vocabulary (usually at 10,000) together with slangs are spoken orally. The spoken words they make are stringed into syntactically organized sentences and phrases. The vocabulary and syntax together with the spoken language sounds confines it to a particular mode of language.
2.1.2 The Application of Spoken Language
As spoken language is a kind of special way to transmit information, it has its unique characteristics.
Spoken language is dynamic and ephemeral, and the activities are continuous and not last long. It is found that there is no time lag between production and reception and there is no time for planning. Facial expressions and gestures are often referred to a particular situation.
Spoken language may contain long and complex sentences as well as modal, and slang words, many of which are rarely found in writing. This medium is suitable for social functions because it does not need to plan in advance in usual talking. Once spoken, however, errors cannot be erased.
In addition, one of apparent characteristic of spoken language is inexplicitness. Spoken language generally is used for face to face communication, and audio-visual can be used when communicating. So, it’s obvious that spoken language is ambiguous. The following reasons lead to it inexplicitness (Shang Wenwen, 2008: 272):
1. Some information is expressed by body language, such as facial expressions, gestures, etc.
2. It can make use of the speakers’ surrounding environment, such as the person or object, etc.
3. It also can take advantage of shared knowledge among the participants.
4. The spoken words can be timely feedback by the receiver, and what can be clarified or restated can be settled in time.
Some words are often used as pronouns such as, it, this and that, which is ambiguous. There is a sample dialogue:
A: How did it go?
B: Not too bad. I’m just glad it’s over.
A: Was it the last one?
B: Yes, for the time being.
Except the person is one of participant, or he has to guess the content of conversation. They may talk about an exam or a terrible experience of extraction.
As for these characteristics, when people make a speech, they obey the rules unconsciously or consciously. Therefore, who has a speech talent, the one must be good at using spoken language and its rules.
2.2 Notions of Written Language
If the appearance of spoken language is the need for mankind’s survival and the appearance of written language is the requirement for the development of human beings’ society. Thus, for the importance of written language, many linguists are committed to studying it for the sake of applying it better.
2.2.1 The Definition of Written Language
Halliday (2004: 407) has ever explained what written language is, prototypically at least, independent of changes in the sociopolitical environment, being located on the plane of expression rather than on the content plane.
Deng Yanchang (1989: 117) also has ever made a definition about written language. In writing, one has time to think, to deliberate, to choose one’s words carefully, to use different devices of rhetoric in order to make the final product more colorful, more appealing, or more convincing. The writer has time to end it and polish. If necessary, he can revise or do the whole thing over again.
Written language is commonly used in different situations, such as in poetry, in fiction, and in drama. Written language has its own characters and conventions. The word, sentence and structure are chosen by its purpose. Hence, the written texts are according to various purposes to adopt the different expressions, so that text for junior students includes simple sentences and basic words, whereas that intended for senior students is complicated in style and vocabulary.
Therefore, written language is communication by means of written symbols which observe strictly the grammatical rules of syntax with different forms of texts to achieve different academic purposes. And written forms are important carrier of culture which we should cherish.
2.2.2 The Application of Written language
For the reason that the written language is widely used in different sorts of articles, it should be used in different forms. By approaching different written language forms in various ways and depending on the kind of text we are dealing with and the aim of analysis, it may be of help in analyzing the use of written language of the text.
The language used in newspaper is simple, informal and short rather than elaborate, complicated and long. Take a piece of news from 21st Century (Zhao Qi: Mar 27, 2010) as an example:
Headline: Perfect partnership Formula
Tim Burton and Johnny Depp look alike. They sport equally wacky hair and tinted glasses, and stroke their artsy goatees as they talk. They cite similar artistic influences, mention their deep friendship (Depp is godfather to Burton’s first son) and even finish each other’s sentences.
It’s no wonder the two have turned into Hollywood’s most prolific director-actor partnership. The release of Alice in Wonderland in China this week, where Depp plays the crazy Mad Hatter, marks their seventh collaboration…
In this piece of news, many words have to be economical especially in the headline in order to make the group of words fit in a particular space of a news column; the simple words and the short sentences make the text easy to read.
As a contract can stand for actions and relations between two sides, the language used in contract must be precise, formal and legal. For instance, when writing a contract, it is a terribly wrong way to use vague words because it may cause unnecessary troubles in future. Furthermore, in contract, technical terms are widely used such as: defect, remedy, jurisdiction, damages and/or losses, indemnities, tenancy, etc.
Essay is one of important literary forms, but its language is special for its types of literature. Firstly, the sentences in essay are short, which help the readers read the text fast. Secondly, using metaphors make the text read more vivid. Finally, the words are formal or informal in accordance with the content of the text.
Therefore, no matter which kind of written language it is, the language is comparatively more formal and precise. For these reasons written language is used widely and stably.
3. The Findings of the Study
3.1 The Similarity between Spoken and Written Languages
Although spoken and written languages have many differences, it is easy to find that they have many similarities in pronunciation, grammar and function:
Each word has a sound belonging to itself. In people’s daily life, they speak a mount of words, but which the word they saying can be found in the written language.
They must obey grammar whatever written language or spoken language is. Otherwise, it is difficult for people to catch the ideas.
Both spoken and written languages share the same function that is transferring information.
3.2 The Differences between Spoken and Written Languages
The main differences between spoken and written languages are determined by lexical level, syntactic level and semantic level.
3.2.1 Lexical Level
Although spoken language and written language have shared some similarities, their usages are of great different.
Firstly, the spoken language is made up of a lot of modal particles, but the modal particles rarely appear in the written language, such as:
I. - Do you love me?
- Yeah before, not now.
II. - Oh, nice suits.
- Really, thank you.
The words “Oh, Yeah” in the sample sentences are frequently used in spoken language but not often in written language.
Secondly, many new words are created in the spoken language, but they are not adopted in the official documents. There are some new words have not been entered into dictionary:
It bag: High-priced designer handbag that is the bag "of the momen
