Modern science refers to man only as homo sapiens. At the same time, however, there is one more, no less significant definition - homo lingualis , which literally means "talking man." Each phenomenon, whether it is represented materially or abstractly, we give a name that is clearly associated in our minds with reality.
The picture of the world that every representative of modern humanity is endowed with, above all, is linguistic, and this is expressed in a number of aspects. At the mention of a word (and in any language familiar to us) in the mind immediately pops up the image of the object. Moreover, the tendency to name unfamiliar phenomena, things and feelings by specific names is one of the most significant in modern humanity.
Linguistic problem
Such components of our lives as language and speech have long ceased to amaze us. We treat them as something that does not need to be explained, interpreted and delineated. Without talking about philologists, we almost never think about what speech and language are, and for many, these phenomena are completely a priori identical, which, of course, is not true.
Oddly enough, the awareness of the difference in these concepts has come to the minds of linguists relatively recently. At the beginning of the twentieth century, talking about what speech and language are, Ferdinand de Saussure is a Swiss linguist and pioneer of the topic of interest to us in this article. Since then, the problem has become one of the leading in modern linguistics in particular and philology in general.
Question of abstractness and specificity
In order to talk about what speech and language are, you need to clearly understand the differences between them. In particular, they are expressed in the very existence of these phenomena.
Language, as you know, is an organized, strictly ordered system of signs that has norms and standards. It is specifically represented, structured and studied, fixed in the mind.
If we talk about what speech and language are, one should pay attention to the dependence of one on the other. In particular, without a developed language system it is practically impossible to create a statement, which, in fact, is a manifestation of speech.
Sign System Features
Speaking of language, we understand the social phenomenon, accessible to all, which is one of its most important features. An example is the national language, with which everyone is familiar, from small to large, within the same country. The entire population knows how to operate with existing knowledge and ideas, generating a statement, writing down a text, reading fiction.
It is a kind of material for speech and our thinking. The actual representation that we use so skillfully in our lives.
The second feature of the actual language can be called its normalization, rigor and limitation. It seems interesting in this regard that we understand one or another sign (any, not linguistic in fact).
Russian language and Russian speech, like any other, are as close to each other as possible. They are in constant interaction: the scope of the language expands due to the transition to live speech, and that, in turn, is normalized due to the existing system of signs.
Speech Features
A certain specificity also exists in this phenomenon. Russian language and Russian speech are also opposed to each other at the social level. In the first case, we should talk about the phenomenon as general as possible, characteristic of each representative of a nation or several nations. Language is primarily social - a single sign system exists for all almost unchanged.
Speech is a deeply individual phenomenon, generated by each individual person at the moment of communication. In a sense, we can say that speech is the realization of a language at a particular moment in time.
Time interaction
This is another of the rather significant differences. Namely, the temporary extent. Language exists in our minds outside of time, completely independent of it. A feature of speech is its simultaneity, existence only at the moment of generation of the utterance. In this case, one should understand not only the spoken language that we encounter daily, but also written, and even internal.
From general to specific
So, when we have determined what are the similarities and differences between speech and language, we turn to particular manifestations and aspects. Each of us has ever heard such a phrase as "language and culture of speech." In many schools and universities with a humanitarian bias, there are separate disciplines with this name. Its very name speaks of the importance, the need to comprehend certain rules and norms.
The Russian language and the culture of speech are related, but not identical, phenomena. The second component of this phrase is considered one of the linguistic sciences. The subject of its study seems at first glance quite simple: the language and culture of speech are studied from the point of view of normativity, correctness in relation to communication.
Nevertheless, in reality, everything is not as simple as it seems. The culture of speech is, first of all, one of the areas of spiritual culture, directly related to the implementation of the language in practice.
For everyone and for everyone
On the one hand, the culture of speech is the norms formed over time, the legacy of one or another community, which is manifested in the consciousness of the whole people. On the other hand, this phenomenon applies to every utterance, a particular case in the life of an individual. This is the ability of each of us to use the language correctly, correctly in relation to a particular communicative situation.
First of all, the culture of speech is, of course, associated with the literary language, generally accepted for all. However, it no less depends on the territorial location and national traditions. And that which will be true for some will not be entirely acceptable to others. As an example, we can give a dialectic speech, which from the point of view of literary norms turns out to be incorrect, but in itself has its own norms and limitations. Thus, we can say that the Russian language and the culture of speech are phenomena that are well-established, but quite mobile.
Special speech environment
An important role is played with respect to the culture of speech by the environment of its existence. The further humanity moves forward, the more it turns to virtual space. All kinds of chats, electronic correspondence, forums and websites require the ability to operate with separate language and speech standards.
A huge number of works have already been written on this subject, which detail the features of Internet communication.
Building awareness
How do we learn this very culture of speech? The first and most significant contribution in this regard is made by our family. The rules and norms of speech production are instilled in us by parents from childhood. From our grandparents and then teachers at school, we constantly hear proverbs about speech and language, which are deposited deep in our minds, staying there for life. Then speech and language norms are instilled in us at school in the lessons.
Schoolchildren training
Very much attention is paid to this problem in school education, since it is the possession of language and speech norms that has the greatest influence on the formation of personality. That is why the lesson "Language and Speech" is held in each class until the very end of school.
How is love for language inculcated in children? A simple explanation of the rules and regulations is not enough for this. A goal of this kind requires the involvement of a huge amount of factual material, which can be used not only quotes from the literature, but also proverbs about speech and language. In a sense, it is precisely such examples that prove to be more effective by virtue of their nature. It is unlikely that many will be able to literally quote Turgenev, Tolstoy or Griboedov, but absolutely everyone knows what the language can “bring”. Proverbs and stable expressions firmly settle in our minds, forming ideas about the culture of speech. Everyone, for example, knows the expression “what’s on the mind, then in the language” or “I don’t want to utter, and the language does not toss and turn”.
In the subject "Russian language" the topic "Speech" is considered one of the most important, most significant in school education. That is why it needs to be given maximum attention. Indeed, it is precisely at such lessons that a personality is formed in children, a worldview is determined, and the most important skills in life appear - communication skills.