The Systems & Language Skills of English - Essay Example

The Systems & Language Skills of English Like any science, the language of English can be broken down into smaller units to be studies as different aspects of the language. Such units are called systems, and English, just like any other language, has four of them. They are vocabulary, grammar, phonology and function. Understanding all of them, as well as of their interaction, is an essential part of effective teaching because knowledge about these systems can be applied to mastering students’ language skills in general.

Let’s take a look at each of the systems separately.Vocabulary refers to the use of words as the building units of a phrase or a sentence, and includes word-building. So, knowledge of certain words together with major word-building principles of the language can help a student to enrich one’s vocabulary with the help of word-building skills. Grammar involves the rules of combining worlds into phrases and sentences. Its knowledge is an essential part of education since it helps forming grammatically correct and meaningful sentences.

At the same time grammar is very interrelated with, and even cannot be used meaningfully without, some knowledge of the function system of English.Function defines the purpose of a word combination, a phrase or a sentence, and outlines its direct meaning. It is very related to grammar because, for example, ‘I have read’ and ‘I read’ are different not only grammatically (different tense forms), but functionally as well – the first phrase expresses a completed action, while the second shows that the action was being performed, but has not necessarily been completed.

That is the functional difference. Phonology refers to the sounds and pronunciation of the language. It helps to differentiate spoken and heard words. It is an essential part of learning the language since it is one of the main tools for developing students’ language skills. Though we have identified the four separate systems of the language, it cannot be said that any of them can function or be taught independently. On the contrary, in order to teach students the major macro skills in English, such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking, all the four language systems should be applied.

The four major language skills are divided into productive and receptive ones. Productive skills are those that involve individual’s direct and active participation. They are speaking and writing, that is communicating information in a written or oral form. Receptive skills are listening and reading. However, the receptive skills are not passive. They also involve student’s participation. The difference is that while applying productive skills an individual communicates information, one receives it when uses receptive skills.

It should also be mentioned that none of the above mentioned language systems or skills can be taught separately. Development of each particular skill is connected with all the other ones. When learning new vocabulary, for example, students read the new words aloud – this involves reading and speaking skills, plus vocabulary and phonology language systems. At the same time they hear how others pronounce the words applying listening skills. Then they write them down and use in sentences – applying writing skills, plus using vocabulary, grammar, and function concepts of the language.