Psycholinguistics (01) : The Summary of Psycholinguistics

What Psycholinguistics is

§  The definition of Psycholinguistics

Psycholinguistics is the combination studies between psychology and linguistics that has synergies relation both of them which focusses in the term psychology of language. As we know that psychology is the study about the mental and mind of human. This study focusses on mental, behaviour and cognitive of human. Besides, linguistics is the study about human language. Psycholinguistics can be defined as the study of the mental representations and processes involves in language use, including the production, comprehension and storage of spoken and written language.

In psycholinguistics, we can analyse the process of psychology of human from their ways to communicate with others by using language. Then, the purpose of psycholinguistics itself is to look for the language theory which in linguistics can be acceptable and it can explain the concept of language in psychology side.

§  The Kinds of Psycholinguistics

The study of psycholinguistics has grown as well as significant and it improve to be more sub discipline theories as Chaer (2003) said, those are:

1.      Theoretical psycholinguistics

2.      Development psycholinguistics

3.      Socio psycholinguistics

4.      Education psycholinguistics

5.      Neuro psycholinguistics

6.      Experiment psycholinguistics

7.      Applied linguistics  

Psycholinguistics can be classified into three big field, those are:

1.      General psycholinguistics

This study focuses on how humans perception about language and how they produce language.

2.      Applied psycholinguistics  

This study focuses on the application of psycholinguistics theories in the daily life of humans and children.    

3.      Development psycholinguistics

This study focuses on the language acquisition in children and humans.

Historical Perspective and Development of Psycholinguistics

            Psycholinguistics was born since 1953 when there was new class for this study in the first time by R. Brown. Then, in this period appeared several arguments to build the strength of this study as several figures such as Leshley, Lenneberg, Osgood, Skinner and Chomsky. All their arguments were strengthen by Miller that said the born of psycholinguistics study could not be emphasize because the psychologists had already admitted that human brain is acceptable the linguistics signs. In addition, linguists had admitted that psychosocial is controlled the machinery grammar and lexicon. Therefore, we can conclude that psycholinguistics can analyse the processes of psychology that exists when humans use sentences.   

            In 1956, there was statement about language relativity from Benjamin Lee Whorf and about language universal from Greenberg. In this formative period, actually there was hybridisation (combination) between psychology and linguistics. Since this period, the terminologies about psycholinguistics had already been popular and it supported with the research about language relativity and language universal. 

            In 1957, the focus of psycholinguistic had already grown in significant way. As we know that in the first time, it just focused on the behaviourism field but in this period it changed to mentalism. Furthermore, by this time, psycholinguistics was the study that could invite many people to interest in. It was supported by Chomsky’s argument that universal language could be possible to language acquisition. Moreover, in this same strategy was supported also by the significant development of study Neurolinguistics and Biolinguistics.  

            In the stage of cognitive, there were the ideas about the biology in language field. It happened because there were senses that felt if biology was the foundation where language could grow and develop. In addition, Chomsky and Lenneberg said that the growing and developing of humans language would be related with genetic and biologic development.

            In psycholinguistics theories, psycholinguistics doesn’t stand as the study that differentiate with others studies but the use of language will influence other studies. Therefore, in the end, psycholinguistics will be not only between psychology and linguistics but also it can run and influence the kinds of studies such as neurology, philosophy, primatology and genetics.    

Communication, Language and Speech

           

Communication is the way to change the information between humans as the example is linguistics technique, non-linguistics and paralinguistic. Communication is different with language that language itself is in the humans realise, having symbolic, systematic and it is running in two kinds of ways those are spoken and written.

Language is the tool for having communication with other people for transferring the message. Language that used for human has several characteristics, those are way, semantic characteristics, structure, use and learning.

1.      Way

It consists of the use of vocal and auditee, it can change each other.

2.      Learning

It consists of cultural transmission and can be learned.

3.      Structure

It consists of creativity, structure dualism and structure dependence.

4.      Use

It consists of control, specialisation, direct use, changing, changing meaning and reflectivity.

Speech is the type of language because there is vocalisation. The use of language can produce sound that meaningful as speech. There are two factors that influence speech, those are:

1.      Type, size and articulation position that we use.

2.      The ability to breathe and produce the sound in same time.

In addition, animals don’t have communication system that is same with humans although they produce sound and they communicate each other with their community. The research with animals clearly shows that animals have only a rudimentary language ability. What is puzzling and requires explanation is why their language ability is so low when their overall intellectual ability is so much higher. Apes exhibit, for example, intelligent complex behaviour regarding social organization, food acquisition, and problem solving. Then, the animal cannot develop their speech sound. The animal cannot develop their speech sound to communicate using language. It happens because speech sound is produced by human. Actually, the animals do communication also by using their own language in same species. They will produce sound to give signal to animals else, but it is different with speech sound. Therefore, it cannot be grouped as the process of developing sound of animals.

Language Comprehension

Language is no single system but is built by several subsystem such as phonology, morphology, syntax and lexicon. The language system is a symbol system that consists of sound, not images or others. This sound is produced by organ of speech or articulatory. Besides, every system and language symbol implies that every system and language symbol, good words, phrase, clause, sentence and discourse always have meaning which may change in any time.

In the history of the language is expressed by some theory of the origin of language. Philip Lieberman explained that the language was born in evolution as it has been formulated by Darwin. Then, Brooks led to the hypothesis that language initially shaped the sounds fixed place of or as a symbol for objects, things, or events remains around close to the other sounds. Condillac argued that language is derived from the shouts and body instinctive generated by feelings and strong emotions. Furthermore, Von Herder said that the language was happened because of onomatopoeic process that is the process of imitation of natural sounds as a result of impulse very strongly to communicate. Von Schlegel argued that languages in this world is not from one language but the human intellect makes it perfect.  

The structure of the language is a system that governs all the elements of the language and connecting between one another. The elements are connected consists of language content and language form.

There are two kinds of language functions, those are:

1.      Function of a language that is intrapersonal (Mathetik), namely, the use of language to solve problems (problem solving), take a decision (decision making), thinking, remembering, and so on.

2.      The function of language is interpersonal (pragmatic), namely that shows the existence of a message or wishes speakers (message). Usually expressed in imperative, interrogative sentence, and the sentence news.

Language Production and Speech Error

Speaking is one of the most complex cognitive operations that human beings perform. Then it can be defined as when human try to deliver their idea and message to other people using language as the tool for communication by using speaking as the way.

Speech error is the process of speech that there is several less such as error in the way people get the idea or message and it can cause of several aspect based on the genetic of people or it can be influence by environment.

Throughout the development of speech error, Meringer was mainly interested in
classifying the kinds of errors which occurred in spontaneous speech; and since his time, one
finds in the literature different classification schemes and varying terminology.

There are some causes of speech error, those are:

1.      Interference from intended elements of the utterance (plan internal
errors).

2.      Interference from an alternative formulation of the intended thought
(alternative plan errors).

3.      Interference from an unintended thought (competing plan errors).

The process of speech error closely related with the process of language production.
Speech error might be done by first language or second language learner. Here are several
factors influencing the process of speech error (Suryadi, 2011):

a.       Language transfer, speech error may be caused by the language transfer.

b.      Language transfer learning, the error could be the influence of poor learning provided
by the teacher..

c.       Second language learning strategies, in the process of learning second language,
learner has certain strategies.

d.      Communication strategy is another causal factor of speech error.

References

Indah R. N. & Abdurrahman, 2008, Psikolinguistik: konsep & isu umum, Malang: UIN Press

Indah R. N, 2011, Gangguan Berbahasa Kajian Pengantar, Malang: UIN Press

Yule. George, 2010, The Study of Language: Fourth Edition, New York: Cambridge University Press.

Warren. Paul, 2013, Introducing Psycholinguistics, New York: Cambridge University Press.

Danny D, 2006, An Introduction to Psycholinguistics, New York: Longman.