Assignment 2
According to Wade Baskin (1959), Saussure makes a very simple distinction between speech (langage) and language (lange): Speech (langage) is a general human faculty of communication through meaningful signs. Signs that have both been collected by a community, to permit the individuals within that society to communicate (Baskin, 1959, p.9). The capacity to be able to speak any language. Without this faculty, we would not be able to speak at all. On the other hand, language (langue), is a term that refers to specific native languages or national languages, which have, grammar and include every word in a dictionary. Thus, while speech is a natural human instinct language is something we acquire over time (Baskin, 1959, p.9). Additionally, Saussure (as cited in Baskin 1959, p.13) also
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31). Although, such phonetic deformations belong in language they do not happen due to its natural function, they happen due to external influence. Thus, linguists should be aware of these deformations and have them under observation (as cited in Baskin 1959, p.31).
Discuss what is at stake here and give your own assessment of what a normal relationship between written and spoken language might be.
As suggested by Derrida (p.38), Saussure’s favoritism towards the spoken language is explained by his claim that sound and meaning are naturally connected. Saussure, believes that to Think otherwise would be a mistake, because, the written word is absent of meaning. For instance, as suggested by (Prasad, 2007), “speech is a way of representing inner meaning, writing is simply a means of representing speech. If speech is a sign of inner meaning—then writing, a sign of speech is twice removed from inner meaning—a “sign of