Describing Language based on Jeremy Harmer's "HOW TO TEACH ENGLISH".

1. DESCRIBING LANGUAGE
By: Arini Hasanah Setiati
Thursday, October 23, 2014 Harmer (2007), How to Teach English, Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80 1

2. OUTLINE:
Meaning in Context and Language Function
 The Element of Language
 Forms and Meanings
 Hypothetical Meaning
 Words Together
 Text and Discourse
 Language Variables
 Conclusion
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Harmer (2007), How to Teach English,
Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80
2

3. MEANING IN CONTEXT AND
LANGUAGE FUNCTION
 The sentence used in speaking or writing may
perform different language function.
 Language function is a purpose you wish to
achieve when you say or write something.
 Functioning properly in conversation or writing
depends on reacting to the context in which we
are using the language and on the relationship
between words and ideas.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Harmer (2007), How to Teach English,
Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80
3

4. THE ELEMENT OF LANGUAGE
The elements of language have to be put together to get the
meaning across.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Harmer (2007), How to Teach English,
Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80
4
Grammar/ Parts of
Speech
• A successful
sentence depends
on putting a number
of elements in the
correct order.
• Parts of speech helps
to determine how
grammatical
sequences are put
together and which
words can go in
which slots.
Vocabulary
• Some words in a
sentence is to
express a particular
meaning.
Pronunciation
• The way the
sentence spoken
determines exactly
what it means.

5. FORMS AND MEANINGS
 The same language forms can be used to express different
meanings.
 A meaning can be expressed by many different forms.
E.g. * One form, many meanings.
‘Book’ (= something to read; to reserve; a list of bets,
etc.)
‘Beat’ (= to win; to hit; to mix, etc.)
* One meaning, many forms.
- I’ll see you tomorrow.
- I’m going to see you tomorrow.
- I’m seeing you tomorrow.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Harmer (2007), How to Teach English,
Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80
5

6. HYPOTHETICAL MEANING
“Something that is not real, but it might be the
case.”
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Harmer (2007), How to Teach English,
Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80
6
Modal Verbs
• It might rain ≠ It will rain.
• I would go if I could ≠ I can’t go.
Conditional Sentences
• If you brought your umbrella, you would
not get wet (hypothetical).

7. WORDS TOGETHER
There are three specific instances of words that
group together:
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Harmer (2007), How to Teach English,
Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80
7
E.g.
fast
asleep;
get away;
heavy
traffic,
etc.
Collocat
ions
E.g.
glad to
see you;
nice to
see you;
great to
see you,
etc.
Lexical
Chunks
E.g.
down to
earth;
full of
beans;
a piece of
cake, etc.
Idiom

8. TEXT AND DISCOURSE
 Text must have cohesion (the way we connect
ideas and sentences together) and coherence
(internal logic).
 When the text is coherent, the readers should
be able to perceive the writer’s purpose and
follow their line of thought.
 To make a successful conversation,
participants need to be proficient at turn taking,
they should avoid long silences, and they should
listen when someone else is speaking.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Harmer (2007), How to Teach English,
Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80
8

9. LANGUAGE VARIABLES
A. Speaking and Writing
 In speaking, speakers can use paralinguistic
(non-language) features to modify the
meaning of context.
E.g. changing tone of voice; gesturing; using face
expression, etc.
 In writing, writers can use tricks to create
rhythm and effect.
E.g. dashes (-); exclamation mark (!); new
paragraphs, etc.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Harmer (2007), How to Teach English,
Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80
9

10. Cont.
B. Register
 It refers to the topic the speakers
speaking about and the tone that
wished to be adopted.
 It is needed to be able to recognize
register differences to choose the
words appropriately.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Harmer (2007), How to Teach English,
Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80
10

11. Cont.
C. Language Varieties
 There are many different English varieties
being used around the world.
 The international English belongs to
everyone who speaks it, but it is no one’s
mother tongue.
 English learners should be aware of those
English varieties, and should be given
opportunities to experience different
‘Englishes’ to make things comprehensible
to them
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Harmer (2007), How to Teach English,
Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80
11

12. CONCLUSION
• There are several elements and variables of
English language description such as the
nature of meaning in context, language
functions, the nature of words and their
morphology, the elements of pronunciation,
and so on, which should be well understood
by language teachers and learners in order to
be able to comprehend the language
precisely, and use it properly both in speaking
and writing as productive skills.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Harmer (2007), How to Teach English,
Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80
12

13. Thursday, October 23, 2014
Harmer (2007), How to Teach English,
Chapter 5: Describing Language, p. 59-80
13