A Contrastive Analysis of Spoken Language and Written Language

Deng Xinyi

（Foreign Languages College Chengdu University of Technology，Chengdu Sichuan 610000）

Abstract：In modern linguistics,spoken language has been regarded as primary,that is,speech is more basic than written language.The priority can even be further explained into historical,structural,functional and biological ones.However,among the mass,exists a striking phenomenon,the preference for and overemphasis on writing.This paper is going to analyze the reason why written form gains more general acceptance.

Key words：written language;spoken language;social status;cultural transmission

一、Social Status

1.Requirements for Structure

In convention,written language has close relation to social status.Spoken language satisfies the need for direct,face-to-face communication,which presupposes that it is a form used for listening and speaking.That is a matter of timeliness.The property determines that it requires fluency and efficiency.In spoken language,we use some less formal and less structured forms or expressions.There is no need to use complete sentences all the time and stick to the grammatical structure,or that will be quite pedantic.Slangs,jargons and proverbs can also be employed.One is supposed to talk casually without doing any special preparation previously.In the process of speaking,one can randomly refine his words and express what he wants to express.This,of course,will lead the topic to digress or do unnecessary repetition of what is said.Written language is the language of writing and reading,so it requires people to rethink and ponder.Text,as a graphic medium,calls for the author to spare enough time to conceive and modify.Therefore,the written language is more organized,more rigorous,precise and complete.

2.Requirements for education

Besides,speaking the first language is somehow spontaneous,that is,it is often learnt informally or picked up easily.Writing,on the other hand,takes years of practicing.It calls for diligent and arduous work.People who can neither read nor write their mother tongue are termed illiterate,and illiterate people are very much underprivileged and remain low in a social hierarchy,being the subject of being scorned and cheated.Nevertheless,those who can read or write their mother tongue well and is able to compose literary works,are regarded as educated scholars or man of letters,gaining high reputation.

二、Cultural transmission

1.Authority

Between spoken language and written language lies a huge distinction that written form is usually more permanent and more vital,while speech only lasts for moment.Written language,sometimes as a functional substitute for speech,can preserve the essence of speech for decades,or even centuries if it is under careful conservation.So written language is wildly used in policy making,business contracts and legal documents,etc.In the past,people generally believed that oral commitment is not reliable and can hardly serve as a principle of right actions.Written form is more trusted and has more authority.It can serve as proof,thus,hard to deny.

2.Stability

In ancient times,only a few people had the chance to receive education,thus could write.However,almost everyone could speak as long as both of one’s hemispheres can work well.Their words could not be detailly documented,the ways of speaking and vocabulary varies,and brought about many different dialects in different regions.Today,the multitude can both write and speak.Since the written language carries information and can be preserved for a long time,it has a great influence on the way people talk.Hence,many regional dialects and words gradually disappear or converge.Despite the substantial divergence exists in different dialects and their pronunciation,the same written language can be used to cover them.For example,the use of ancient Chinese traditional characters can be used in Southern China and Norther China and even exerted huge influence on East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea.The evolution of spoken language may happen and gain considerable fruit in a few decades or centuries,but the written language may change very little during the same period.

3.Accessibility

When it comes to cultural transmission,speech dies as soon as one finishes speaking,whereas writing can last forever if one is determined to keep it.Verbal words are short-lived and fleeting,whereas written language is eternal--it can be stored and transmitted.In other words,written language is the external,concrete realization of our thoughts.Owing to the record of great minds,we have access to those master pieces,as Plato’s Republic,Confucius’s The Analects and so on.Some languages do not have written forms and now they are on the verge of extinction.However,with the development of science and technology,the use of recording equipment and media,such as tape recorders,televisions,radios,fax and computer,has also made possible the use of the spoken language in circumstances in which the written language would have enjoyed in the past,exerting large impact.Thus,it can also play a part in cultural transmission.

三、Isolation from time and space

Oral communication involves at least one speaker and one hearer.Both two sides of the communication are simultaneously restricted in certain time and space.Spoken language constantly changes to time and place.As for structure,spoken language is always not complete which is called fragmentation.It strongly depends on the context.Once isolated from the context,it may make no sense.It is tightly involved in the context.Written language is the language in which people communicate in the text,which breaks the limitations exerted on spoken language in terms of time and space.As for writing,our thoughts are usually read by different people in distinct time and in various places.Moreover,the content can be read by many and can be read anytime,anywhere.The readers can read it whenever they are available,and they can either skim it quickly or read it carefully.They can also reread if they like.

四、Conclusion

Language cannot be easily identified with speech or writing.It is not a matter of which is primitive or which is noble.The ability to read and write is crucial for access to communication and information.A society with no access to these two things would have difficulties in surviving in modern times.That is why it is a national policy that citizens should be literate.It is of great significance for people to notice and pay attention to these distinctions and adopt corresponding styles to express their ideas according to different situations.

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