Language:
* The system: Language is a complex system of communication, encompassing a set of rules and conventions for combining sounds, words, and grammar to express meaning.
* Abstract: It exists independently of any particular person speaking it.
* Components: Language includes:
* Phonology: The sounds of the language
* Morphology: How words are formed
* Syntax: How words are combined into sentences
* Semantics: The meanings of words and sentences
* Pragmatics: How language is used in context
Speaking:
* The action: Speaking is the act of using vocal sounds to communicate. It's the physical process of producing speech.
* Concrete: It's a tangible action performed by a specific individual.
* Dependent on language: You can't speak without knowing a language.
Analogy:
Think of language as the blueprint for a house and speaking as the act of building the house itself. You need the blueprint to guide the construction, but the blueprint doesn't actually build the house.
In other words:
* Language is what you know: The rules and patterns you understand.
* Speaking is what you do: The act of putting those rules and patterns into practice.
Here are some examples:
* You can learn a language (like Spanish) without being able to speak it fluently. You understand the grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, but you haven't practiced using it vocally.
* You can be a fluent speaker of a language (like English) but struggle with certain grammatical rules or vocabulary. You're proficient at using the language, but your knowledge of the underlying system may be limited.
Let me know if you have any other questions!