Here's a breakdown:
* E-language (External Language): This refers to the actual, observable language used by people. It encompasses:
* Phonology: Sounds and their organization
* Morphology: Word formation
* Syntax: Sentence structure
* Semantics: Meaning of words and sentences
* Pragmatics: Language use in context
* L-language (Internal Language): This refers to the mental representation of language, or the internal grammar that speakers possess. It's the underlying system that allows people to understand and produce language.
Key Differences:
* E-language is observable, while L-language is theoretical and internal.
* E-language is diverse and varies across languages and dialects, while L-language is thought to be more universal (though different languages may have different ways of representing the same underlying concepts).
* E-language is constantly changing, while L-language is assumed to be relatively stable.
Example:
* E-language: The sentence "The cat sat on the mat" is a specific instance of a sentence in English.
* L-language: The internal representation of this sentence might involve concepts like 'cat,' 'sit,' 'on,' 'mat,' and their relationships.
Practical Implications:
Understanding the distinction between E-language and L-language is important for:
* Linguistic analysis: It helps researchers differentiate between the observed language and its underlying mental representation.
* Language acquisition: It sheds light on how children learn the grammar of their native language.
* Artificial intelligence: It informs the development of language processing systems that try to mimic human language abilities.
It's worth noting that these terms are not universally accepted. Some linguists prefer to use different terms or argue that the distinction is less clear-cut than others believe.