Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Second Edition

Further reading and study
R.L.Politzer and L.Weiss, The Successful Foreign Language Teacher,
Philadelphia: Center for Curriculum Development and Harrap, 1970.
BBC/British Council, Teaching Observed, 13 films, with handbook,
1976.

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25
 Chapter 3
Language
and Communication  
Kinds of communication
All living creatures have some means of conveying information
to others of their own group, communication being ultimately
essential for their survival. Some use vocal noises, others
physical movement or facial expression. Many employ a
variety of methods. Birds use predominantly vocal signals, but
also show their intentions by body movements; animals use
vocal noises as well as facial expressions like the baring of
teeth; insects use body movements, the most famous of which
are the various ‘dances’ of the bees.
Man is able to exploit a range of techniques of communica-
tion. Many are in essence the same as those used by other
creatures. Man is vocal, he uses his body for gestures of many
kinds, he conveys information by facial expression, but he has
extended these three basic techniques by adding the dimension
of representation. Thus both speech and gesture can be
represented in picture form or symbolically and conveyed
beyond the immediate context.
It is unfortunate that the word language is often used to
cover all forms of communication, and that the term animal
language is common. These expressions obscure a very
important distinction between communication which is
basically a set of signals, and communication which is truly
language,  human language. Man, in common with other
creatures, uses signals, but he also uses language with a

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Language and Communication
26
subtlety and complexity and range far beyond anything
known to exist among other forms of life.