Definition of Language. A language generally takes an important part in our daily life. Language also clearly distinguishes human from other living things. People use language to convey messages, express felling or idea and any information that exist in people‟s mind. Therefore, they can communicate by using language with other who knows language. In this case, language is said by Xxxxxxxx, in his book entitled „Language as social semiotic’, Xxxxxxxx says: Language is being regarded as the encoding of a behavior potential into a meaning potential, that is as a means of expressing what the human organism can do interaction with other human organisms, by turning it into what the can mean (Xxxxxxxx, 1978 : 21). Language is also an object which can be picked up and used for some purposes and put down again. In the communication, it can be expressed in various ways. The various ways of expressing the language will result in different acts, for example: the act of persuading, the act of warning, the act of influencing, and other acts. In linguistics, the variety of expressing the language is called speech act (Xxxxxx, 1980:13). In his book entitled „Error Analysis and Interlanguage‟. Language, as said above, is as a means of communication. as the encoding of a behavior potential into a meaning potential, that is as a means of expressing what the human organism can do interaction with other human organisms, by turning it into what the can mean. Further, the functions of language are theoretically explained in the subs below.
Definition of Language. Language as an instrument of control has another side to it, since the child is well aware that language is also means whereby others exercise control over him. Closely related to the instrumental model, therefore, is the regulatory model of language. This refers to use language to regulate the behavior of others. This by itself does not condemn it, since language has many other functions beside that of manipulating and controlling the environment. But it bore little apparent relation to any use of language, at least to any with which the young child is familiar (Xxxxxxxx, 1973:12). My conclusions about definition of language is that as a fact the role of language in society is very vital. It covers each aspects of life, which no one is able to live perfectly without a language. But it is impossible for someone to know all of the language in the world, even if he spends all of the life time in learning language. Each nation in the world may have a great number of languages. For example, Indonesian, the only national language, language of instruction in school, as official language throughout the country, but there are many of vernaculars such as Balinese, Javanese, Bugisnese, etc.
