The 3 Levels Of The Language (and Their Characteristics)
Language is one of the most important capabilities of human beings, given that we are social animals that need to be able to communicate with each other in order to coordinate and survive.
Language involves the creation of a series of symbols shared among the members of a group that allow ideas, intentions, emotions to be transmitted and needs among different individuals. And one of the most relevant types of language is oral language.
But there are a great variety of languages and idioms with great differences between them, and even within the same language we will find different variants and ways of expressing ourselves. In this last sense It should be noted that we can find different levels of language or language which we are going to talk about throughout this article.
The set of styles or ways of communicating through language are called levels of language (or language). This name can refer to different ways of classifying linguistic ability or its use, such as the level of learning and knowledge of a language (B1, B2, C1, C2…) or, in the case at hand, the different registers used by users of the same language in relation to their contextual and cultural situation.
In this sense, it should be taken into account that there are many factors that determine the type of record used. The socio-educational level is a very relevant one, given that, for example, illiterate people or those with little education will have much more difficulty in being able to use more sophisticated records.
However, it is not the only one: the historical moment, the adaptation to specific contexts and situations or even the personality of the speaker can influence the type of register used.
Although, as we have said, we could classify the use of language at different levels based on a great diversity of criteria, if we stick to the level of correctness and the cultural background of the speakers and the type of language that we use in different contexts, we can consider a total of three major levels of the language. Specifically, the following.
1. Substandard level
The substandard level is considered the least sophisticated language level and the one that requires less formal knowledge to use it. The use of this level incurs multiple errors and idioms; it usually uses abbreviated forms of words and idioms.
They generally include the use of slang and regional variants (not dialects), as well as lexical and syntactic errors. It is usually used among people from close circles or with low educational levels. Within this level we can find two large sublevels
1.1. vulgar language
This type of language is characterized by its great simplicity and lack of ornamentation. Many of its terms are not part of the dictionary, and often include limited lexicons, short and partial phrases and a large number of vulgarisms and errors that do not seek to be corrected.
Although it is understandable, it is possible that a speaker from another region may have difficulty understanding the entirety of the messages. It is also common for fillers to be used and for there to be serious word ordering problems, as well as accentual or syllable shifts or the use of erroneous graphemes and phonemes (vowels and consonants are used that are not those that make up the word itself). .
It is often a speech with little adaptation to the environment and context: the way of speaking is almost always the same and does not adjust depending on the situation.
The so-called language of the people is part of the substandard level (although it integrates various elements of standard language), and in this case we observe a much more correct use accepted by the majority of speakers, although informal and poorly elaborated. Although limited in lexicon, it also presents great generativity when talking about the different constructs.
He usually uses many adjectives and proverbs, economizes constructions and sentences (phrases are reduced as much as possible) and abuses appeals to the listener.
It is often a type of language used by people with a slight educational level, in older people or in young people, having a fairly widespread informal use.
2. Standard level
We understand by standard level that which the majority of the population recognizes as correct, which follows the lexical, syntactic and morphological rules of the language in question and which serves as a basis and example of what a specific language is like. It requires a certain level of training in order to learn the use of the language and its norms.
Within the standard level we can find two sublevels or subtypes of language.
2.1. Colloquial language
It is the type of record that the majority of the population usually uses in their daily life and spontaneously. It is a correct language that follows the main spelling, syntactic and grammatical rules, although there may be small errors.
It uses interjections and is quite rich at a lexical level, although it tends to be used informally and tends not to be flowery or ornamented. Highly practical and expressive, it usually has elements of subjectivity and emotionality.
2.2. cultured language
The cultured language is a sublevel of the standard level that implies a high level of correctness in all its aspects. It usually implies a relatively high knowledge and mastery of the rules of the language. It has a fairly rich lexicon and elements of abstraction and ornamentation can be observed, and it is a type of formal communications.
Cultured language, although it is generally considered standard, has characteristics that bring it closer to the superstandard level and that sometimes place it at said levels of language.
3. Super standard level
The most advanced and sophisticated language level is the superstandard level. This level is characterized by the use of very correct and ornate language, as well as by being used in a restricted manner in certain areas or contexts. Its use is not common on a day-to-day basis and is restricted to certain situations, in addition to which it requires a high level of education to be understood.
The vocabulary is broad and cultisms are often used. He often seeks the expression of beauty through words. Among the different sublevels that we can find, it is possible to highlight the following.
3.1. poetic language
Poetic language is one whose main function is the expression of emotions and feelings through not so much the content of the word but its form. Although what is said may be relevant, the way in which it is expressed is much more relevant, seeking to generate beauty with the use of language.
3.2. Scientific-technical language
A subtype of superstandard language in which the transmission of objective information takes precedence, with a clear and orderly presentation of the information and the use of terminology specific to a field of knowledge. Understanding the messages emitted at this level of the language implies having highly specialized knowledge in a specific field, or at least notions of very specific fields.
