Language as Tool Sets

Language gives us the tools to communicate. However, instead of just being one huge set of tools, language is a series of related and often overlapping tool sets. We have a certain vocabulary and way of speaking or writing appropriate to a certain situation, and we can change the way we speak and write accordingly.

Just imagine the language used in law texts (also called legalese), and now the way parents speak with their small children. Yes, I chose two so drastically different sets of language tools on purpose; that way, it is easiest to see how these tool sets differ in choice of vocabulary and sentence structure. Furthermore, we can use these examples to show that not everyone has access to the same tool sets. On the one hand, most people automatically use the appropriate tool set to speak with small children--that seems to be genetically "installed"--but on the other hand, many people who do not usually have to deal with legalese have trouble making any sense of it.

Writers usually have more than one tool set for writing too. Many writers write in more than one genre and every genre has its own tool set (or even several tool sets) to convey the genre-specific atmosphere and feeling. The sets vary in use of vocabulary, sentence length and structure, use of tenses etc. A medieval novel will use different words than a futuristic sci-fi novel, or a contemporary YA novel. Every time a writer tries his hands at a new genre and strives to find his voice for that genre, he acquires another tool set.

To fully utilise a language's potential, you should strive to acquire as many tool sets as you can. It will allow you to communicate effectively in any situation, which is the main reason why language exists. To communicate.