NATURAL LANGUAGE VS. PURPOSE-BUILT LANGUAGES. THE HUMAN FACTOR

English as a fixed language serving as a communication medium in air traffic control (airspeak) & maritime (seaspeak) navigation is discussed with special attention to the relationship between natural & special codes & the correlation of the functions of clarity & brevity. The histor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuphilologische Mitteilungen 1989-01, Vol.90 (2), p.173-183
Main Author: Varantola, Krista
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air traffic control
Communications
Conversation
Language
Natural language
Phraseology
Pronunciation
Radio
Radio communications
Ships
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:English as a fixed language serving as a communication medium in air traffic control (airspeak) & maritime (seaspeak) navigation is discussed with special attention to the relationship between natural & special codes & the correlation of the functions of clarity & brevity. The history of airspeak & seaspeak is outlined & the principles stipulated for the development of these two varieties of purpose-built English are discussed. It is noted that the principles of clarity & brevity are contradictory; yet, they have to cooperate if a communicatively adequate code is to be developed. The suitability of English as an international language is assessed & the problems of interference between specialized terms & general vocabulary used in the two kinds of English are noted. It is concluded that a sublanguage or phraseology are not sufficient communication means to guarantee trouble-free communication in an international context. The question of how much general language is needed for special-purpose communication has to be addressed. 14 References. Z. Dubiel
ISSN:0028-3754