Action, thought and language

Psycholinguistics, wedged in between two Tleighbors, has always depended on psychology ‘and linguistics in various ways. From psychology it has taken its methodology, especially the use of experimental methods, and a taste for information processing models. From linguistics it has taken its definition of theoretical issues and indeed of the field itself. Though psycholinguistics has absorbed elements from the juxtaposition of psycholrgy arJ linguistics, there has not been a true synthesis. There is a mixture of elements, a bit from psych Aogy, a bit from linguistics, but no rationale for this particular mixture and no reason for preferring it over some other. I believe, however, that a distinctive conception of language is possible, a truly psycholinguistic approach. To see this spy Teach, we must consider the individual and his use of lznguage. Each ocellrrence or token of a given language structure has its own in,. dividual life history. Someone says a sentence. It has emerged on this occasan from a confluence witbin the speaker from many sources. Someone else understands the sentence. This too results from a cozlfluen ;e from many sources within the hearer. PsycholSnguistics and linguistics are fields which apply to successive slices along this life history of given language structures. Psycholinguistics focuses on the language structure as it emerges during acts of speaking and listening by the individual, a’nd for psycholinguistics language struttuies have an emergent, dynamic, temporal dimen:.ion. Linguistics focuses on the finished language structure, after it has been created or underst’ood, and for it language structures are complete, static and instantaneous. In a psycholinguistic approach, language structures correspond to forms of human activity, Language structures are the result of things done by inclividuals. Sentences, phrases and words (as well w other stretches of speech) define actions, or performances. In linguistics, sentences, phrases and words ,are regarded as static objects, like crystals. Language structure regarded as an object is how language activities appear to view after they are