Patterns of behavior

 I love the term Language Behavior.  I never knew the term until I was about 30.  I had never really thought in terms of language having behavior.  It's a personification, however, that has a lot of meaning.  Language does behave a certain way because of all the patterns in it.  Patterns show up in language in nearly every linguistic area.  Grammatically, patterns fill the language books, such as the regularization of verbs.  Prosodically, patterns fill our tones and melodies, such as the way questions are intoned.  Semantically, patterns can be seen in ways that signal what a listener would expect if sentences are said a certain way, such as the use of a stock phrase, a dialectal phrase, or a borrowed phrase from another language.  There are many patterns language fits into.

This idea makes it possible to reduce language to quantifiable terms and measure it.  For example, if people in their writing would have certain sentence lengths, like t-units, then their writing would be much more readable.  If sentence length and vocabulary frequencies are combined, then those that read written language can be measured into imaginary units, such as the lexile.  And, if stretches of utterances are recorded and sifted for repetitive words versus unique words, such as the Type-token Ratio, then one could find topics of discomfort for those who are speaking.

Knowing the behavior in language, one can start to draw some conclusions.  For example, it seems ludicrous for vocabulary study to be undertaken without an eye toward frequency in language.  Likewise, it is absurd to teach any part of grammar without the noticeable patterns that occur with words and their placement in sentences.  And, it's impossible to teach writing with any competence unless the writing follows patterns to organize around or the strategic use and placement of words exhibiting sophistication.

Our language behavior gives us away in every area of life because people know how to read the behaviors.  And I'm guilty.  Very measurably my patterns have given away exactly where my heart is.  And it underlies my hope and faith so obviously.