Language in the Role of Culture
Discuss the role of language in culture.
Language is the most important aspect in the life of all humans.
A language is the human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, and a language is any specific example of such a system. (Wikipedia.org) language is a method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way. We use language to express or inner thoughts and emotions, make sense of abstract thoughts, to learn to communicate with others, to fulfil our wants and needs, as well as to establish rules and maintain cultures.
Language removes the necessity for each member of the human society to learn by trial and error. Solutions to problems are passed on from one generation to the next.
When we define language we have to be careful not to exclude symbols, gestures or motions because if we exclude these from our definition we will be denying the language of the deaf community. Behaviourists often define language as a learned behaviour involving a stimulus and a response. (Ormrod, 1995) they will often refer to language that includes gestures and body movements as well as spoken words.
Non-human animals also have a wide variety of systems of communication. Some communicate using scents, others use visual displays and others again use verbal sounds. But the unique ability of communicating through a native language clearly separates humans from all other species. Organic evolution has proven unable to trace the origin of language. Knowing how beneficial this ability is to humans one would wonder why this skill has not evolved in any other species. Linguistic research along with neurological studies has determined that human speech is highly dependent on a neuronal network located in specific sites within the human brain.
As we start knowing more about language, we also start uncovering more about our human race and nature. As we uncover how languages and their speakers
Language is the most important aspect in the life of all humans.
A language is the human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, and a language is any specific example of such a system. (Wikipedia.org) language is a method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way. We use language to express or inner thoughts and emotions, make sense of abstract thoughts, to learn to communicate with others, to fulfil our wants and needs, as well as to establish rules and maintain cultures.
Language removes the necessity for each member of the human society to learn by trial and error. Solutions to problems are passed on from one generation to the next.
When we define language we have to be careful not to exclude symbols, gestures or motions because if we exclude these from our definition we will be denying the language of the deaf community. Behaviourists often define language as a learned behaviour involving a stimulus and a response. (Ormrod, 1995) they will often refer to language that includes gestures and body movements as well as spoken words.
Non-human animals also have a wide variety of systems of communication. Some communicate using scents, others use visual displays and others again use verbal sounds. But the unique ability of communicating through a native language clearly separates humans from all other species. Organic evolution has proven unable to trace the origin of language. Knowing how beneficial this ability is to humans one would wonder why this skill has not evolved in any other species. Linguistic research along with neurological studies has determined that human speech is highly dependent on a neuronal network located in specific sites within the human brain.
As we start knowing more about language, we also start uncovering more about our human race and nature. As we uncover how languages and their speakers