What is a language?

Language plays a crucial role in human’s life as an ability which helps people to express their feelings and thoughts, to learn the world. Language functions as a tool which helps to pass traditions to further generations. Kasschau (1985), defines the language as an abstract system of symbols and signs that are followed by grammar rules.  Nobody could even imagine how important it is and how significantly it influence human beings. This essay delivers my comprehension of the term” language” through the analysis of different scholars’ points of view.

According to Yule (2010), the language is the characteristic of human nature regardless the fact that it is difficult to define when it exactly was developed. Wood (2010), shows that language is a system of communication based on words that become sentences and phrases at the end. This is a type of linguistic communication. Considering non-linguistic communication the author illustrates the examples of non-verbal communication as smiling, laughing, hugging, and yelling. So, this type of communication almost belongs to animals and insects. This discrepancy shows that the language is exclusively a feature of human beings which consists of both verbal and nonverbal ways of communication. Also, the author suggests differentiating between “What is a language” “What is language” So, the difference seem to be significant as the first is the language itself, its functioning, its structure and features that relate to human beings, but the second is the language as German, French and English.

After analyzing the statements of the scholars it could be noted that it is necessary to differentiate between a language as an example of the languages from different branches (English, Kazakh, and Russian) and language which is an ability to produce meaningful sound and utterances. At the same time the language is a feature of human nature which is a part of communication process.

How you identify a language? Do you see differences between language and communication?

References:

Kasschau, R. A. (1985). Psychology, Exploring Behavior: Student Handbook, Experiments and Quizzes. Prentice-Hall.

Woods, C. (Ed.). (2010). Visible language: Inventions of writing in the ancient Middle East and beyond. Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.

Yule, G. (2014). The study of language. Cambridge University Press.

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