Discuss the Claim That Language Is Uniquely Human Essay Example
Discuss the Claim That Language Is Uniquely Human Essay Example

Discuss the Claim That Language Is Uniquely Human Essay Example

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  • Pages: 3 (605 words)
  • Published: September 16, 2016
  • Type: Essay
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Language is one of the most important aspect in the life of all beings. We use language as a way to express are feelings and emotions, to communicate with each other, to make rules in the society and maintain the human culture. Language is not all about “speech” or “talking”, we cannot exclude symbols, gestures, and motions. Otherwise we would be discouraging the fact that the deaf community have a language. The idea that language is uniquely human can be supported by some aspect and concepts of the human language.

We are the only species on this planet that use distinct words with meanings for each word and construct infinite and endless sentences. Linguistics believe that it makes a gap between species with simple communication methods and another one with complex communication systems. We are capable of communi

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cating complex communication methods because our mouths are able to do coordinated movements. Us humans have very abstract ideas, and language makes it possible to communicate these complex thoughts to other people.

This makes language really unique to human. This is an advantage because humans can gather in groups for a common purpose. Language allows humans to construct ideas, perhaps the making of a new building and the idea of where to locate the building, animals cannot communicate as complex as humans do. So where did language come from? Is it a distinctive feature of humans? The scientific community have analyzed the origins of language and the aspects that makes up the learning process of language.

Claims have been made that language derives from biological evolution, meaning that humans are naturally built t

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understand natural language, whereas others claim that language has been evolved after being passed on from generations to generations. Perhaps we should be more skeptical of the uniqueness of human language. Scientists are trying to find similar complex language methods in primates. They are the closest species that are distinctively similar in anatomy. However, scientists were quite disappointed with the experiences with primates.

Although primates use a wide variety of communication method to communicate with each other. It has been discovered that primates have and use their 5 senses as us humans do, such as olfactory, auditory, tactile, visual, and vocal senses. Although this may be true, humans argue that primates don't have an infinite language structure with sentences and words; thus, an argument can be made that primates do not have a complex language system as us humans do. Dolphins rather have a more complex system of communication with a diverse communication repertoire such as whistling for each dolphins.

Some believe that other species have no rich and diverse communication systems as we humans understand it. Although this may be true, Humans must admit the inability to decipher mysterious communications systems of different species other than ourselves. It is important that we define language specifically in order to research about non-human communication to be proved as an evidence of linguistic ability. Humans are biased with the fact that human language is the most complex and organized language there is in comparison to other species.

It is not getting us anywhere. We should observe if other species have the same rules and principles that us humans have and developed from centuries ago,

by observing how they are used in a social and biological context. The fact that primates such as apes and chimpanzees can learn human sign language gives us an idea that these species must have had the knowledge to this kind of communication. The argument that non- human species have a similar and diverse communication system as that of humans still remain open.

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