Name: Marwa Ibrahim Gamal

Course Title: TESOL Diploma

Module: 1

Assignment: 1

Question: Human language is the

most sophisticated means of
communication. Discuss.

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Module 1

Assignment 1

Human language is the most sophisticated means of communication. Discuss.

‘Man is a man through a language alone.’ Said Humboldt

Have you ever imagined life without communication? We cannot live without
communicating with one another. Therefore, language is the most significant way of
communication because it is fundamental to human life. It is hard to imagine what life
would be without it. Language and communication are two sides of one coin.

We need to ask ourselves: what is language? ‘Language is a purely human and

non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of a
system of voluntarily produced symbols.’ (E. Spair, 1911) I believe that language is the
most significant aspect of the lifetime of all beings. As an illustration, we can use
language to share feelings, emotions, ideas, and inner thoughts. Furthermore, language
can assist us in delivering a specific message and fulfilling our wants and desires.
Language can also help us to ascertain rules and maintain our culture.

‘Human language appears to be a unique phenomenon, without significant

analogue in the animal world.’ (Noam Chomsky) Human language has displacement. We
can say that language is powerful. We can ask for things that aren’t present at the
moment. For example, one of my students asked, ‘where did I leave my pencil?’
However, the kingdom of animals misses displacement. When it comes to bees, they have
limited displacement in their communication. They communicate together through a
waggle dance. Through this dance, bees can inform each other about the location of
nectar or pollen.

Do you think that the way animals communicate is creative? I don’t think so.
However, human language is creative. We can use human language to narrate an actual or
imagined situation. Coinage is a great example that proves that human language is
creative. The term COVID-19, for example, was coined to refer to the new epidemic.
Another example is the word ‘google’ which implies using the internet to find
information. Accordingly, the way animals communicate misses this privilege.

Human language is generative. As humans, we can deliver an infinite number of

ideas. There are millions of words in the box of language. We can use these words to
create billions of sentences. However, the way animals communicate doesn’t have this
freedom. Animals have limited ideas. As an illustration, I have a bird. Koko is its name.
Koko makes a variety of chirps. His chirps can indicate hunger, danger, or even missing
me. However, he can’t combine those chirps to convey a particular thing.

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 We can say that human language is recursive. It is helpful to recall the work of
Noam Chomsky to understand recursion. Chomsky explains that recursion happens when
a grammatical sentence can contain another sentence. The number of sentences
maintained within one another is limitless, as they can build upon themselves without
limits. For instance, Jack likes apples. We can add another sentence to this example by
saying: Max thinks that Jack likes apples. We can say the following: Zack said that Max
believes that Jack likes apples. As a result, we can have infinite sentences. On the other
hand, animals do not have this type of flexibility.

Animals are known to communicate through using signals. Signals are sounds,
actions, or gestures that convey information. A fox, for instance, can raise its tail to alert
other foxes of impending danger. A wolf can howl to warn its pack. A dog can wag its
tail to show happiness. When it comes to human communication, it consists of both
signals and symbols. Symbols are gestures, sounds, material objects, or written words
that have specific meaning to a group of people. For instance, if humans are at risk, they
can wave their arms in the air or they can scream. Some symbols can have a specific
meaning to a group of people. Two friends, for example, can agree on a unique
handshake that they are only acquainted with it. Symbols can also be related culturally.
For example, looking at your watch during a conversation with someone in the United
States of America indicates that you are in a hurry. However, this is often impolite in the
Middle East as it means that you want to end the conversation or you are bored.

Human language is independent as it is the only language with multiple moods.

As an illustration, speaking can show the auditory form. Writing and sign language are
associated with the visual form. When it comes to tactile form, Braille is an excellent
example.

Learning a new language is not that easy. You must have a comprehensive
understanding of the linguistic, phonological, semantics, and syntactic levels of this
language. As an illustration, while teaching English to my students, I need to show them
how to produce different sounds, like the difference between /p/ and /b/. This difference
can change the meaning of some words. For example, Mom is frying the eggs in the pan.
I cannot say: Mom is frying the eggs in the ban. That’s because a pan is a cooking vessel.
On the other hand, a ban means to prohibit things.

There is another kind of knowledge that is called semantics. It is the study of

meanings. It is necessary to know that meaning in language is complex. For instance, my
students can employ semantics to understand my orders. I can tell them: Stop talking. I
can also say: Stop talking whenever you want. However, what I want them to do is to stop
talking right now.

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 When it comes to the syntactic level, students need to know that there are rules
for using words, phrases, clauses, prepositions, and punctuation to form correct
sentences. For example, my cat with the ball plays. This sentence is not correct at all.
Therefore, students need to be aware of the rules of the language.

Human language is an organized way of communication. Individuals

communicate in a regulated communicative exchange. Let’s read this conversation that I
once had with my little sister.

-I’m starved.
=How about you? What do you want to eat?
-Pasta is one of my favourite dishes.
=Would you like it with red or white sauce?
-Red sauce, please!
=Come and help me.
This illustrates the way humans act in different conversations. We usually ask questions
to solicit responses. I couldn’t ask my sister about the sauce unless she told me that she
was hungry and she wanted to eat pasta. Animals miss this kind of organization.

Now, I want to ask you a question. Have you ever wondered why people learn a
second language like English or French? Maybe they need another language to work,
pass an exam, or even travel. However, the real question should be: why do people need a
second language? To be honest, people do not learn a second language because they like
memorizing new vocabulary or studying grammar. The best answer to this question is
that people need a second language to communicate with others. I asked my students this
question before. ‘Why are you learning English?’ One of my students gave me a fantastic
response. He told me that he has a new friend on Facebook from America. He needs to be
super in English to communicate with his new friend and learn more about the American
culture. His answer was a turning point in my teaching methods, as I understood that
when I teach them English, I am not teaching them English as a second language that
they have to study it well to get a high grade. I realized that by teaching English, I am
giving them a golden key to unlock a massive gate of communication. All our students
need to communicate, particularly in today’s world.

Have you ever ridden a time machine? You can do this through human language.
It can take you to the past or even the future as there is no limit to time or space. For
example, I went to England last week. Here, I’m saying something that happened in the
past. However, your pet cannot inform you that it did not eat yesterday.

In a nutshell, I think that human language is sophisticated. It can help humans to

communicate and share different ideas. Human language is unique, productive, and
creative. Thanks to language, humans are on the top of the kingdom of animals.

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 References

Everett, DanielL. "Cultural constraints on grammar and cognition in Pirahã: Another look
at the design features of human language." Current anthropology 46.4 (2005): 621-646.

Haldane, John Burton Sanderson. "Animal communication and the origin of human
language." Science Progress (1933-) 43.171 (1955): 385-401.

Bouchard, Denis. The semantics of syntax: A minimalist approach to grammar.

University of Chicago Press, 1995.

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