Communication Versus Language

We often see animals communicate with other animals; at least with the same species by making different kinds of noises that superficially resemble language. The bird songs, monkey alarms and honey bee dances are some of the examples that show animal characteristics resemble human beings learning of language but still, these characteristics do not prove that animals have languages.  Even if these parallels are considered as language, no non-human species have the cognitive ability to put these facets of language into an arranged rule generated system. The sounds that animals make are not equivalent to words and are far different if compared to nouns, verbs and sentences that make up human languages. The question is then what is language?  Are languages just forms of communication or do they have more to it? Human beings use many gestures in order to communicate but those gestures are not considered as language therefore, languages have more characteristics other than just to communicate. In the book called ‘The Symbolic Species,’ Terrence W. Deacon explains why the communication system used by the animals is not language and why there is no such thing as a simple language.

The author breaks down the book to three sections: the first part of the book talks about the nature of language, and the reasons why it is virtually confined to human beings. The second part of the book is about the brain, the uniqueness about the human brain that corresponds with the unique problems posed by language. The third part of the book talks about the co evolution of human brain and language. In the book, language is explained as an outward expression of an unusual mode of thought that help people to organize memories and ideas, shape thoughts and grasp the physical world in a better way.  The author mentions that the symbolic thoughts do not come innately but, grow by internalizing the symbolic process that underlies language. Grammar differentiates language from other forms communication that resembles language.

Deacon references Noam Chomsky’s argument that the ability of children to acquire the grammar of their first language and the ability of adults effortlessly to use this grammar can only be explained if we assume that all the grammars are variations of a single generic “Universal Grammar,” and that all human brains come with a built in language organ that comes with a language blue print. Language did not replace our other forms of communication as the non linguistic forms of communication co-evolved with language. This is proved by the fact that innate calls and gestures of other primates co-exist with human language.

Other aspects that prove language is exclusively for human beings is our exceptionally large brain and differently designed vocal tract. Our vocal tract beside chewing, breathing and swallowing can also make a wide variety of sounds that help humans to speak. Researches were conducted to evaluate how fast chimps pick up languages as they are human being’s closest primate but they master in communication with only a number of sign. In contrast, a human baby of age two or three pick up language very fast and this happens without any formal teaching. This proves that learning language is an innate part of human beings. The left part of human brain deals with language and the neuronal mechanism dealing with it is very different from the part of brain with general intelligence.   In an uncommon type of impairment called Specific Language Impairment, affected people have problems in grasping language whereas the other forms of cognition are normal. The opposite happens in spina bifida where the affected people have mental retardation yet they are fluent in language. The example of these two disorders shows that language is handled by human brain in a very unique way.

Work cited
The Symbolic Species by Terrence W. Deacon

Language Acquisition