Speech and Language, Other Subject

Assignment Help:
Language is a multifaceted and complex cognitive function

Imagine a situation where one is in a foreign country and cannot utter a word in the local tongue. Further, imagine that gesturing in that country would follow a peculiar logic of its own that one could not comprehend. Under such circumstances one quickly comes to realize the importance of being able to communicate with others, through speaking, gesturing, reading, and/or writing. Indeed, the seeming ease at which one normally commands one’s mother tongue is highly misleading. In reality, language is one of the most complex and amazing of human cognitive functions.


Difficulties in developing computer programs that would be able to command language well enough to carry a conversation with a human is one example of the complexity of the task that the brain faces when listening and speaking. Further, out of all species, mankind is the only one capable of the kind of highly sophisticated and abstract form of communication that language represents. To some extent it has been debated whether language is unique to humans (i.e., whether ”speech is special”) and there are language-like communicative calls and gesturing in other animals. The most striking manifestation of language ability in other species have been obtained in studies where sign language was taught to non-human primates (Gardner and Gardner, 1969), however, even the best of these examples fail to compare with the richness of human language.


Human language is a multifaceted skill. In order to communicate effectively, one has to know the meanings of different words (semantic knowledge) and have sufficient command of grammar to organize the words in an appropriate manner to be understood. Further, in order to read and write, one also has to have command of the orthographic (how words are written) and phonological (how words are pronounced) knowledge. With respect to this, there is variability between different languages, with prominent ambiguity in English (as there is no one-to-one correspondence between the written form and pronunciation) and non-ambiguous pronunciation in some other languages such as Italian and Finnish, where there is one-to-one correspondence between the written form and pronunciation.

Related Discussions:- Speech and Language

Mesoamerica, what is Mesoamerica human density

what is Mesoamerica human density

Prepare a report that explains director''s views, The Directors of Venus Pl...

The Directors of Venus Plc are discussing the importance of the dividend policy on the market value of their firm. The Chairman considers that the dividend is important and does

Timber, what is timber defects

what is timber defects

Calculus, can a curve has node and cusp at same point?

can a curve has node and cusp at same point?

Galileo telescope, What inspired Galileo to improve the telescope

What inspired Galileo to improve the telescope

Preparation for French DELF exam, i want a preparation course for French la...

i want a preparation course for French language diploma DELF for the level B1. Does the site have any such course in french language? hope to get a reply soon! thank you! :)

Fixed-position layout, QUESTION 1 (a) Decisions on service location inv...

QUESTION 1 (a) Decisions on service location involve a trade-off between the needs of the producer and those of the consumer. Discuss the main factors which must be considered

Stomach - steps in digestion, The stomach digests food partly by the mechan...

The stomach digests food partly by the mechanical means of churning it and partly by chemical means. Proteins are a primary target of the stomach's digestive juices. The stomach's

Describe the models of managed care, The following chart is just one exampl...

The following chart is just one example of how money flows from the employer who purchases a health plan, to the providers: The employer pays the Health plan on a monthly basis.

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd