Language Is A Fundamental Aspect Of All Human Life Essay

Since the dawn of the cave man, men have shown the desire to write or draw on walls. We are a race of people who demand and process information. Our words are images of ourselves and a projection of our inner thoughts and visions. We all differ in how we comprehend and present this information. "Language is seen as one of the key cornerstones that have set humans apart from other animals"(Gray, R 2007. Para. 4). Think of how frustrating it is to communicate your needs and wants with someone who may speak another language when you simply want directions, something to eat or to say hello. Imagine a child who wants to express his/herself emotionally but lacks the skill or vocabulary to do so. Imagine a dog who wants to go outside to use the bathroom; moreover, the owner or interpreter who fails to understand.

Language is a beautiful tool that can be used to unify or divide. Language brings people together but it can also tear them apart. In “Mute in an English Only World”, Chang-Rae Lee writes about how his mother was impaired from doing simple tasks such as going to the store alone because she could not speak English. Second, in “Lingua Franchise”, by Charles Foran, he shows how English is unifying people across the globe.

Language is essential to every interaction and aspect in human’s everyday lives. Imagine a world without language, everyone will be mute and doesn’t have any connection with each other. Being able to communicate through language with each other forms bonds and that’s what make human different from any animal species. And language gives us a unique and diverse characters to each of us.

Language is an object that is central to human lives as it is perhaps the most significant cultural tool that separates humans from any other species (Evans, 2014). As language is multimodal, it is often described as a combination of words, sounds, gestures and images created by the mind, used in context with the assistance of objects, actions and interactions (Gee & Hayes, p. 7, 2011). The topics discussed in this essay will demonstrate the importance of language as both an object and as a social process, as a teacher’s approach to diversity in the classroom can be either damaging to a student’s educational experience or uplifting and positive.

Language is an integral part of human existence. It is not only a crucial tool in which we use to convey meaning to others, but also a cultural construct passed down from previous generations that helps to define who we are and how we relate to others. Ultimately language defines our relationships with others, the way we use language is shaped by our own socio- cultural background and also that of whoever we may be communicating with. Self awareness of how our own use of language has been shaped by our background and an understanding of what shapes others use of language leads to better communication, understanding and empathy.

When looking through animal history, we humans have praised ourselves for our exceptional ability to communicate in an advanced manner. Whether we are listening or speaking, humans have crafted language into a powerful tool that is boundless and flexible against other arts. Moreover, through the perspective of building civilizations, communication has been the foundation of community. As Language is our most advanced form of communication; to what degree of value do we hold it in our society? Throughout the seminars, groups of people explored the history and significance of how we perceive language and the hidden advantages or disadvantages it provides.

Language is a universal vital tool that not only facilitates the ability to communicate thoughts and ideas, but also establishes relationships and cultural ties. Researchers Steven Pinker and Paul Bloom claims that a series of calls or gestures evolved over time into complex communication and language in the modern form. The evolution of language is a complex interaction of biological and cultural changes. Gee (2011) confirms the evolutionary adaptation theory with language as a communal resource and all human language developed from one original language, in oral form (p. 8). Over time, humans use the ability to encode and decode spoken, written, signed or gestured information to convey meaning. The positive or negative information is received in different forms through a single or combination of sensory channels, for

Trying to communicate, but words aren’t used, writing isn’t used, it’s simply impossible. When communicating with others we use words, we speak, write, and read. But if one can’t perform those tasks, communication is simply out of reach. The essay “Homemade Education” by Malcolm X, a minister and a civil right activist, describes how his experience of learning how to read and write in prison changes his life as he became both an articulate speaker and writer. Similarly, Helen Keller, an author and political activist shares her experience being both deaf and blind in an excerpt called “A Word for Everything.” She explains how learning a new language opened her to all the joys and horrors of the world. I, like many other authors, also had an experience concerning language and how it changed my perspective of the world. Speaking Chinese and Vietnamese as my first languages in the United States made me run into societal barriers and restrictions. However, by learning English, I could open myself to new possibilities and experiences. By learning and struggling through the experience of language; new perspectives are opened up such as how one views themselves, the world, and society.

The Language of our Time Language, spoken or written, is a form of human communication consisting of the use of words in a conventional and structured way. The language of our birth, the language of everyone’s first words, creates a powerful bond and shapes an individual’s perception of the world. And yet, only few people truly understand the effects a language can have on others or the extent a language can manipulate people through their state of mind. Language can help define the identity of an individual. It shapes a person’s mind based on their past and helps people into the future.

Language is a vital tool for human beings. Human language is a measure for communicating thoughts, ideas, and identity to one another. Cultural relations, economic dealings, and the shaping of friendships are all dependent upon language. While it could be viewed that today’s languages are the result of past language extinctions, the death of language signifies a loss much greater than just words.

In simple terms, language is commonly defined as the ability to speak to and communicate with others. In reality, the concept of language is far more complex. There are multiple ways in which language can influence the human experience. It allows us to measure empathy, understand the viewpoints of others, listen, and process emotions with the goal of correctly interpreting words and cues from others. Language, however, is an imperfect tool, and although we as humans develop the ability to use and express the same words, we are often unable to control the ways in which others receive the messages that our words are meant to convey. The book Fifteen Dogs illustrates the complexity of language and shows that there are multiple factors that contribute to the way we develop language and communicate with one another. Although each dog is granted human consciousness at the same time, they individually interpret language in their own way based on their experience and perceptions of the new world and the ways in which they form connections with each other and with humans. No dog was better able to communicate with both his peers and with humans than Majnoun. Despite his mastery of language, he struggled to fit in with groups. This essay will argue that Majnoun’s example illustrates the problem of using language alone to ensure effective communication. This will be accomplished by focusing on how Majnoun struggles to understand and feel empathy, the difference between speaking words

As social beings, we use languages to communicate with others daily. Unless the loss of verbal expression is personally experienced or observed through a close relative/friend, I believe we take language for granted. As a future speech-language pathologist this concept of everyone having a different opinion on language based off their experiences is thought-provoking. This is why I decided to revolve my HON 211 Creative Project around this topic.

Although there is no official language in the United States, the English language is the most widely spoken. Language helps to shape our identities, define and limit our expectations of the world around us and who we are. You might ask yourself, how does our language shape our identities and influence our perceptions of the world? Through language, we are able to make meaning, understand, and define ourselves. We are able to communicate what we feel, our ideas, our hopes, and our dreams with others who can respond to our feelings and thoughts. However, our choice of words cannot always capture what we are feeling to the full extent.

When my four year old fingers were taught how to curl to form words that are unspoken I never thought I’d fall in love with such a thing. For years I meaninglessly spoke a language I never knew had a history. Child I simply knew that my cousin could only play with me if I spoke with my hands. As I grew older, however, my fascination for these signs began to burst through my chest into my hands. I was taught of how my hands, face, and body language could say more than anything my words could ever convey on their own. How, in a group of people, almost no one can speak to those who cannot hear or physically use their voice and of how the ignorance of the hearing world often destroys their opportunities for a normal life. I learned that I had to sign to my cousin because she had Down syndrome and could not talk and that there are millions of people who cannot speak for themselves.

Language is necessary and crucial in many different aspects. Many may argue that language is just a form of communication; a collection of letters and sounds trying to get a message across, whereas others may argue that language is beyond such simple explanation. In this paper I will argue that there is a strong connection between language and culture by taking a deeper look into what insight language provides and its connection to culture, as well as experience.