Language Is Not Only Oral And Written By Gee, P.

According to Susanne K. Langer in the essay “Language and Thought,” an essential difference between animals and humans is the way humans think in symbols and signs, instead of just solely relying on signs. Langer suggests that thinking in signs, which is something both humans and animals share in common, is a process that leads us to react instinctively to the physical presence of that sign. Signs are very much a direct cause to a particular effect. It seems that to learn a sign you simply must be conditioned to respond certain ways to a specific observation. Symbols, though, are exclusively human devices of language that provoke thoughts about a particular thing. The use of symbols has allowed humans to reach much more complex levels of thought,

“There is more pleasure to building castles in the air than on the ground.” This quote by Edward Gibbon illustrates the intensity of writing and what gratification it can hold. When one writes, they are not confined to one certain formula. A person is able to express their thoughts and feelings in any way they choose. Language is a border for many people in that some cannot comprehend a certain language, understand how to use it, or recognize what is being said to them. On the other side of the border, they are not viewed as equals or as important compared to those who are not competing with this barrier. In his essay “Coming into Language,” Jimmy Santiago Baca uses his personal experiences to demonstrate how much

The visual capacity to formulate distinctive images through words reveals the true nature of the individual through their experiences that of which will then be used to define their society.

One big question, when the subject of language comes up, is exactly what language is. What

Language is a method in which individuals communicate in order to get their opinion across to the listening party. Language is the tool which ideas can be conveyed in various ways. Typically, language is referred to verbal communication, however, it ranges to all methods of communication i.e. sign language.

Nonetheless, my early infatuation with languages pushed me through extensive hours of study. I endured the 28 pen strokes it took to write “lazy” in simplified Chinese and the elusive punctuation rules that could transform the Spanish word for “Pope” to “potato.” Soon, words began to take shape, bombarding me with meanings and egging me on to explore further. As I scoured Chinese newspapers for intriguing articles and sifted through Latin records for soulful lyrics, words became puzzles, eagerly waiting to be solved. The search for hidden meanings had always been an enriching process.

Throughout the span of the past few weeks I have traversed the globe, visiting several countries and regions, only to realize that although new methods develop, language as a way of expressing ones self has remained the most effective. Despite this fact, language still has its pitfalls. Neil Postman, in his essay “Defending Against the Indefensible,” outlines seven concepts that can be used to aid a student in better understanding the language as a means of communication. He describes how modern teaching methods leave a student vulnerable to the “prejudices of their elders”, further stating that a good teacher must always be skeptical. He urges teachers of all subjects to break free from traditional teachings as

Languages and the way one speaks, can have many differences around the world, however, just different alphabets or linguistic rules are not the only things that make a person unique. Speaking a certain language contrast to others also may affect the way one thinks or operates. In a article published by the Wall Street Journal, Lera Boroditsky, a professor of psychology at Stanford, proves that language distinctions can have an effective on one’s cognitive skills and decision-making. “Lost in Translation” by Lera Boroditsky is an article convincing fellow psychologists or language scholars that knowing divergent languages can cause one to think in different ways. Boroditsky uses allusion, appeal to expert opinion, statistics, and anticipating objection to argue to her audience that there is a direct connection between language and one’s thought process which can cause one to act or think in a particular way.

It does so because when we cannot clearly communicate through language we are apt to be misunderstood by others or express meaning that is other than we desire. Expression of our thoughts is a complex process and language remains central to clear expression. However, there are different forms of language other than words or voice expression. As one instructor asked of her students, "How do we pass information along without using voices, letters, or numerals" (Language, 2004, p. 11). One answer would be the use of nonverbal language, which is often conveyed through body movements, posture, facial expression and other techniques. Once more, such facets of language are symbolic and differ across diverse cultures. However, when students learn to understand the different and broad meanings of language across cultures even, then they have a better grasp of communicating and receiving communication. All too often, as one educator maintains, "When thinking about what language means, younger children often make connections to oral language or the learning of a foreign language" (Language, 2004, p. 11).

Linguistic relativity is the notion that language can affect our thought processes, and is often referred to as the ‘Sapir-Whorf hypothesis’, after the two linguists who brought the idea into the spotlight. Whorf writes how “Language is not merely a reproducing instrument for voicing ideas but rather is itself the shaper of ideas, the program and guide for the individual’s mental activity” (1956:212), and I will explain how it is able to do so. In this essay I will argue that certain ways of mental categorization, spatial cognition and reality interpretation, based on the characteristics of our specific variety of language, influence our perception of the world. I will discuss how languages divide up nature differently, and

Linguistic discourse arises from the multiple areas: from studies of primate social behavior, from the comparison of existing human languages, from research on the development of language in children, from studies of genetic and anatomical structures, from cross-cultural studies, from the observation of earning and forming lexicon, and from the studies of the communication of bees, birds, and mammals (cit). Initially, though, language, spoken or signed, was a gestural system that evolved from so-called “mirror system” in the primate brain. Mirror system is a mechanism that allows to equate self actions with actions of others; mirror system's neurons are part of dorsal visual system (citation). The dorsal pathway projects visual information

Language is a cognitive function that most of us take for granted. It starts from early on, some say at conception, and it develops in complexity as we get older. It is an essential part of communication and without it its development would be greatly hindered. This natural process requires complex structures and reasoning, the bringing together of sounds and words to develop concrete ideas and thoughts. In this paper we will discuss the components of language and how it relates to cognitive processes.

In the article “Lost in Translation”, the author, Lera Boroditsky, maintains as her thesis that the languages we speak not only reflect or express our thoughts, but also shape the very thoughts we wish to express. Boroditsky begins the main section of her essay with the history of the issue of whether or not languages shape the way speakers think. Charlemagne was the first to think that languages do in fact shape the mindset of speaker, but Noam Chomsky rebutted this idea with his thought that languages do not differ much from each other, thus in turn proposing that linguistic differences do not cause a difference in thinking. Now with scientists

When man evolved , he had no language by means of which, he could communicate to the other people. However, he still used to think, didn’t he? This is clearly evident from the ancient paintings that early man has drawn in caves and on walls of houses from ancient civilizations. They expressed their thoughts through symbols and signs and not by language.

“Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about.” – Benjamin Lee Whorf