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September 18, 2005
What is Language?
1. What is and what is not language? Why make a distinction?
Language is a complex system of communication. Linguistic knowledge is the ability to communicate any idea and the ability to understand the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences in a language.
Language is not the imitation of sounds or a response to external stimuli.
A distinction of what language is and is not is necessary because it emphasizes the difference between human language and animal instinct.
2. You might say I learned a new word today, but not "I learned a new sentence today." Why?
One is more likely to say “I learned a new word today” because it is much easier to register learning a new word than an entire sentence. (Especially because there are an infinite amount of sentences to be created and only so many words.)
Posted by lcisowens at September 18, 2005 11:04 PM