Sense Perception

What does your language say about you?

Language is arguably considered the basis of nearly all communication and the sharing of knowledge. We read, write and speak a language and are thus able to transfer information using these mediums, but how exactly does our language system work? How come we have numerous different languages worldwide rather than a single universal language that everyone is able to understand? What is the purpose of incorporating a number of words into our highly complex language systems that mean the exact same thing? Firstly we must touch upon the primary origins of our modern language systems.

Where do languages originate from?

There are multiple theories and assumptions made with regards to the origin and evolution of languages, many of which highly oppose others, but seemingly the most popular theory of all suggests that our human language and vocal abilities initiated from the imitations of sounds heard through time. For example our ancestors could have possibly heard sounds made by other animals at the time and attempted to vocally reproduce these sounds, eventually leading to the development of certain sounds referring to certain things. There is no official evidence to confirm this theory and perhaps we will never know certainly how and when we acquired this gift of verbal and written communication, but this ability is undoubtedly one we would not be able to survive without.

Why is language so important?

We utilize language constantly through everyday life. Without language we would not have a medium of communicating our language, we would not be able to describe details of situations or record and pass on important facts. We would simply lack means of sharing information effectively, not having the reassurance of the one receiving our information comprehending and discerning it thoroughly as it is. 

How come the human language is so different from the language incorporated by other animals?

What is the reasoning behind the complex and intricate structure of our verbal and written communication system? When studying other animals and the means through which they communicate their information, it is evident that these methods are incomparably different to those of humans. For example many animals communicate by movement alone and even those that communicate verbally do not incorporate language systems as complicated as humans. Also, it is important to note that most animals of the same species can communicate with every other animal of the same species, yet we humans have divided ourselves into groups of individuals taking into account the language that we speak. Surely we can somehow get our message across by communicating gestures and images to an individual who does not speak the same language as we do, but of course this will be much more difficult for us to do as we have become so adapt to our language system and communicating with only those who speak the same way that we do.

In conclusion, our languages are exceedingly unique and extraordinary and we as a species have developed an extremely efficient and useful way of communicating information, and perhaps, in the future, we may all be required to speak a single universal language, but for the time being, knowing as many languages as possible could be a highly advantageous ability.