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

SHRM, STRENGHTS AND WEAKNESS OF BEST PRACTISE MODELS OF HRM STRATEGY

STRENGHTS AND WEAKNESS OF BEST PRACTISE MODELS OF HRM STRATEGY

Muscles, similarities between skeletal muscle smooth muscle an cardiac mus...

similarities between skeletal muscle smooth muscle an cardiac muscle

Want work with you, i am sandeep singh gill. i did Btech in computer scienc...

i am sandeep singh gill. i did Btech in computer science (BE). i am expert in c/c++/java/php/HTML/ other technical fields. i want to do freelancing. can i work with u?? you can sen

Strategic aims of the organisation, How could your organisation manage...

How could your organisation manage and develop people in a way that would support the strategic aims of the organisation? Notes and Assessment Criteria for this

Use of multi-media and information technology, QUESTION 1 1 What are yo...

QUESTION 1 1 What are your views on the importance of e-learning as compared to the traditional teaching and learning approach? 2 Discuss the influence of the use of multi-m

Responsible for bacterial motility, 1.  How does true motility differ from ...

1.  How does true motility differ from Brownian movement? 2.  What morphological structure is responsible for bacterial motility? 3.  Why is a wet preparation discarded in di

Looking for case study assignment help, Are you looking for case study assi...

Are you looking for case study assignment help? Do you want qualified tutors or your case study based problems? Reach us with your complete assignment details. We at www.expertsmin

Biomedical informatics, What is the utility of a linear model of patient ca...

What is the utility of a linear model of patient care as the basis for a decision-support system? What are two primary limitations? Discuss two challenges that a nonlinear model po

Project, what is the difference between efforts and elapsed time

what is the difference between efforts and elapsed time

Explain the distinction between the state and the government, QUESTION 1 ...

QUESTION 1 (a) Explain the distinction between the State and the Government. (b) Discuss how this distinction would be calibrated under a Liberal and a Totalitarian system.

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