Blog 1

Is Written Language as natural as spoken language?

Biological Nature of Language: Macro-Evolutionary, Innateness Perspective

Intro:


- There is a clear difference between human communication and animal communication


- Language is universal in the fact that all societies have languages


- Children acquire language spontaneously


- Since some language disorders appear to be genetically determined, the heritability of language is high






-Debate as to whether nonhuman primates have the potential to acquire the rudiments of language.


-There is little or no evidence that nonhuman primates show an inclination or capability of communication through vocalization.


-Essential feature of grammar is syntax (the capability is believed to be uniquely human)


-Writing is more formal then spoken language


-Syntax = structure of the sentence


-Spelling is not a result of stringing letters together – it’s influenced by a system


-More than 6000 languages spoken






In class we spoke about if writing was biological or not. If writing was an extension of the mind and language is an extension of the mind. Or if writing was an extension of language.


It was interesting to see these two presented side by side. This is because it sort of made you think as you read. And by the end you had formed your own opinion after meandering through the data presented. Like I believe writing is biological because it just seems so natural and most of the time I write it’s what’s in my head. Because as Lord Byron said “If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad.” It’s defiantly true.