Is human language the distinguishing feature of our species?

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Human language is an integral part of being human and the major distinguishing feature of our species. Language uses a conventional system to express ideas that are only meaningful to those who understand the same system. An alphabet is an example of a system of arbitrary symbols. Language can be explained as having three different characteristics or principles. Firstly, language is a communication method. Secondly, it is a tool used to communicate symbolic meaning. Lastly, language is a rule-governed system of sounds and words. (CS212OC M1,L1, F, 2011) Human beings are the only known species that communicate in this form of language. Linguists, including Naom Chomsky, suggest that humans are born with a natural
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knowledge of language, which he refers to as the “language faculty.” According to Chomsky, (1996) This “language faculty” is seen as a biological system in the brain that “has an initial state which is genetically determined, like. . . the kidney, the circulatory system, and so on" (p.13). Chomsky started this revolutionary idea that language is biological, and the existence of a “universal grammar”. Other species are capable of using language or language like symbols, but it is humans who have the far superior language abilities. Civilization and human life have been able to thrive and evolve, thanks to our ...

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