Comparison between Human Language and Animal Language (Essay Sample)

Comparison between Human Language and Animal Language
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Comparison between Human Language and Animal Language
Language is an invaluable possession of the humankind. Language clearly distinguishes human race from other species on the planet. It enables humankind to think and evaluate specific environment, which is organized, unlike animal language. The difference between human and animal language lies in cultural and biological aspects. Among the variety of coherent and stable languages that exist in the world, human language, because of its complexity, manifests itself in many ways that are unique to human beings who live in particular areas only. Animals also have their own way of communication. There exist differences and similarities between human and animal language, which form two unique modes of communication.
Human language is an effective way of communication since verbal communication involves new words or meanings that constantly appear. Language helps human society to access its ancestor’s knowledge transfer it to the next generation. Linguistics is the study of human languages and its manifestation in written and spoken forms (Pika, 2007). Human communication has such properties as duality, creativity, displacement and interchangeability, which make it uniquely than animal communication.
Animals also communicate in their unique ways. Some animals, such as apes, birds, dolphins, have their own distinct language. They acquire this language genetically and without learning it unlike that one of human being. Animal communication does not have flexibility and creativity.
One of the differences between human and animal language is that human language is structured with duality whereby it has sound units known as phonemes. These phonemes are combined with other units of sounds in order to form morpheme patterns. Animals do not possess this type of pattern in their language. Another difference is that human communication has creativity. This implies that people are able to add some new words or phrases to make it more stable for easier rearrangement of phonemes. In contrast to that, animal language remains constant and without new expressions, which eases communication and, hence, does not take a lot of time to master it. The other difference is connected with contextual aspects whereby human beings can analyze a situation even if it is not within that environment. Human language can describe historical or imaginary events, which may happen in future. In animal communication, its context is limited. This means that they can describe the environment at the very time of communication, for example when they eat or are in danger (Pika, 2007). Another difference is in terms of language is interchangeability whereby both human sexes can change the mode of communication correctly without distinct features or limitation of language patterns, while, for example, bees have some features, such as dancing, which is done by working bees and this creates a distinction among the two mode of communication.
Another difference is the ability to learn new languages. There exist a great number of languages depending on the culture of human communication and people may learn them over time. Animals are unable to learn a new language because their language hampers them biologically to expand their communication skills. The other difference is that human language can be expressed symbolically in writings through the alphabet, while that of animals does not has this feature, which limits its preservation for future reference and its development or improvement. One more difference is connected with formation of sounds. Human beings have vocal cords that are able to produce large number of sounds, such as treble and bass, whereas animals have varying biological structure that limits production of many sounds. There is also a difference in functionality of human language, where certain things can be expressed in many ways and may have many meanings, while in animal language each meaning is portrayed in one way.
There are also some similarities between human and animal communication. Different researches have shown that in all forms of communication, whether in human or animal one, signs are used. In human language, words are used as signs in communication, while animals can take different forms depending on animals, for instance, foxes have varying ways of vocalization. The other signs that are shared by both modes of communication include sound, body movement, and odor. Sound is the key similarity between the two modes of communication, where each has to produce particular sounds in a particular communication situation. Thus, a monkey produces different sounds depending on the nature and type of the predator it sees. According to research results, odor is another similarity that forms the connection between individuals. Odor is used by animals to mark territorial boundaries and show readiness to mate. Odor makes them attracted to each other faster. Body language is also a similarity since it makes both people and animals respond to their communication mode. This is clearly portrayed by chimpanzee’s facial gestures that are also common for human beings. For example, a chimp opens its mouth when it feels hungry, which is also portrayed in the same way by human beings.
Language can be expressed in many ways, which gives different aspects to analyze. Thus, differences and similarities in language expressions of human beings and animals lead to analysis of such language aspects as mechanism, ontogeny, function, phylogeny and complexity. These aspects have evolved drastically from ancient times up to current times.
Function
Function is also known as adaptation in terms of linguistics and it shows how one is able to adapt to a language. It also goes with the principle of Darwin’s theory of adaptation to survival in the particular environment. Linguistics has identified function and adapted it as a main aspect of a language. This enables generation to adapt to previous way of expressing the same language, which involves evolution (Houck, 1996). Mother tongue adoption is a language method, which enables children to communicate among the kins and leads to evolution. The contrast between internal and external functionality of language affects its mutation. The external functionality solves in modern ways the logical problem of language adaptability. The internal one emphasizes more on hypothesis of the language. Interchangeability is enhanced by functionality or adaptability of language among the group members because this aspect enables the language to evolve with time. Moreover, even the creativity of the language is affected by language functionality through adaptation essence of survival and reproduction of functionality concept of linguistics. If a child has a vast adaptability of language, this can positively affect the child in future. Dual adaptability will affect the linguistics in future.
Phylogeny (Evolution)
These are stages that were undergone by human beings from ancient up to modern times with a man being evolved in many thousands of years. For example, mankind evolution from Australopithecines and Homo erectus to Homo sapiens is proved by archeological excavations. Unfortunately, language evolution cannot be traced the same way, but it is believed that the anatomy of vocal tract has undergone an about six-million-year evolution. The gestural origin theory tries to analyze the evolution of human language aspects. On the other hand, there is Donald’s theory, which started with mimics in the ancient times, when human culture was connected with social rituals and music. It is clear that without languages this would not lead to a three-stage linguistics development in respect to human evolvement. These stages include prelinguistics, proto-linguistics, associated with Homo erectus, which finally led to more cognitive language, as explained by Darwin’s theory. A more advanced format of language development has such aspects of language as interchangeability, which people use more easily than ever before. Initially, people were not able to talk. Later, they learned how to do this, which led to more creativity and development of language over time. Phylogeny also led to the duality aspects of language to its development and progression from simple to a more advanced and complex mode.
Mechanism (Causation)
Mechanisms involve the factors that lead to signalization of vocal sounds in different species. Hence, mechanism tries to expound causation of vocal interchangeability on the part of linguistics. It exerts full visual/gestural mode...