So what's this thing we call language? And what are individual languages? And, of all the many things we do, is it the one thing that makes us human? Kids in Kenya and China don't grow up to speak each others' languages, but they both have the ability to use language. Let's take a moment to think about what we mean when we say the words "language" and "languages". When two people are chattering away in a foreign language, how do we know they're still using language? Is language inherited (innate) or learned (nurtured)? Do our lofty conversations fit well with things like body language and animal communication? How does language relate to the other kinds of thinking we do? Subscribe to continue learning about language. Text versions are available too: http://www.nativlang.com/linguistics/ Music: Time Passing By, Audionautix.com Worriless, nativlang Epic Quest, nativlang
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Is language just for humans? Do other animals speak? Take a few minutes to explore animal communication with me. Aristotle may snip humans off from rest of the Animal Kingdom, but animals do communicate with each other. Ants leave pheromone trails, bees perform information-rich waggle dances, birds
How do you go from a concrete object like a basketball to an abstract idea like a circle? Why do you see the one and think about the other? What makes this kind of thing useful? Abstract thinking allows us to identify patterns and see common features. Once we abstract away the differences, we can g
From the "Sapir-Whorf hypothesis" to modern psychology, get a quick feel for this ongoing debate. Is language about grammatical universals like nouns and verbs? What's the relationship between language and culture? Text version of this lesson with links to further resources: http://www.nativlang.co
