Introduction
Language is important in daily interactions among people. This is especially so for communication purpose which plays a key role in the cognitive development and psychology. The definition of language is affected by the fact that language is generally associated with culture and the languages that are spoken such as English, French and Chinese among others.
The need for the definition of a clearer meaning of language and lexicon is necessary. Additionally, the evaluation has to involve the analysis of the features as well as levels of language together with the role that language plays in cognitive psychology.
Language and Lexicon
Language definition is generally associated with the main objective of acting as a communication means (Willingham, 2007). The definition of language has been associated with systems and the joint definition with lexicon with more emphasis on the spoken word (Gibbon, Moore & Winski, 1997). It is further associated with semantics and pragmatics (Jaszczolt, 2002).
Language can generally be defined as the expression of feelings, complaints, needs and desires among others and is thus not limited to verbal communication since those people who are mute are able to communicate through signs. Language has different forms which depend on species that are applied. These species include words, body movements, patterns, signs and sound among others. The words that are used have their storage in the lexicon (Willingham, 2007).
Lexicon is generally termed as the mental dictionary that offers storage to words that are used in language communication process (Willingham, 2007). It is related to language and normally acts as storage for the components of language. These include the parts of speech, spelling, pronunciation and the understanding of the speech factors (Gibbon et al., 1997).
Features of Language
The making of words and enhancement of communication is made possible by the features of language due to their distinctive nature. The features are the properties of language that make it unique. They include the structured nature of language, its ability to enhance communication, its flexibility and dynamism, and the fact that it is arbitrary while maintaining a generative aspect (Willingham, 2007).
Language is structured in that it has to be viewed as a whole and not in the definition of individual words. Additionally, the context has to be taken into consideration with the arrangement of pattern symbols such as sounds and parts of speech to fit the context.
Language is communicative in that it is established to allow for the communication between people which is not restricted to words but includes other species. Generally, communication is not limited to the meaning of the words. In this case, one word can have different meanings. Words thus derive their meaning from the surrounding words and the ability to match the content application of words thus allowing for better communication (Willingham, 2007).
Language is dynamic in that language is not static but rather changes to adapt to the variations in the grammar rules and the creation of new words and new languages (Willingham, 2007). Language is arbitrary in that there are no specified reasons for the relation of words to certain objects except for decisions of culture.
The sounds of words usually stand for a certain meaning. However, the division of sounds into meanings is arbitrary (Gibbon et al., 1997). Language also has a distinct feature of being generative. In this case, the meanings of words are vast and the evaluation of such meanings is based on the context in which it is used (Willingham, 2007).
Levels of Language Structure and Processing
Language is classified into different levels which enhance its description and are mainly phonemes, words, sentences and texts (Gibbon et al., 1997). Phonemes, being the lowest level of language, associates sounds with the parts of words where each word has a sound classified as a whole word although it comprises of many different sounds.
These sounds include the sounds of the alphabet. The sound that is associated with a word is usually distinct and different from the individual sounds of the letters and vowels that form it (Willingham, 2007). Words are the level that is attained from the phonemes.
Words are basically formed from the arrangement of phonemes and usually have diverse meanings, are arbitrary and follow certain rules that differ from one culture to another. Words are influenced by culture due to the differences in the way each culture uses phonemes thus making the sounds of words distinct (Jaszczolt, 2002).
The sentence is the next level of language with its formation being the combination of words. Although sentences are formed from words, they are not arbitrary and are thus more complex as compared to words and phonemes. It is therefore important to consider the structure of words.
This is to ensure that a pattern created is used in the selection and use of words so that the meaning is related to that of the content in the sentence and that of the text to avoid different interpretations and ensure that communication process is effective (Willingham, 2007). This is because the meanings of words are related to their surroundings hence there has to be a similarity. Text is composed of a group of sentences.
These sentences are connected to each other to form a paragraph or paragraphs which have the objective of passing on certain information or communication in a specific manner (Willingham, 2007). This means that sentences have to be structured to fit in the meaning of content and follow a specific pattern. The basic factor is that all the levels of language have to be considered for the right meaning to be passed and for understanding (Jaszczolt, 2002).
The Role of Language Processing in Cognitive Psychology
Language is very important in the cognition processes in many different ways. These processes include thought, memory, perception of speech and color, problem solving and reasoning (Willingham, 2007). Words are usually stored in the lexicon which provides the memory of words.
Thinking as a cognitive process is influenced by language in that it provides the perceptions of reality by forming the interpretations of the words communicated. Once communication goes on between two people, the thought process enables one to listen and perceive the content of the speech of the other person so as to be able to interpret it and give relevant meanings.
The perception of color and speech are enhanced by the cognitive process in which case language provides the basis of description where despite the different languages, individuals have the universality perception of color characteristics as well as the speech characteristics. Problem solving is very important in language since the purpose of communication is based on solving problems.
Reasoning is involved in language development especially in the learning of the language which usually takes place in the childhood stage and is universal (Gibbon et al., 1997). Language involves rules especially in the arrangement of its features to provide meaning that fits in the content. This process is based on the discovery of the processes of production and perception of phonemes and words as well as the comprehension of sentences which also includes the application of grammar (Willingham, 2007).
The understanding and application of these rules is based on the cognitive processes. Language has special characteristics which include its learning in childhood, uniqueness to humans, consistency and cultural influence which all influence the cognitive process in that it forms the foundation of the study of cognition especially in young childhood stage at which language learning takes place and is usually universal (Gibbon et al., 1997).
This increases the application of cognitive research due to the provision of the extent of similarity of characteristics of subjects with the learning of their characteristics. Further, the learning of vocabularies and sensitivity to syntax are all important in the cognitive process of understanding mind processes (Jaszczolt, 2002).
Conclusion
Language is very broad even with the complexities of definition which however do not limit the fact that language is very important in the interactions of people and understanding of cognition. This discussion has focused on defining language and lexicon as well as evaluating the features and levels of language. The discussion has further analyzed the role that language plays in the cognitive psychology processes.
Reference List
Gibbon, D., Moore, R., & Winski, R. (1997). Handbook of Standards and Resources for Spoken Language Systems. Bochum: Walter de Gruyter Publications.
Jaszczolt, K. (2002). Semantics and Pragmatics: meaning in language and discourse. New York: Longhorn.
Willingham, D. (2007). Cognition: The Thinking Animal. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall Inc.