As a starting point it is important to note that the language instinct is a very special capability that is bestowed on humans; and not on any other creatures. The language instinct is so phenomenal because it is a tool that can be used to shape occurrences, each other’s brain, and ideas with perfect exactitude. To get a clear picture of the miracle involved in human communication; consideration is given to a male octopus who communicates to a female one through changing his color to become striped, and swimming above her. This human communicative miracle that is done through a few utterances uses the human language instinct; as it further goes to fill the gaps of time, acquaintance, and space between one individual to the other. However, it should further be noted that writing and developed verbal communication is a product of the spoken language skills; which are learned in childhood (Pinker 1-43).
From the phrase ‘language is so tightly woven into the human experience’; explanations can be derived to support the interrelation language has with the human experience. Firstly is that language being the core of communication; the communicative role of the human experience plays the role of problem-solving through negotiation and passing of ideas. It also shows that the human experience that covers the areas of development, planning, and advancement. A justification for this is the failure of the construction of the Babylon tower after the workers could not communicate using a common language anymore. The human experience is further based on experiences and exchange of ideas; under which language plays the role of connecting and relating the members of the community through an information-sharing system that makes the use of a fearsome collection of powers. Other aspects of the human experience related to language as a communication tool are negotiating for deals; and the implementation of studies, researches, and statistics towards developing the human experience (Pinker 1-43).
From the phrase ‘language is a complex specialized skill, which develops in the child spontaneously without conscious effort or formal instruction’; it is notable that the communicative aspect of an individual greatly contributes to the way they are perceived as being normal. This is because, the loss of the capability to communicate is usually very devastating, as the people connected to the one who loses it feel like they lost the person completely or like they don’t know them anymore. Another justification to the complexity of this specialized skill is the fact that languages develop from generation to another; to utilize slang and idioms, use divertive palindromes, eponyms and anagrams. So as to understand this complex skill deeply; cognitive science which combines statistic tools from different sciences in explaining the operations of the human intelligence; is helpful in explaining the alterations and developments within the science of language (Pinker 1-43).
From the quote ‘language is man’s most important cultural invention’; it can be established that language is the main tool in comprehending human matters, and the view people posses about humanity in general. This is also because language is the distinguishing factor for humans further making them perceive reality from different perspectives by altering their thoughts. Language is also learnt from role models without any formal structure of teaching the skill; despite the fact that it is not a cultural artifact that helps people learn time and operations. Language has also grown to cover a distinctive part of the human biological formation of the brain, as it dominates all relations and operations. The phrase can also be justified based on the fact that language has developed into a multifaceted specialized skill, which advances during growth of a child without conscious effort, instruction or underlying logic. Due to the complexity of this skill, language has been explained as a mental limb, computational unit; or a neural structure as it plays a dominant role of all the cultural inventions. However it should also be noted that Language development in individuals can be attributed to the urge and competence to use it from within their conscious being (Pinker 1-43).
From the quote ‘Language ability is an instinctive tendency to acquire an art’; It is notable that language is a biological birthright and not taught; as an average preschooler’s tacit awareness of grammar is much developed than that of the best developed computer language system. This can be explained in that the language instinct to learn the art of language as opposed to other arts like baking is natural rather than developed; as even suckling children babble. This justifies the instinctive tendency for language, but none for other arts like baking. Other creatures that depict this language tendency are song-learning birds. However there are underlying facts about the human language that are amazing like a child imitating speech, then starting to make her own words; a foreigner struggling to grasp another language and the effortless eloquence developed in speech (Pinker 1-43).
In considering language as an instinct; it is worth noting that language is not a repertoire of reactions, but rather a product of the program that constructs an unlimited set of sentences out of a finite list of words. It is also worth noting that children are endowed with an innately common grammar plan for all languages; which enables them construct syntactic blueprints of the speech of their role models. However it is also noted that structures of the mind develop as a historical product with much influence from the environment. It should further be understood that there are restrictive principles that guide the construction of grammar (Pinker 1-43).
Based on the ideas from the quotes discussed earlier it is also notable that social institutions are important in the formation of language especially the arbitrary type. An example is the development of sign language in Nicaragua, after the language was introduced into the educational system. Another fact here is that the only people who do not learn new languages or get influenced by them are the deaf. It is further evident that mothers form a central figure of socialization; therefore playing a significant role in the development of language through repetitive association. There is also a basic design of language; which word order and association of nouns verbs and other types of words take. It should also be put into account that, even the mind of a suckling child contains the blueprints of grammatical systems and rules. However, there has not been any language organ or gene discovered; despite the fact that genetic and neurological features alter language take-up rates. Language capabilities can be compromised leaving other instinctual capabilities perfectly operational. Language impairments often become hereditary but are sparsely distributed among the offsprings, and it has further been studied that language impairments affect the brain more than any other impairments it has to deal with. Language impairments also often come along with physical handicaps like full lips (Pinker 1-43).
The language web in this case refers to the difficulties facing the usage and progress of the English language. The questions to be answered include how languages change, how they start, how children learn them and how words are remembered. However before everything, the issues entangling language must be first done away with. To start with languages change all the time; while regarding the deformation in language; ‘different to’ has received usage instead of different from and words like gents are used in the place of gentlemen. The question in this case is the usage of the wrong words or phrases within written or spoken English. The other problem is that etiquette, speech and morals are confused in usage. The only truthfully lazy speech is a drunken one, due to affected coordination and according to the language critics; that is what the English language is becoming. Other alterations involve the pronunciation of‘s’ and ‘ch’ as ‘sh’ (Aitchison 1-18).
Other degradations of the English language involve the omission of the tense-ending of words. However some cases that demand speech slowing include when talking to babies, or when trying to put emphasis on certain words or phrases. From the quote ‘English language as a beautiful old building’ under the crumbling castle view; language is viewed as other useful sources of heritage like national monuments, therefore demanding protection and not degradation. The changes and forces surrounding the English language demand that the language accommodates newer forms and vocabulary; while keeping the old ones. However the risk in this case is that the language is being defaced like through the loss of old past tense forms and the older vocabulary are being replaced by newer easier ones. The rationale behind this idea is that due to the dynamics of languages; care should be taken to preserve its strengths and not wipe them out for the newer much more regular forms of language. The other problem is the neatening of words where ‘housen’ has changed to house and ‘shoen’ to shoe while ‘oxen’ has remained oxen (Aitchison 1-18).
From the phrase ‘sloppiness and laziness cause much of language change’ under the damp spoon image language web; individuals are constantly attempting to economize their breath and muscular energy. As a result, the language is shortened and shrank through avoiding the use of all consonants and vowels as is supposed to be; where ‘Betty’ is pronounced as ‘Be’ y’ and ‘bit’ as ‘(bi’)’ (Aitchison 2-17).
The ‘infectious disease’ idea is that languages are getting defaced due to the mimicking of what others’ languages or pronunciations are like. An example here is the word ‘vino’ in Italian which was once ‘vinum’ in Latin. It is also argued that variety is the main cause of language change. There is also the case of vocabulary replacement where like in England; the word partner has taken the place of a life-companion. The other degradation takes place through the usage of variations in speech styles; through which different groups like children and politicians are addressed using different speech styles (Aitchison 1-18). In conclusion it should be noted that the diversity of language can take place through developmental or degradation; as seen in the in the development of pidgin language or the neatening of words (Aitchison 2-17).
Works cited
Aitchison, Jean. “The Language web”. Cambridge University Press. (1996): 1-18
Aitchison, Jean. “Language change”: progress or decay. Cambridge University press. (2000): 2-17
Pinker, Steven. “The language Instinct”. Perennial. (1995):1-43