8/12/2019 Origins of La Language

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Outline

Origins of Language

1) What is language? Language is a rich and complex phenomenon part of the human cognition which

is constituted by a set of core knowledge (cognitive skills) and a large part of historical and

conventional inventory (!"# $onvention# widely shared % and known to be shared % by members of 

relevant speech community)!

&) 'ow one becomes a language user (a usagebased account)#

a! One must be a hearer namely be able to comprehend words in a speech % in a stream (flux) of 

sound! *his involves skills in speech perception (word segmentation and word boundaries detection)

in order to turn a sound in a meaningful unity! (+uscky, 1---)

 b! One must be a speaker namely be able to (re)produce and master phonological structures % to

give sound to a meaningful intention ! (*omasello &../)

c! One must manage a semantic structure (or lexicon) namely be capable of a conceptuali,e in

accordance with linguistic convention % to use and understand word meaning! 0What is core

knowledge in processing word meaning?

d! One must manage a grammar (or syntax) namely be able to structure and ordinate a semantic

content# 23rammar is simply the structuring and symboli,ation of semantic content2 (Langacker 

1-45# 1&)! 2*he grammar of a language is defined as those aspects of cognitive organi,ation in which

resides a speaker2s grasp of established linguistic conventional comprehensive description of its

structure! 6t can be characteri,ed as a structured inventory of conventional linguistic unity2! 7s things

stands e ven grammar is meaningful and symbolic (Langacker 1-4581--1) (*omasello &../)!

e! One must be capable of symbolization  namely be able to connect a semantic structure to a

 phonological structure so as to create a shared meaning! 9ltimately meaning is what language is

about! 7ll of this cognitive skills involve a symbolic and symbol! Language is symbolic in nature

(Langacker 1-4581--1) (*omasello &../)! (both lexicon and grammar are symbolic) and rely on

/) *omasello basically claims that language is a notinnate human ability that relies on social cognitiveskills and cultural learning# mind reading (intention reading) and :oint attentional (social

engagement) skills! 6n fact these social cognitive skills characteri,e the human being as such! ;ind

reading and :oint attentional skills played an important evolutional role for the human species#

humans are highly capable to work together! (*omasello 1--- &../ &..4)

a! 2*he reason that linguistic skills are so highly correlated with :oint attentional skills is simply that

language is itself one type % albeit a special type % of :oint attentional skill!2 (*omasello &..1 p!

11&.)

 b! 2a word is an intentional phenomenon through and through and this must be reflected in the

fundamentals of the learning process itself2! (*omasello &..1 p! 111-) 0What relation between

meaning and intention?

c! 27 language is a set of historically evolved social conventions by means of which intentional

agents attempt to manipulate one another2s attention!2 (*omasello &..1 p! 11&.)

<) Pointing  as a nonlinguistic form of communication % and a kind of protolanguage % which

differentiate us from other animals! 'uman beings as intentional animals are capable of triadic

interaction with the world! (*omasello &../# &..) (3rice 1-4-) (Liebal et al! &..-)

=) Conclusion# Language is grounded on a set of core knowledge but evolves symbolically historically

and conventionally!