PSYC 2050U Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Echolalia, Habituation, Spatial Memory
Document Summary
Many species use sounds to communicate, but Language is the ability to use symbols to communicate complex thoughts. There is no universally accepted definition of language. Some define language as the use of sounds to communicate. But animals make sounds, and we wouldn"t call it language. Only humans produce a large range of consonants and combine them with vowels to form syllables. There is something about the way we control the movements of our mouths, lips and tongues that has allowed spoken languages to emerge. But language does not equal using sounds to communicate because humans have found ways to use language without using sounds and animals can make sounds but not have language. Ultimately, language is the ability to use symbols (auditory symbols, written symbols, symbolic movements and facial expressions) to represent and communicate one"s thoughts and to some extent, whether those symbols are called language depends on the complexity of thought.
