What is language?

What is language? 

Language is a communication system using speech, sign, writing and gestures. When we look at a communication model, language influences everything about it: the sender, message, channel, receiver, feedback, noise and contexts. 

With that said, however, language is just the vehicle driving your message. Think about what language(s) you speak and/or understand. When you communicate a message, there is a chance that it can be transmitted in another language. However, since every language is unique, every message is unique.

Again, think about what language(s) you speak and/or understand. How did that happen? I personally like Chomsky’s theories on language: language is acquired in our very early formative years, and language is learned through study. Even if it’s a person’s native language(s), there was a combination of acquisition at home and studying at school. We take it for granted that we “know” how to speak and/or understand a language. For native English speakers, this is amplified in a giant way. 

How is it possible to ensure that we are communicating effectively across borders and across cultures? 

Image description: There are two frames on a wall. One frame has the text, “No tenemos Wi-Fi. Hablen entre ustedes” and the other has the text, “Vales un Zanchos.”