Amber Allen
Dr. Hughes
Human language is more unique than words could begin to express or explain. In The Study of Language by George Yule there is a chapter about human language in comparison to animals communication. Through several explanations and examples Yule shows how there is five properties of language and asks us to determine if it is possible that a creature could learn to communicate with humans through language. The five properties and distinctions of human language are the following: displacement, arbitrariness, cultural transition, productivity, and duality. Displacement is being capable of referring to past and future time, and talking about events not present in the immediate environment (Yule 9). Arbitrariness is the relationship between linguistic signs and objects in the world (Yule 10). A property of human language that allows humans to continually create new expressions and novel utterances by manipulating their linguistic resources to describe new objects and situations is described as productivity (Yule 10). The two levels that are simultaneously organized in the human language is referred to as duality (Yule 12). After closely examining and studying each of these properties of language presented by Yule, I have concluded that productivity is the most important dimension of human language that differentiates communication of humans and animals. Productivity makes human language infinite. If one language is infinite and the other is limited, then how is it possible for effective communication to take place? There is great distinction made through the flexibility of humans to create new expressions. Animals are limited in their ability to communicate because they do not have this feature. As Yule explains on page 11, the fixed reference of animal communication is the fact that each signal in the system is fixed as relating to a particular object or occasion. This aspect separates human and animal communication drastically because it cannot be true communication if there is not an unlimited ability of expression. Animals can undoubtedly communicate in some fashions, but animals certainly do not obtain every distinction of human language. The most important feature animals lack is productivity and this restriction will always keep them from being able to truly communicate with humans. Think about the way humans are even limited in how to express themselves at certain times because they are not able to figure out how to express themselves, and how frustrating this can be. With that in mind, think of how it must always be for an animal trying to communicate. Animals are always limited to their language and expression and because of this I am sure they are never really able to communicate their true meaning in attempting to communicate with humans.
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