Language & Human Communication

Of all human skills, language is one of the most valuable because it allows us to communicate with one another. Human communication is important to society, enabling business and interpersonal relationships, as well as teaching and learning. Language is also important because it allows people to create new words for a changing society, like “Internet,” according to Palomar College.

Languages are, essentially, systems of symbols that have meaning. Language is a means of human communication, whether it be expressed verbally, it writing or through sign language. All languages have a system of rules and meanings and can express an infinite number of ideas or meanings within that system.  Language is a part of human development, beginning its development in early childhood. Human language begins with what is called “babbling,” when infants make repetitive sounds like “mah mah” and “dah dah” that mark the beginning of speech development.

Language is an important part of intellectual development and the development of communication skills. Communication, in turn, is vital to human language development. According to Palomar College, studies show that parents can help infants develop language skills by communicating with them often using and encouraging appropriate language rules. As the child’s language skills continue to develop, he may begin to use language, albeit incorrectly. Gently correcting the child’s speech can help her improve.

If a child says, “I seen it,” for instance, correct by saying something like, “Yes, that’s good, you saw it. I saw it, too,” thus illustrating the appropriate form of the verb “to see. ” Even though language is standardized, the interpreted meaning of the words that being communicated is influenced by a variety of factors about the situation. The way something is phrased, the tone in which it is said and the volume all matter.

These “hidden” parts of communication affect way the listener interprets the speaker, according to Palomar College. The message delivered through language may also be mediated by nonverbal or non-linguistic factors like body language and gestures. According to Palomar College, linguists and other language experts refer to nonverbal elements of language like tone of voice, smiling, frowning, use of personal space and other unspoken means of communication as “paralanguage” elements.

Paralanguage can be just as important to human communication as language itself. While words are powerful, the power of in-person communication cannot be overlooked. According to Palomar College, it is estimated by researchers that up to 70 percent of the meaning derived from in-person communication comes from paralinguistic expressions. This is because paralanguage communicates the emotional and personal aspects of human communication that can be unseen in written and impersonal forms of language use.