Vo Thi Cam Huong - B2111564

The piece of knowledge that interests me most in this linguistics course is in chapter 1 of the
textbook, which is called The Nature of Language and Linguistics. This is the first part of the book but
it made a big and deep impression on me, it kept me interested, curious, and motivated to find out
more sequels.

Having language and the ability to use language is an important feature that distinguishes humans
from animals. There is no ordinary person who does not use language. Language is as close and
intimate as what is closest and dearest that people can have. But few people ask the question "What
is language?". That question is one of the first questions Linguistics has to answer and also one of the
first that a Linguist must know.
Language is a special system of signs, used as the most important means of communication and
means of human thinking.
In daily communication, we often use the words music language, painting language, body language,
programming language, math language, etc. Language words in such usages are not allowed.
understood in its original sense, but only used in a metaphorical derivative sense, based on the
similarities between language and the objects in question: tools used to express something.

The first part is also my favorite part, the "Animal Communication Code" section in the chapter
showed me that human language is unique and only between humans and humans.
According to the research results of biologists, all animals in the world have their communication
language, which humans simply understand as calls, songs, and howls... Like humans, animals
communication to understand each other and survive.
Animals have a special communication code system, so they can transmit messages, even very
complex messages about shapes, smells, colors, and sounds... For example, to alert the pack of
impending danger, white wolves can describe the size, color, and speed of their enemies movements.
In case the enemy is a human, it also knows whether that person is armed or not!
Humans differ from other animals in that they have language. Moreover, the communication code of
animals is limited, unlike humans, whose ability to communicate is limitless. Language is a medium
that people use to communicate with each other. It is not a natural phenomenon, nor is it an
instinctive reflex like the conditioned reflex in some organisms. It is also not an individual
phenomenon, although language is related to each human being, it does not depend on the person. It
is the product of the collective, it exists and develops in association with the existence and
development of human society. Because it is a collective product, its existence, and development
depend on the existence and development of the community that uses that language. On the other
hand, say it is a social phenomenon because language exists in human society as a tool that people
use to communicate and exchange information with each other.

Another part of lesson 2 that makes this subject interesting to me is the section “Language Universals,
Innateness, and Creativity”
the aforementioned properties are not exclusive to English, Vietnamese, or any other language, they
can be found in any language in the world. The words Universal Language refer to features that are
often the same in all human languages around the world. This definition is correct because it is
undeniable that languages have to share things in common because, after all, the essence and main
purpose of language is to convey what we think into sounds and words. for others to understand
Some great examples of this are certain grammatical categories (such as numbers), functions (such as
the subject), and processes (such as the passive), they are universal.
Innateness explains that a child before the age of two will not fully acquire a language, while the full
development of native competence in a language must occur before the onset of puberty. This
suggests that language is innate and occurs through development rather than through feedback from
the environment. Creativity is about the fact that language is a creative system because it is a vehicle
for expressing a multitude of thoughts and ideas and can react in an infinite number of ways to new
situations. Creativity lies within the individual but only in a form that can be understood by all.
The third reason I like this chapter best of all is that it gives amazingly concise yet thorough definitions
of Linguistics and the components of language. Reading would not exist without the human capacity
for language. Because the components of language and their associated terminology align with our
demarcations for many of the elements of reading, they are described briefly in this section. Linguists
have identified five basic components (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics
found across languages. Language acquisition progresses across these components with increasing
quantity and gradual refinement, and understanding of the subtler and more complex points of
usage. Readers are encouraged to explore the literature in the field of language development to
better understand and appreciate the oral language skills students may bring to the reading process.
Speech and language pathologists are a great resource for identifying resources in this area and
assisting in determining whether a child’s language skills are developing normally and providing
support when assessment and intervention may be required.

The knowledge gained when studying Unit 1, has helped me understand clearly the nature,
components, and rules of language. This helps me improve my vocabulary, which is very helpful in my
future academic research. The existence and development of language are closely related to the
existence and development of society. As society becomes more complex and richer, the language
must also be more diverse and richer to be appropriate and timely to reflect the progress of society,
increasing opportunities for self-development in the future, especially in communication skills.