Introduction
Language is a cognitive process and speech is one delivery system for language. In this essay I will be discussing why it is impossible for animals to learn human language as well as the differences and comparisons between Non-human and human communication and what is so unique about both species ability to communicate using language, sign language, songs and calls and dances.
What separates humans from animals?
Humans use language to communicate a shared meaning or message, unlike animals who use different tools and methods to get a message across
Ants use pheromones and sound to indicate their social status and distress, bees dance to tell each other where to find honey and where danger is, Chimpanzee’s or apes and gorillas use American Sign Language (ASL)
Compared to bees, birds and other non-human communication systems, language is impressive, not that non-human communication is not. Human beings can join and form new words at will. The ability to add new lexical items is called openness. Another creative aspect of language is productivity. Openness and Productivity are strictly limited in animals.
Humans can communicate about anything from numerous perspectives and views, the messages generated by language could possibly be infinite. As humans produce discrete signals but without limit and usually strung together to combine and form sentences, therefore they can be formed into an infinite number of sentences.
Non-human primates have limited ability and skill to combine discrete calls in various ways to produce different meanings
Bird songs and calls are arbitrary beca...
