Lesson 18/10/2016                  Ways of Knowing: Language


For today's lesson, we looked at what makes a language. On what thinking structure are languages created. To find this out we had to create our own, using words and symbols to convey a message. The language should not be connected to English or any other existing language in any way. We worked in groups of 2-3 to create a new language and try to effectively communicate with the class. My group did pretty well because we used very common movements and hand motions that everybody could associate with but for the groups who decided to go for speech, this was a bit more difficult.

I think I have realized why this new language (not connected to any existing language) failed to communicate an idea without the help of gestures. It was so disconnected from the sounds and letters we know in our language that it was impossible to properly interpret with the thinking we do in our languages. Everything about them was unfamiliar and we tried to associate factors from it to our own languages which prevented proper understanding. For a language to function, you require a large period of time for its users to gain mastery of it. With this element of time and specialization, we are able to communicate effectively in our communities.