Language and Communication

The difference between animal and human communication

Human Language

Language is the most effective method of human communication. The term language is derived from the Latin word lingua meaning tongue. Human language is in organized form. It is an open entity, new words or meanings may come into use. Language is as important as breathing. Barnett says, “Verbal communication is a condition of the existence of human society.” 

Language helps man in several ways. It enables him to reach back into collective knowledge of his ancestors. It is through language that human beings collect and preserve knowledge and transfer it to the next generation. Most of the linguists disclose the fact that human language has different types of realizations such as written form, spoken form. Human language has signifier and signified.

Animal communication

Animals also can communicate. Some animals and birds like dog, dolphins, gibbons, herring gulls and honey bees have developed their own system of communication. But their communication system differs from human communication. Animal communication lacks flexibility and creativity. Their communication tradition is acquired genetically and not through learning.

Human language has got certain properties which makes it unique and different from animal communication system. These properties are duality, creativity, displacement, arbitrariness, interchangeability etc. 

The main differences between animal and human communications.

The primary difference between human communication and animal communication is the duality of structure of human language. Each human language has got a fixed number of sound units called phonemes. These phonemes are combined to make morphemes. Thus language has got two levels of patterning which is not prevailed in animal communication.

Yet another distinctive feature of human communication is creativity. Human beings use their linguistic resources to produce new expressions and new sentences. They arrange and rearrange phonemes, morphemes, words and phrases to create new modes of expression. This is also called open- endedness of language. Animal communication is closed system they cannot produce new vocal signals to communicate novel events or experience.

Human beings can talk of real or imaginary situations, places and objects far removed from their present surroundings and time. Human language is context free whereas animal communication mostly context bound. Animal communication is merely a response to stimulus in the immediate environment like the presence of food or danger. 

Human language is interchangeable. Both sexes of human beings can use the same language interchangeably. But certain communications in animal world are performed only by one sex of that sect. Bee dancing is performed by worker bees.

The important disparity is human language is culturally transmitted. Thus human beings brought up in different culture acquire different languages also by the influence of other culture man can learn other languages in course of time. But animals lack in this capacity. Their communication ability is transmitted biologically so they are unable to acquire other languages.

Human language is a symbolic system. Hence human language is not only uttered but also can be displayed by writing with the help of certain symbols called alphabets of that language. Animal communication fails to disclose in this manner. Hence ideas or main events of any time cannot be preserved for the future generation of that sect.

Biological differences also play a vital role in communication. Human vocal cords can produce a large number of sounds. Each human language makes its own selection of sounds for it use. Animal and birds have an entirely different biological structure with regard to the formation of sounds. 

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