Language and language: similarities and differences

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Unlike other living beings, humans have something that has always characterized us: the linguistic diversity. The human being has always had the ability to communicate through language. But what is language? And the tongue? They're synonyms? In a PROFESSOR we are going to show you what the similarities and differences between language and language, as well as its characteristics.

Index

1. What is the language?
2. What is language?
3. Similarities and differences between language and language
4. Human speech

To know the similarities and differences between language and language we have to know what each of these terms means. Language is the set of signs, forms or systems that human beings use to establish communication with people in the same environment or linguistic community. However, the linguistic act of communication is not language, but speech.

Likewise, language is also a compilation of concrete and abstract signs that human beings store in our memory after having learned them. It is the code that a person uses every time he needs it since, without this complication, it is impossible for a fluid communication to occur between two people.

What does this mean? Well, the same person can know different codes that teach him to communicate with people from other communities. The LanguagesThey are a clear example of this. The same person can know the Spanish language, the English language and the French language, which allows them to communicate with different communities with a different language.

The language, moreover, is a code that has writing and, therefore, a cultural history. In this way, the tongue eventually becomes part of the cultural and historical heritage of each linguistic community. Linguists establish that language translates into the way in which a community is able to resolve its problems and differences, as well as the ability to relate.

In short, language contributes culture, history and communication. Spanish, for example, is the language spoken by those people who have memorized its code and, therefore, who belong to that specific community.

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The language, on the other hand, is the ability of living beings to establish communication through signs. The signs can be either oral or written. Language, unlike language, is universal. The cryingFor example, it is a form of non-verbal language that we all understand regardless of the community to which we belong. Therefore, we can determine that language is the manifestation of language in different communities.

We, as human beings, use a complex language which ends up expressing itself with sound sequences and graphic signs. Instead, animals have a much simpler language since they only use sound and body sequences for communication. They do not have that code or language that allows them to carry out communication.

The language, in addition, is in constant evolution and is always marked by the different expressive currents that characterize the specific time. You just have to observe the evolution of languages, which are the result of language. The Spanish we use today is not the same as the one used in the 16th century.

There are certain elements that do not change, especially when it comes to body language, but there are others that have emerged as a result of the times we are in.

Language examples

• Computer language: is the set of computer signs that we use when we want to know what happens with a computer or with any type of technology. This type of language, for example, is characteristic of the 20th century since, before that, technology as we know it today did not exist.
• Sign language: is a set of body gestures made by people who have reduced hearing.
• Body language: are the movements that we make with the body without emitting any sound. This type of language is universal since, without the need to speak, we all understand them.

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So what are the differences and similarities between language and language? Let's get to know them:

• While the language has a social character that is related to different linguistic communities, the language has a physiological character coming from the speech apparatus of a person. This means that we all have the ability to speak, but not all languages.
• The language is a language proper while the language is the use of that language.
• The language is a structure or system used to express ideas and to be able to communicate. The language, on the other hand, is the faculty or capacity that human beings have to express those ideas.
• Language is the actual language with which people communicate, while language is the way humans have to communicate without the need to know one language or another. Body language is a clear example of the way language communicates.

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But within all these concepts there is another very important one that we must not forget: He speaks. What is speech? It is a term that is often confused and included in the language. But it's not like that. He speaks is the individual act by which a specific person conveys a precise message. To perform this act, the individual uses codes and rules that the language allows. Speech is, therefore, the last act that occurs in communication.

Speech is made up of the following elements: joint, that is, the realization of the sounds of the language; the voice, which is the use of the vocal cords; and the fluency, which is the rate at which each individual is able to communicate.

This is precisely why we should not confuse language with speech. He speaks is transmitted orally whereas the language can be written by the use of the codes. Ultimately, speech belongs to language.

If you want to read more articles about language, language and evolution, don't miss our section on History of the language.

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