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Language and Cognition

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Relating language and cognition

Axia College

Kristin Allen

When a mother hears her baby cry she automatically responds even though there may not be a clear form of language present, there is still communication. When we hear our pet dog cat meow or bak, we know what they want. Even though they are not speaking in what we would consider a language. It has been agreed upon by many that language is one of the hardest areas to study by both linguists and cognitive scientists. Language is a vital part of communication. Words carry with them heavy meaning and if not carefully monitored can cause much damage. Language is often viewed as a window in to the mind of the one who is communicating. Much can be told about a person by the way they communicate. In this essay I will attempt to define both language and lexicon along with the many stages of language and how it relates to cognition.

What is language? How is language related to cognition? Do we think with words or do we use words to express ideas. These are questions that have been studied for ages. If we were to go by the standard dictionary definition, language is communication of thoughts and feelings. However language is so much more than that. In order for us to have meaningful dialog with one another we must first understand the language . It is the way that language is used and it's context that gives the concept of language its meaning. Everything has language of its own. From people to animals and even machines , they all have their own ways of communicating. Language is the conveying of one's thoughts , feeling and ideas. If we were to go by the standard meaning of the word language than a baby's cry , a dogs bark, or a cats meow would have

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