September 20, 2013
Essay 1: The Code Talker Paradox

In the chapter “The Code Talker Paradox” by Mark Baker, he argues that language is surprisingly complex and paradoxically simple. This claim backed by evidence of similarities and differences between languages has also lead Baker to conclude that grammar is universal among children. He arrived at this concept because of the easiness for children to pick up language while the smartest of adults struggle endlessly to learn. When one looks at how complex language is, the only proof that can explain this phenomenon is that any child with a healthy brain must have an innate universal grammar that must coincide with all languages.
One difference between the languages of Navajo and English is the that while in English the direct object of a sentence goes after the verb, in Navajo the direct object is before the verb. So if in English one were to say, “Boy saw girl”, even if the Navajo knew the word translation they would have no idea what you were saying. While vice versa in Navajo if one were to say that it would read to an English person Boy girl saw, which wouldn’t make any sense in English. Even if one can understand the translation of words, to make sense of a sentence is incomprehensible. Another example showing the complex differences between the two languages having to do with word order is the Navajo’s primal importance placed on nature in their tongue. In a Navajo sentence humans are placed at the top of the pecking order, meaning they come first in the chronological order of a sentence from left to right. After that, the larger and more intelligent animals follow the words in the sentence. Followed subsequentially are the smaller animals. As one can see here are so many rules that differ from the English language to Navajo. It is such a complex system, but now I am going to show you how at