Human Language and Animal Communication System

【Abstract】Human language differs from animal communication in many ways. Hockett isolated 16 features that characterize human language and which distinguish it from other communication systems. The following passage will introduce some of these features， and by comparing language with animal communication systems， we can have a better understanding of the nature of language.

【Key words】human language； animal communication； difference

Introduction

If someone asks you what separates humans from other animals， one of the first things that would probably come to mind is language. Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication （Wardhaugh 1972）. However， animal communication is the transmission of a signal from one animal to another such that the sender benefits， on average， from the response of the recipient （Slater 1983）. So how does human language differ from animal communication？ American linguist Charles Hockett believed that there are sixteen features of human language that distinguished human communication from that of animals. Here I just want to discuss three of them， and each animal system differs entirely from all human languages in the three ways. They are arbitrariness， displacement， and productivity.

Arbitrariness

Human language is a symbolic system. The signs or words in language have no inherent connection to what they signify or mean， which means there is no intrinsic connection between the word pen and the thing we use to write with. Although the choice of certain sound symbols to present certain objects， events or ideas is arbitrary， once the relationship is established， it becomes a fixed convention. However， animal communication is not symbolic， which means ideas cannot be preserved for the future.

Displacement

Human language can talk about things that are not happening here or now. It means speakers can talk about the past and the future， as well as the present and speakers can also talk about things that are physically distant. Whats more， they can even refer to things and events that do not actually exist. No animal communication system possesses this feature. Animals， on the other hand， react only to stimuli in the present. They communicate in reaction to a stimulus in the immediate environment， such as food or danger. For example， Gibbons， calls is one of their communication systems. One of the calls is emitted typically when the group is surprised by a possible enemy and takes the form of a high pitched shout； it is often repeated by those who hear it and all act accordingly in order to avoid the danger of the enemy.

Productivity

Human language is an open system， which is creative and can be used in novel ways. Human beings use their linguistic resources to produce new expressions and sentences. They arrange phonemes， morphemes， words， and phrases in a way that can express an infinite number of ideas. However， animal communication is a closed system. It cannot produce new signals to communicate novel events or experiences. For example， also the animal gibbon， no matter what situation a gibbon may encounter， its vocal reaction is constrained to be one of this small finite number； a gibbon does not react to a new situation by producing a new call or putting together two or more of the calls already available. Besides， Honeybees， for instance， can communicate only about the location of a source of nectar. As far as we know， they do not communicate about the weather or the beauty of nature.

Conclusion

Although both human language and animal communication system contain signs， units of form with specific meaning， the differences between them， as we can see， are profound. It is the features we discuss above that make a distinction between human language and animal communication system. Human language is symbolic， creative， and displaced，which form a sharp contrast to animal communication system.

References：

[1]Chomsky，N.，（1957），Semantic structures，The Hague：Mouton.

[2]George Yule，2000.The study of language.Beijing：Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.

[3]Fromkin，V，Rodman and Hyams，N.2003.An Introduction to Language.

[4]Pearce，J.M.An Introduction to Animal Cognition，Lawrence Erlbaum Associates，1987.

[5]Linguistic：A Concise Book.Chapter one：Language and Linguistics.

作者简介：杨蕴哲（1994.10-），女，四川内江人，南充市顺庆区西华师范大学师范英语专业，本科生。