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  • What is language? What are its functions, advantages, and limitations?

    Written by: karl_marx

    Language is a written code used for communication or for the displaying of data. There are two different types of language: Mathematical (numerical) and natural (e.g. English). An advantage to natural language is to ease the difficulties of communication. An advantage of mathematics as a language is that problems can be solved in an organized and easy-to-follow order. Both types of languages have their limitations. A limitation of natural language is that it is subjective. A limitation of mathematics as language is that it is not used a form of communication. Natural language is a form of communication developed over thousands of years as humans developed civilization. From prehistory up to the present language had been evolving. Spreading information by the use of language is a type of communication. For example, if I tell someone the temperature is 32° C outside in Milan, Italy, I am spreading information by using language in the form of communication. An advantage of natural language is that communication is easy. With a vast vocabulary, a listener can have a general (or specific) idea about what is being told to him/her. Also, some ideas can only be expressed in language. For example, philosophy would be impossible to express without language. There are some limitations to natural languages. There are many natural languages spoken in the world. Therefore one may not be able to converse with people from different countries. In order to converse with people from different language-speaking countries, one must learn the language. Another limitation of natural language is that certain things cannot be expressed using it. For example, some situations in history were so bad that no words can express them fully (a situation could be the treatment of slaves in colonial America). Music is a form of language that is better suited to expression. Also, there are more ways to interpret natural language. One individual may read a passage in a story and interpret in differently then someone else. This is common in literature. Tone is also sometimes hard to determine especially in e-mail messages. Functions of mathematics or numerical languages are that problems can be solved orderly and in an easy-to-follow sequence. Without mathematical languages a lot of things would not be possible. For example, architecture would not be possible without math. As a result, we would not have large buildings to live in. Technology would not be possible without math wither. A lot of technology such as computers are based on imaginary numbers ( ). Advantages of mathematics are that mathematical statement such as a2 + b2 = c2 cannot be misinterpreted. This can only be interpreted in one way, which is just as it is written. Also, mathematics can be used to create language. For example, music is based on mathematics. Each measure has its own amount of beats. A measure in a composition that is in 6/8 time has two beats in a measure. This is mathematically based. If the number system did not exist, it would be more difficult to compose music. Limitations to mathematics are that it cannot be used for communication, and that it is extremely complicated. A great majority of the educated population can read and write to a fairly high level sophistication. The level of sophistication obtained in natural languages is not near that obtained for mathematics. Mathematics is something that requires high intelligence to understand at a high level. Natural languages are not so difficult to learn. As a matter of fact, humans can learn up to three natural simultaneously. It does not matter whether an individual is a genius or below average; intelligence has nothing to do with it. It is a capacity all humans have that enable us to learn three languages at the same time if exposed to them. Unfortunately, most individuals do not have this capacity for mathematics, making it harder to learn. In conclusion, language is a written code that means something. Natural languages are used for communication. Its main advantage is that it makes communication easier. Its limitations are that natural languages can be misinterpreted and can not always be used for expression. Mathematics is a language that is used to solve difficult problems. Its advantages are helping us invent new things, such as the construction of buildings and the inventing of technology. Its limitation is that it is complicated and difficult for most individuals to learn.


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