Chapter 3: “Like a dog chasing its tail”: Language, Languages, and Linguistics

Chapter 3 provides an overview of the origins and evolution of human language as a unique kind of communicative behavior. It distinguishes between prescriptive and descriptive approaches to the study of language. It also explains the difference between “language” in general (i.e., “human language”) and any particular, specific “language” (e.g., English, French, Spanish, etc.). It lists and explains a number of the key characteristics of human language—the ways that human language differs from other kinds of communication. Next, it explores the different components of human language, including phonology, morphology, the lexicon, and syntax. The chapter ends by examining and critiquing several commonly held but erroneous beliefs about human language.