What did language originate from? In what ways do humans acquire language? What are some common misconceptions about learning a new language and what are some of the hardest languages in the world?
Origins of Language
Before we can ask about the beginnings of human language, we should first define the question. The question isn't how languages evolved over time to become the languages we speak today. It's more about how the human species progressed over time to the point where we were able to use language. Moreover, the origins of human language are likely to remain a mystery for the foreseeable future. Individual language origins, on the other hand, have been the focus of extensive research over the last two centuries.
"We simply do not know, and never will know, how or when language emerged," Bernard Campbell writes in his book "Humankind Emerging" (Allyn & Bacon, 2005). It's difficult to imagine a more significant cultural phenomena than the evolution of language. Despite this, no human attribute provides greater conclusive evidence for its origins.
The lack of such evidence hasn't stopped people from speculating about the roots of language. Many theories have been proposed over the years, and nearly all of them have been disputed, disregarded, or mocked. Each theory merely explains a fraction of what we know about language. There are many theories, but we'll explore a few of the most popular and oldest theories.
First is the Bow-Wow theory. Language, according to this theory, originated when our ancestors began mimicking the natural sounds they heard. Onomatopoeic words like moo, meow, splash, cuckoo, and bang were used in the first form of speech.
Another popular concept was the Ding-Dong theory. This theory, which Plato and Pythagoras supported, claims that speech developed in response to the inherent features of objects in the environment. People's original sounds were supposed to be in tune with their surroundings. Apart from a few isolated cases of sound symbolism, there is no compelling evidence of an innate link between sound and meaning in any language.
The last theory we'll explore is called the La-La theory. According to Danish linguist Otto Jespersen, language may have evolved from sounds affiliated with love, play, and (particularly) music. So what's wrong with this theory? This theory still fails to account for "the gap between the emotional and intellectual parts of speech expression," as David Crystal points out in "How Language Works" (Penguin, 2005).
Acquiring Language
One of the best ways of learning a language smoothly is acquiring it naturally, but what does that actually entail? A great example of this is children. Children pick up languages quickly, easily, with little to no formal teaching. It develops on its own, whether or not their parents try to teach them. Usually, it's from interacting with both family and other children. Children who are never spoken to will not pick up the language. Furthermore, the language must be used with the child; for example, a child who hears language on the TV or radio but not anywhere else will not learn to speak.
To conclude, adults can acquire languages in the same way that children do if they concentrate on comprehensible input as. well as contexts that they need and are interested in. If they cannot make sense of what is said, because they don't understand the context, they won't be able to acquire the language.
Common Misconceptions
There are many misconceptions surrounding language learning. We'll delve deep into a handful and debunk them. The first and probably the most popular one is the claim that the younger the child, the more skilled they will be in acquiring a new language. In a school setting, older children are better language learners, but younger children may have an edge in learning proper pronunciation, according to research. In fact, MIT researchers discovered that the language-learning advantage lasts until the age of 18, which is much longer than previously thought.
Additionally, another popular misconception is that you have to have a gift for learning languages in order to succeed, which is quite far from the truth. While we all have unique abilities, the beauty of language acquisition is that anyone who wants to learn can. Take Luxembourg for example. Over half of the adult population said they can speak three or more languages — they can't all be naturally gifted language learners, can they? When it comes to learning, attitude trumps aptitude, and persistence, of course.
The last myth we'll talk about is the thought that learning a language is too difficult or will take you years to begin speaking, which is obviously completely untrue. While learning a language requires time and effort, it is also true that some languages are easier to pick up than others. It all boils down to two factors: your native language and your level of dedication. Linguists believe that learning a language that is as near to your native tongue can allow the whole process to be easier. Setting clear goals, practicing consistently, and remaining motivated are all factors that help you move forward in your language journey.
Hardest Languages
What are the world's most difficult and challenging languages? Learning a new language is tough enough, but if the language you choose is already deemed complex and demanding, you're in for a real mental test! While Mandarin is widely regarded as one of the most difficult languages in the world, there are a number of other competitors on the list that are frequently overlooked. Here are a few examples:
Mandarin, unsurprisingly, reigns first as the hardest language in the world. Mandarin is often acknowledged as the world's most difficult language to learn. The language, which is spoken by over a billion people worldwide, can be frustrating for people whose home languages employ the Latin writing system. Mandarin is a tonal language with thousands of characters and a complex writing system, which makes it challenging to learn. Because Mandarin is not a phonetic language, it can be difficult to memorize and write the words. For English speakers, it takes an average of 2,200 class hours to learn Mandarin.
Arabic is the queen of poetic languages, the United Nations' sixth official language, and the second most difficult language to master. It has over a million native speakers throughout the Middle East and Africa, and learning it will introduce you to some of the best literary works and historical literature. According to the Foreign Services Institute, learning Arabic can take up to two years. It's a tough language to grasp because of its many dialects, large vocabulary (there are 300 synonyms for the word lion!), right-to-left writing method, unique pronunciations, and lack of vowels. It is estimated that an English speaker will need at least 2200 hours of Arabic sessions spread out over 80 weeks, or one and a half years of constant language study, to learn Arabic effectively.
Japanese takes third place as one of the most toughest languages to learn. The reality that thousands of characters must be memorized before being able to write in Japanese to any significant amount makes it more challenging than a typical character-based writing system: There are three distinct writing systems in Japanese: hiragana, katakana, and kanji, each with its own alphabet. On the plus side, it is a little less difficult to pronounce Japanese words compared to Mandarin or Arabic. According to the US Department of State, Japanese is one of the most difficult languages for English native speakers to acquire. It does not have many structural similarity to English. They calculate that gaining fluency will take 88 weeks, or 2200 hours.
Language has evolved from simple, basic sounds to several kinds of complex structure. Wether it'd be the hardest or the easiest language or the learner is old or young, with enough consistency and hope, anyone can learn the language they're passionate about.
Written by: Lana Alutaibi
References:
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