Introduction and overviewiThe aim of this chapter is to set the scene for the rest of the book Keythemes and concepts are introduced and illustrated. I shall elaborateon these in subsequent chapters.The main subsections of the chapter, presented as bullet pointsbelow, sum up the terrain to be covered in this opening chapter.Language as a defining characteristic of humanityLanguage as a tool for communicationAn introduction to language systemsHuman and animal communication systemsThe design features of languageThe ornigins of language.The chapter conciudes with a brief overview of the rest of the book.Language: a defining characteristic of humanityanguage is a common commodity. Unfortunate individuasome form of pachology, and those religious figures who have takenyows of silence aside, humnanicy is assailed by language. Our lives, asthe American linguist Deborah Tannen (1992) once remarked, arelived as a series of conversations. With relatively few exceprions, we allnage to acquire one (and often more than one) language infew years of life. Having acquired it, we use it unil shortly before wedraw our last breath. In short, language is the phenomenon that definesus as humans.main thing distinguishing humans from other animals is languagecourse, many animals aiso communicate in quite efficient ways, as thedance of the bees, the sounds of dolphins, and the concerted actions ofarmies of ants demonstrate. But we humans feel that language is at the very
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