ABSTRACT

HUMANS ARE SOCIAL beings and, as such, need to communicate. To do this we have developed language, an infinitely flexible symbolic system whereby words are used to represent objects, actions, feelings, and the like. We don’t just use language to communicate information to other people, though; often we use it to communicate with ourselves. We use our “inner voice” to regulate our actions and thought processes, often talking ourselves through situations. Although the specific language spoken by individuals varies from culture to culture, all humans acquire a language of some sort, with some people acquiring more than one.