Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios

Bachelor Program in English Language Teaching

STRUCTURES AN FUNCTIONS OF THE LANGUAGE

In pairs, you are going to write an article showing your understanding of language as a human ability based
on the concepts studied in Module 1:

Uses of language Origins of language Animal language The complexity of human language

The purpose of your article is to explain why language is a human ability. Your article should be written in
English using 400 - 500 words it should have 4 – 5 paragraphs developing a general idea in each paragraph. It
should have an introductory (see below) and a concluding paragraph. Do not use subtitles for paragraphs, only
give a single title to the whole article.

Use the following questions to guide your article by using your own words to answer them.
 What do humans use language for?
 How did humans invent language?
 How is language different from other form of communication such as “body language” and “animal
language”?
 Why is language the most complex activity for humans?

Here you have the introductory paragraph of your article

“Language is an ability which is unique to human beings. It is so complex that even animal communicative
systems cannot compare to that of humankind. It serves different functions and uses and it has undergone a long
process of refinement as to have the system as it is nowadays. In this paper we will explain why language is a
human ability by describing the uses of language, its invention ,and its complexity compared to other kind of
languages ”

Create your article in a word document. Name your file with your last name(s) + Module 1. For example
“Gonzalez_ Moreno_Module 1”, and upload it to the virtual classroom on “Assignment Module 1” before the
deadline.

Copyright 2014. Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios. Facultad de Educación. Licenciatura en Idioma Extranjero: Inglés. Curso: Introducción a
las ciencias del lenguaje – Modulo 1. Created by: Lilian Gonzalez. All rights reserved. No part of this material shall be reproduced, transmitted,
distributed or commercially exploited, except with the express permission from the copyright holders. Enquires for permission to reproduce all or
parts of this material should be directed to: licingles@uniminuto.edu. Edited by Pedro Gonzalez 2016