The Role of Language Processing in Cognitive Psychology - Essay Example

?Language paper: Define language and lexicon: A lexicon encompasses all the words belonging to a language of a group of people. It is basically a list of words which serves to bridge the distance between language and information delivered in that language. It is considered the most dynamic and vibrant part of a language owing to continuous changes it goes through. It is also one of the most critically important key features which constructs a language and lends it stability. Without vast vocabulary that does not undergo transition with changing times, a language sinks into depth of anonymity which explains how important lexicon is. It affects both written and spoken language as it is impossible to get a grip on a particular language without digging into its lexicon first. Language is characterized as a system of fundamental importance varying across cultures though which knowledge is shared and views are expressed. This communicative system is a confluence of two streams, spoken words and written speech and lexicon is its indispensable component. Speech sounds, words, and grammar are other very vital components. The more words are there in vocabulary, the more interesting a language becomes which explains that language and lexicon are mutually dependent on each other. Evaluate the key features of language: General consensus is that there are four key features of any language namely vocabulary which comprises of words, text, sentences, and phonological system. The phonological system is also known now as phonemes-phonetics and is considered the most important for describing a language and understanding it. It is this features which creates distinction between languages and makes each one unique and different from the others. Phonemes includes speech sounds which play a very momentous role in expressing a language, while phonetics stem from linguistics and in this are physical properties of speech sounds are scrutinized to understand the media through which these sounds are uttered and understood. The importance of phonemes-phonetic in explicating the evolution of a language cannot be stressed enough. Then, words are also valuable because how can a language survive through different times without extensive vocabulary having the potential to undergo changes. This is why it is widely known as the basic unit of language. They can be used independently as the smallest units or linked to form a sentence and convey more meaning. When combined together, words are transformed into sentences and here the use of grammar is also observed which should be correct to help the other person understand a sentence. Simply joining words may become a sentence but it would be lifeless without correct grammar and unable to convey any message. Finally, text is another important feature of every language. It is actually a conversation because it takes more than one sentence to construct text. Words join to form sentences and sentences construct text through which conversation is carried out in newspapers and books. Text is a very powerful feature of the language which can make people cry and laugh depending on how intensely and convincingly it is constructed (Lee, 2011). Describe the four levels of language structure and processing: The four levels of language structure and processing studied in linguistics are again words, sentences, text, and phonemes. The first level is phonemes, second is words, third is sentences, and finally the fourth level is text. This shows that language is a step-by-step developmental process and can be portrayed as sort of a ladder, each step of which has huge repercussions for a language structure. Phonemes are simply sounds which are physically analyzed as well and should be remembered to remember a language and speak it correctly. Without getting a grasp on speech sounds (phonemes), words are spoken incorrectly which is one of the most common explanation for people facing embarrassment when trying a new language in another country. It is phonemes which make up words which contribute to sentences which in turn construct text. While a word is known as the basic unit of a language, a sentence is known as the grammatical unit of words. To avoid embarrassment, it is also important to correctly remember meaning of the words and know where they should be used because in certain situation, some words should not be used. So, the context of each word is also crucial to memorize. Without having deep knowledge of all four levels of language structure and processing, it is pointless to carry on a conversation with another person without any obstacles. Also, these levels should always be taken into consideration when learning a new language as ignoring even one level negatively interferes with solid learning process no matter how much accomplished one becomes on other levels. Analyze the role of language processing in cognitive psychology: Cognitive psychology is the area of psychology where a person’s mental processes like perception, thinking, memory, language, and problem solving are explored through lens of behavior. The role of language in cognitive psychology is of prodigious nature and has been extensively researched. This role is related to memorizing what each level of language means and attempts to contribute. Cognitive psychology explores the internal mental states of a person when a certain language is used by him/her to assess the mechanisms underlying use of language (Cherry, 2013). If words of a foreign language are spoken, a person will not be able to understand them if phonemes are not learned first because otherwise there would be nothing in a person’s memory to be retrieved and related to what is being spoken in another language. But when speech sounds are learned, that information is stored in a person’s mind forever which can then be retrieved whenever a person hears someone speaking in foreign language and automatically tries to understand it. Such use of language makes up a big area of cognitive psychology. It is assumed that different cognitive processes associated with language help to identify how that language is used by a person and for what motives (McLeod, 2008). Sometimes, people prefer to depend on a foreign language to express themselves when in an angry mood and other times they may feel more comfortable conversing in native language. According to variation in the way a person perceives his/her feelings or situations, use of language also varies which leads to the subject of mental processing of language in cognitive psychology. References: Cherry, K. (2013). What Is Cognitive Psychology? Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/f/cogpsych.htm Lee, J. (2011, Oct 31). Language and Cognition. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/language-cognition-10290493.html?cat=9 McLeod, S. (2008). Information Processing. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/information-processing.html Read More