Language as an activity in comparison with language as an instinct (Tomasello and Pinker)Emeršič, Urška (Avtor) Jutronić, Dunja (Mentor) jezikkomunikacijasodelovanjerazvoj jezikasprememba jezika.Language is a system. A system with a set of different rules. Language is something that makes us different from other animals. There exist many different theories about how language developed. In my diploma I write about two opposite theories. The first theory is that language developed in human collaborative activities. In contrast, the second theory says that language is innate and is considered to be an instinct. In my opinion the first theory is more probable. Humans have developed language during work, they realized that work can be done faster in collaboration. In order to collaborate, humans needed to develop communication. First it was just pointing and pantomiming, but eventually language occurred. The second theory is also very interesting. It is also convincing if we do not take it literally. Language as an instinct represents the idea that language is innate. We have predispositions to learn language and that language is an instinct. The great apes cannot learn language because they do not have the language instinct. Both theories agree that if a child wants to learn a language he or she must be surrounded with parents or adults who speak the language. If a child is put in isolation then he or she does not learn the language. Language can develop and change basically very quickly.[U. Emeršič]20102010-05-14 08:38:38Diplomsko delo13964UDK: 81'1(043.2)COBISS_ID: 17766920NUK URN: URN:SI:UM:DK:VRS5QCLMsl