Many writers struggle when it comes to writing about language, especially in regard to language and cognition. This is primarily due to a lack of knowledge of the ways in which language and cognition interact and affect each other.

Language is a system of communication consisting of sounds and written symbols that are utilized by people of a particular country or region for talking and/or writing (Collins Dictionary, n.d.). Language is acquired during childhood. However, not all children acquire language the same way, as in some cultures babies and young children are spoken to frequently while in other cultures they are held in such a way as to encourage them to witness the language of adults (Hoff, 2006). Psychologists have studied the interactions between language and other types of cognition and formed theories about the effect of language on thought patterns and the ways in which learning an additional language can alter thought patterns.

Language, both written and oral, has always had a large influence on human cognition as it both promotes and limits communication between people. In a professional setting, language can serve to promote communication between people who both speak the same language as it allows groups to brainstorm ideas, reach a consensus, and argue for different solutions. Without language, people in a professional setting would not be able to communicate with each other nor work together as effectively. However, language can also limit communication between people in a professional setting as using language for communication requires that both people speak and understand the same language the same way. This means not only must the people attempting to communicate know the same language, but they need to speak and understand it the same way. In the case of slang terms or accents, language might prove limiting for communication as with such additions people might struggle to understand each other and communicate effectively or they might misunderstand the point the other person is attempting to make or think they are being insulted when they are not. Additionally, if a person is new to the main language used in his or her professional setting, they might struggle to share their ideas in their new language or misunderstand the language being used by their co-workers. An example of such a situation might be if a co-worker told a person new to English that their idea was cool; the person new to English might think the other person thinks their idea is cold instead of understanding that the word cool in that context meant intriguing, interesting, or good. In this way, language is limiting as it requires both parties to have the same language and cultural understanding. 

There are ways human cognition can be improved through language. For instance, Bialystok and Poarch (2014) found that bilingualism induces changes in language and cognitive abilities with advantages in executive control and an improved set of processes for controlled attention, inhibition, and shifting. It was further hypothesized that these changes as a result of bilingualism could assist in mitigating the cognitive decline that results due to aging. These findings suggest that learning more than one language can improve a person’s cognitive abilities and decrease their cognitive decline from aging. Further examination of the effect of bilingualism should be pursued to discover any additional cognitive problems that could be solved through learning a second language.

References

Bialystok, E., & Poarch, G. (2014). Language Experience Changes Language and Cognitive

Ability. Zeitschrift fur Erziehungswissenschaft : ZfE, 17(3), 433–446. doi:10.1007/s11618-014-0491-8

Collins Dictionary. (n.d.) Language. Retrieved from

                https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/language

Hoff, E. (2006). How social contexts support and shape language development. Developmental

                Review, 26(1), 55–88. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1016/j.dr.2005.11.002