MIT: The advantage of ambiguity in language. Public release date: 19-Jan-2012 [ Print | E-mail Share ] [ Close Window ] Contact: Caroline McCallcmccall5@mit.edu Massachusetts Institute of Technology CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Why did language evolve? While the answer might seem obvious — as a way for individuals to exchange information — linguists and other students of communication have debated this question for years. Many prominent linguists, including MIT's Noam Chomsky, have argued that language is, in fact, poorly designed for communication. Such a use, they say, is merely a byproduct of a system that probably evolved for other reasons — perhaps for structuring our own private thoughts. As evidence, these linguists point to the existence of ambiguity: In a system optimized for conveying information between a speaker and a listener, they argue, each word would have just one meaning, eliminating any chance of confusion or misunderstanding.
What do you 'mean'? For a somewhat ironic example of ambiguity, consider the word "mean. " So you want to learn a language. Hi, and welcome! I've gathered a collection of useful links for anyone wanting to learn a language. My motivation was to create a place where all of the useful language learning links could be gathered in one place, instead of being spread out over different sites. The 'Specific Languages' page contains 55 mainly Asian languages as of now and each language has a number of different links for instructional language materials, including language courses, forums, e-books, podcasts etc.
The 'General Language' section contains links for general language learning websites, language learning blogs, articles on language learning & more. The 'Language tips' section contains tips on how to learn a language, with sections on motivation, language tools, language methods and authentic material. The 'Podcasts' section contains links for useful instructional language podcasts. 'Video Courses' contains links for full courses available in video format, with or without supplementary material. Learn Spanish.
I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here's How. Pronunciator - Learn 75 Languages! Foreign Language Vocabulary, Grammar, and Readings. Learning Korean. Learning Japanese. English. Listenings.