Language is the foundation of all types of human relationships. We use spoken word as a means to form and develop social experience. Humans are naturally social creatures.
We also use language and communication to gain knowledge and get an education. Written and spoken word are crucial when obtaining an education (Spirkin). Without language, there would be no possibility for books, and music to flourish. We would be unable to understand or portray the many meanings behind these creations. Samuel Johnson once said that "Language is the dress of thought" With the help of language, you can express many emotions such as: desire, hate, love, disgust, joy, grief, and even indifference. When we talk about dressing our thoughts, it is important to say that since all of us are different, we express our thoughts differently.
Understanding is a vital part of communication and higher thought expression. Spirkin says "Each of us contains a whole world. And this world is our particular world." In other words, he is saying that we all have our own personal way of expressing ourselves that may only make sense to us. When understanding is not reached, we tend to blame language. There are multiple meanings to almost every word in the English language. However, it is our sole responsibility to use our highest form of thought expression to effectively communicate.
Language shapes our understanding of the world we live in. Neil Postman touches on this subject in his excerpt "The Word Weavers/ The World Makers." Postman says that our language habits are at the core of our perceptions of the world. He adds that words map out our environment. Words can be used to expand or limit our awareness of the world (834). Language is what creates our understanding of just about everything we assume we know. .
Language shapes our perception of things that change from culture to culture. Federico Fellini says "A different language is a different vision of life.