How do the aliens’ language and communication styles in the story differ from human language (oral, pictographic, phonetic, etc.)?
The reading “Story of Your Life” is really fascinating for me to read and I had a lot of fun trying to figure out the language system of the aliens – Heptapods – while at the same time traveling with the author through time. As far as I am concerned, the aliens’ language and communication styles in the story differ from human language in the following ways:
When the writer has mastered the language of the Heptapods, she discovers that the language enables her to perceive reality in a fundamentally different way. Like the structure of writing in this article, the author is narrating the event of her learning the Heptapods’ language and the story of her daughter’s life at the same time, with each of them being told alternately. This shift in her perception is definitely one of the key differences between the language of the Heptapods and that of the humans.
In Heptapods’ language, there is no clear distinction between past, present, and future tenses. The Heptapods are capable of perceiving time in a way that allows them to experience events simultaneously. This synchrony of tense is reflected in their language, where sentences convey a sense of timelessness and simultaneity.
The Heptapods’ writing system consists of logograms, which are written symbols representing entire words or concepts rather than individual sounds or letters. Each logogram captures complex meanings and ideas, allowing for efficient communication. What’s more, there is no direct relationship between their written form of language and their oral language. They have developed two different methods of expression which differs from the language system of humans.
The Heptapods’ language is described as having a nonlinear structure. It does not follow a linear form like human languages do. Instead, the Heptapods perceive time as a whole, and their language reflects this perception. The sentences they produce are not constructed in a sequential way; instead, they convey meanings holistically, with their writing form being a kind of semagram that is consistent of complex structures.
In a nutshell, the aliens’ language and communication style differ from human languages in profound and distinguishable ways. The differences in the languages play a key role in reflecting the discrepancy of the two species when it comes to their perceptions of time and the world.
How does the physical structure of our body inform the way we communicate? How about the aliens?
As far as I am concerned, the physical structure of the humans and the aliens suggest quite different ways of communication. Below I will elaborate on the influences that the body structure brings about to humans and aliens respectively.
When it comes to the humans, there are three evident aspects of such influence. The first is the oral communication. Humans communicate orally, using our physical structures such as vocal cords and mouth movements to convey meaning. The structure of our vocal apparatus, including the tongue, lips, and vocal cords, shapes the sounds we produce and influences the kinds of languages we can speak.
The second one is the written communication. Humans also communicate through writing, using hands and fingers to manipulate writing tools or type on keyboards. The flexibility of our hands and fingers enables us to produce written symbols and convey meaning through written language, which is hard to be done by other creatures, including the aliens.
The third one is facial expressions and body language. In addition to the two forms above, humans also use facial expressions, gestures, and body language to convey emotions and meanings. The structure of our facial muscles and our limbs contribute to our ability to express ourselves nonverbally.
As for the aliens, known as Heptapods, their physical structure informs their mode of communication in distinct ways:
Different from humans, Heptapods communicate using their tentacle-like limbs to manipulate their writing. Their physical structure, with seven limbs arranged symmetrically around their bodies, allows them to produce logographic symbols that convey complex concepts, which is quite different from the linear writing form of the humans.
The Heptapods’ perception of time also influence the structure of their written language, Heptapod B. Unlike human languages, which follow a linear sequence, Heptapod B enables the simultaneous expression of past, present, and future events. This reflects the Heptapods’ non-linear understanding of time and their ability to perceive time holistically.
Last but not the least, the facial expressions and body language of the Heptapods may be less significant than those of humans due to their special physical structure and their focus on written and oral languages.
Overall, the physical structures of both humans and Heptapods shape the ways in which they communicate. From the production of sounds and symbols to the expression of emotions and ideas, this article impressed me of how our communication forms shape our perceptions of time and the world.
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