The Evolution of Writing as an Important Form of Communication

Before the process of writing starts to take shape, an idea must be developed and contemplated. The underlying question at the beginning of this process is, "Why am I writing?" For many, the initial response would be for a job, a grade, or to prove a point. On a basic level, however, animals behave according to two influences: instinct or experience; humans, since they are animals, are no different. There is a debate over whether humans write because it is in their genetic code or because writing is a useful tool people invented. Since evolution is based on use over a long period of time, it could be said that writing is taking the path that speech took, because presently writing is as widespread as speech, but not as old. However, upon further inspection, it is apparent that writing does not have its own place in human DNA, as speech does, but writing does utilize the innate recognition ability that humans have had for hundreds of thousands of years.

First it must be made clear what a language is. The fact that many people use speech when they think, aloud or internally, often leads to the false assumption that thoughts require words, but there is no evidence to support that. Those who cannot communicate vocally due to brain damage or a hearing impairment do not have less cognitive ability than any unconstrained person; they are simply lacking a useful tool that helps most people communicate with the world around them (Peterson 3). Instead those people use languages such as sign language. Therefore language can be defined as any means through which thoughts can be transmitted. This separation between speech and cognitive ability signifies that people could think long before they could speak, and that speech is...

... middle of paper ...

...er J. Rhetoric, Romance, and Technology: Studies in the Interaction of Expression and Culture. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1971.

Ong, Walter J. The Presence of the Word: Some Prolegomena for Cultural and Religious History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1967.

Peterson, Brett. "The Evolution of Language" Brain Connection. 10 Apr. 2004 < http://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/evolution-language>.

Saljo, Roger. The Written World: Studies in Literate Thought and Action. London: Springer-Verlag, 1988.

Sylwester, Robert. "Connecting Brain Processes to School Policies and Practices: Are Reading and Writing Innate Skills?" Brain Connection. Dec. 2003. 10 Apr. 2004 < http://www.brainconnection.com/content/198_1>.

*A works cited page was asked for, but a bibliography includes all my works cited and consulted, and therefore is more complete.