Language is the ultimate human invention the tool that makes
all other tools.
But what gives the human mind \hthe ability to use language?
\h\h\hWhere did it come from and how did it develop, both in our
species as a whole and within each one of us as individuals?
I’m Spencer Kelly, professor of psychological and brain sciences
at Colgate University, and I invite you to explore these
\h\hquestions in my 24-lecture course Language and the Mind.
\h\hWe’ll survey a broad range of findings from linguistics,
psychology, and neuroscience to discover how language and the
\hmind emerge from a synergy of our genes, our brains and
bodies, and our environment.
\hPlus, we’ll see how embodied elements like gesture may have
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hgiven rise to language in the first place.
\h\h\hAnd we’ll move beyond the study of individual languages by
considering bilingualism and multilingualism, as well as
\h\hother forms of language, including sign language and
writing.
Join me, and learn more about this unique ability: not just
what it is, but also how it defines us as human beings.