Answer:
According to Steven Pinker, a prominent linguist and cognitive scientist, the key difference between human language and animal communication lies in the complexity, structure, and generativity of human language.
1. **Complexity:** Human language is incredibly complex, with a vast vocabulary and intricate grammatical rules that allow for the creation of an infinite number of sentences. Animal communication, on the other hand, tends to be simpler and more limited in scope. It often consists of a fixed set of signals or calls that convey basic messages related to survival needs, such as food, danger, or mating.
2. **Structure:** Human language has a hierarchical structure that allows for the combination of smaller units (phonemes, morphemes, words, phrases) into larger, meaningful structures (sentences and paragraphs). Animal communication systems typically lack this hierarchical structure and are more direct in their signaling.
3. **Generativity:** Human language is generative, which means that speakers can create and understand entirely new sentences they've never encountered before. They can convey novel ideas and discuss abstract concepts. Animal communication tends to be less generative and more fixed in its form and meaning.
4. **Displacement:** Human language allows us to talk about things that are not present in the immediate environment, such as past events, future plans, or abstract concepts. Animal communication is often tied to the here and now, focused on immediate needs or threats.
5. **Recursion:** Human language allows for recursive structures, where elements can be embedded within each other to create complex sentences. This recursive property enables the creation of sentences of virtually unlimited length and complexity. Animal communication does not typically exhibit this recursive feature.
Steven Pinker's work, particularly in his book "The Stuff of Thought," explores these distinctions between human language and animal communication, highlighting the unique cognitive abilities and linguistic capacities that set human language apart.