Talk and its place in our lives

Abstract

For most of us the use of language is a crucial part of our daily lives. I’m a teacher so it’s perhaps not at all surprising that language should play a particularly large part in what I do each day. Teaching might well be described with some accuracy as one of society’s ‘talking professions’. Working in the law, psychiatry, the media or a host of other areas could be similarly described. But with just a little reflection it soon becomes clear that nobody, whatever their age, social background, way of life or job, can for long avoid the use of language from the moment they wake until the moment they fall to sleep, and even then they may well dream of situations in which the use of language is again unavoidable. Using language is very much a part of what it is to be human and live the life of a human being.