International Journal of Language and Linguistics 2019; 7(2): 78-84 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ijll doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20190702.14 ISSN: 2330-0205 (Print); ISSN: 2330-0221 (Online) Cognitive Study for Language as a Complex Adaptive System: Evidence from Chinese WeChat Communications Jianjun Ma Foreign Language College, Hunan University of Finance and Economics, Changsha, China Email address: To cite this article: Jianjun Ma. Cognitive Study for Language as a Complex Adaptive System: Evidence from Chinese WeChat Communications. International Journal of Language and Linguistics. Vol. 7, No. 2, 2019, pp. 78-84. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20190702.14 Received : January 28, 2019; Accepted : April 23, 2019; Published : May 15, 2019 Abstract: The nature of language has always been the core issue of academic inquiry. Form and function, symbol and representation, linearity and system, static and dynamic, inner and outer, mind and brain, etc. are always the hot arguing topics in both linguistics and philosophical fields. The complex adaptive theory argues that language understanding requires whole-hearted intelligent participation and the adaptive selection of complex systems, which is the overall response of human beings to the external world and language stimulus. In order to prove this, this article chooses Chinese daily language on the WeChat as examples so as to provide evidence for explaining the complexity of language expression and language understanding. With thoughtful analysis and discussion by exploring the essential features of language evidence, this paper concludes that language understanding goes beyond the syntactic sequences of words and involves the whole cognition and adaptation of human being to the environment; semantic generation needs to mobilize the comprehensive coordination of all elements of human cognitive systems to produce the overall effect. It further indicates that thinking is literal and coherent, and suitable for logical modeling. This conclusion is in accordance with the biological and neural science claim by the second generation of cognitive science. Keywords: Language, Complex Adaptive System, Cognition 1. Introduction Language, as a symbol system that distinguishes human recursion is the common feature of human language. beings from animals, plays an immeasurable role in human However, reductionist analysis cannot reflect the holistic, civilization and evolution. It is their awareness and thinking systematic and dynamic features of language. The theory of that make human beings as human beings, while language mind and social culture reflects the relationship between the acts as a tool and medium for human beings to perceive the inner psychology of language and the external environment, objective world and communicate cultural information as a but neglects the subjective adaptability of human beings. In carrier. [1] recent years, that language is a complex adaptive system [2, 3] Although people have different interpretations and puts language research into a broader interdisciplinary scope, definitions of language, there is no consensus on the nature reflecting the interaction between internal and external of language. From Plato’s problem, the Descartes’ factors, and their views have been increasingly recognized by mnemonics, Darwin's evolution of language, to Saussure's the academic community. This paper attempts to use the structure of language and Chomsky's universal grammar, theory of complex system adaptation to explain the people have been exploring this problem continuously complexity of language expression and language throughout history. Form and function, symbol and understanding from a cognitive perspective, in order to representation, linearity and system, static and dynamic, explore the essential features of human language and search inner and outer, mind and brain all reflect different aspects of for evidence for in-depth study of the internal mechanism of this problem. Chomsky tries to make the study of language language. scientific from the syntactic structure and thinks that International Journal of Language and Linguistics 2019; 7(2): 78-84 79 2. Theoretical Review beginning of non-classical cognitive psychology. Language is the most important psychological tool for human beings. It is 2.1. Theory of Language Study not only used for social communication, but also used for Chomsky has devoted his whole life to the study of self-management, planning, guiding and monitoring of their language. His universal grammar theory tries to find common behaviors. [12] features of human language through syntactic analysis. His Vygotsky tried to find a comprehensive approach to composition analysis method contributes to computational describe and explain higher psychological functions in linguistics. "Innateness" and "universal grammar" (UG) are natural scientific terms, including the recognition of brain the main representative viewpoints. "Deep structure" and mechanisms and their development history under specific "surface structure", "I-language" and "E-language" and functions, the relationship between simple behaviors and "minimalist program" reflect Chomsky's thinking and complex forms, and the social context of behavioral achievements on language theory in different periods. development. Vygotsky et al. extended the concept of After decades of development, Chomsky’s theory has also interlanguage in human-environment interaction to the use of spawned some new theories, such as Alvin Liberman's symbols and tools, and the symbol system (language, "motor theory". Other theories proposed by linguists and character, and number system) was created in the process of anthropologists are "body language theory", "big brain human history and changed with the level of social form and theory" and "social complexity theory". William Stokoe's cultural development. [13] "Language Origins" also claims to fill the gaps in Chomsky's Jesper Kallestrup's theory of semantic externalities "syntactic structure" in an attempt to provide evidence for explores the influence of human social system and physical Chomsky's theoretical edifice. [4] environment on language and mind from the perspective of But his theory has also been questioned and challenged, philosophy of mind and philosophy of language. Semantic such as Pinker and Shi Yuzhi on its school of controversy. internalism holds that meaning, or at least some aspects of Wolfe [4] quotes Everett as arguing that the Chomsky myth meaning, depends only on the speaker's internal psychology has been shattered because of Chomsky's universal grammar and is not sensitive to the relevant variables of the external doctrine that people have wasted half a century. He also environment. But semantic externalism emphasizes that the quoted Colapinto and psychologist Michael Tomasello, meaning of natural or social terms is external and noting that "universal grammar is dead" because it turned out individualized. "If what the speaker believes is determined by that his theory was wrong. Chomsky himself acknowledged the propositions expressed by the sentences they use to that the origin and evolution of human language ability are express these beliefs, then not only is the meaning of the still largely a mystery. [4, 5] In recent years, Chomsky theory language individualized, but the content of their beliefs is has been shifting from "rationalism to biolinguistics". [6] also individualized." [14] Therefore, the understanding of the As an emerging discipline, biolinguistics studies the meaning of language is subject to individual subjectivity. biological properties of language and the evolution of What the speaker and listener want to express and understand language. [7] Lyle Jenkins argues that the core of is related to individual experience and judgment. biolinguistics is "the nature of language knowledge, the 2.2. Adaptability of Complex Systems of Language development of children's language, and the evolution of human language".[8] As a complex system, the evolution of On March 1-3, 2007, the 60th annual conference of language is influenced by "genetic inheritance, experience "Language Learning" was held at the University of Michigan. and the principle of non-linguistic competence" (ibid). For The theme was "Language is a Complex Adaptive System", example, studies have shown that FOXP2 gene is involved in and participants were asked to submit articles around the language development, [9] and non-coding changes of topic. The basic idea is: FOXP2, ROBO1, ROBO2 and CNTNAP2 genes are Language has basic social functions. People interact with associated with language impairment (LI) and developmental the domain-general cognitive process to form language reading disorder (DD). [10] However, Atkinson, E. G. et al. structures and knowledge. Research in cognitive science proved that human language evolution is not dependent on a shows that patterns of use strongly influence how language is single gene. [11] This ultra micro studies of language reflects learned, used and changed. As a complex adaptive system, the latest research achievements of the modern biological language has several key features: linguistics, but its effectiveness is still in doubt, because it A The system is composed of agents (speakers in the ignores the complex system properties of the language. speech community) interacting with each other; Language barriers or characteristics attributed to a genetic B The system is adaptive, that is, the speaker's behavior effect, did not consider the emergence