Language and Computation


By


Obododimma Oha


Language is understood here as human vocal communication involving the use of the so-called speech organs. This is the spoken form, but language is also written. We also in a special sense refer to nonlinguistic symbols carrying meaning in a text as a language. This usage is merely metaphorical. 

Computation, on the other hand, refers to counting or quantification. 


It would appear as if computation is the sole business or character of mathematics and statistics, while those in disciplines like English can afford to wrestle with words and waste words. No. There are occasions for computation in English Studies. 

The following are some of the occasions for computation to feature in English Studies. 

- when count is necessary as evidence due to the expression used, as in "Most of the film producers are Igbo. Any proof? This claim needs to be supported or backed up. 

 - when the hypothesis also borders on numerical strength, e. g." Many male writers think they are superior to their female counterparts". This exaggeration needs a strong computational support and may end up as a faulty generalization. 

Some of the ways of escaping the quagmire of quantificational  obligation is to use tentative or non-committal expressions beginning with : "it seems" or "it appears." 

Thus, computation is empirical but it is a means to an end in language studies. 

This topic is essential for those in English Studies because there appears to be a new trend to count observed features in texts instead of discussing them in writings. It is not when one counts nouns and verbs or illocutionary acts used that we can understand how and why they are used. So, quantification is good but it is an evidence and can only be used when necessary. 

In other words, one is still expected to go on and discuss the feature or to use the quantification of n the discussion. 

Relevant Matters :

The Human Brain as a Computer (and the computer as brain) :

One emergent idea that the human brain which has a language center can also be seen as a computer capable of handling large data is worth considering. In this case, the capacity of the brain is much and needs to be further expanded. The brain not processes information available but has to remember. The memory department of the language center is so much valued in understanding and using language. 

Language and the Processing of Other Forms of Knowledge :

An important issue we need to discuss is the ability of language to process and help in solving other problems of life. As language travels in this case, it transforms, some other things become "language." Our language in English becomes burdensome for mathematics and the luggage has to be lightened. Thus, mathematicians prefer symbolization as their language as this makes their computation "easier.

The fact that language is used in processing or accessing other forms of knowledge means that it is used in calculating or computing them. This makes language, even though it is transformable, very central and essential. 

In concluding, one needs to observe as follows :

-- Language study is not mathematics and so the orientation to counting of features could be seen as an attempt to run away from the required qualitative analysis. 

-- Quantification is only required for proof. 

-- Language is actually used in processing other data. 

-- Orientation to computation is good in English Studies, but that does not mean that without it English research is a waste of time.

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