Most Important Feature in Language Comprehension: Part I

Sounds!

Language comprehension is essentially an interpretation of the sounds we make that assigns meaning to them. When these sounds are incomprehensible or misinterpreted, it makes communication impossible. With syntax and vocabulary, the speaker and listener can use circumlocution to arrive at a common understanding. But when a listener cannot identify words from among a mass of sounds, syntax and vocabulary become secondary issues. For example, imagine an American and a Brit are having a conversation, in which they are discussing baby carriages. If the American can't tell that the Brit is saying the word "perambulator," he can't ask the Brit to explain the meaning of the word. Likewise, if a German and an American are speaking and the German is using comprehensible words in unfamiliar syntax, the American can still understand the message. But if the German's accent is so incredibly thick the American can't tell he is even speaking English, then the German's use of correct syntax is futile.