Final answer:
Language is an essential aspect of human existence and self-awareness, enabling us to communicate thoughts and feelings through vocal expression. It is a unique characteristic of our species and plays a central role in our understanding of ourselves.
Step-by-step explanation:
Language and Speech
Language is, arguably, a very human aspect of neurological function. There are certainly strides being made in understanding communication in other species, but much of what makes the human experience seemingly unique is its basis in language. Any understanding of our species is necessarily reflective, as suggested by the question 'What am I?' And the fundamental answer to this question is suggested by the famous quote by René Descartes: 'Cogito Ergo Sum' (translated from Latin as 'I think, therefore I am'). Formulating an understanding of yourself is largely describing who you are to yourself. It is a confusing topic to delve into, but language is certainly at the core of what it means to be self-aware.