语言是一种本能，只要我们都天生就有说话的倾向，我们都能在没有学费的情况下获得一种语言，当我们说话时，我们就不会有意识地把我们的思想转化为语言。然而，语言不是本能的，因为我们可以选择说什么或是否说什么。这两种定义对语言功能的描述都并不精确。萨皮尔的定义只限制了语言来交流思想、情感和欲望，而布洛赫和特拉格的定义则根本没有指出这一点。Language is instinctive in so far as we are all born with a predisposition to speak, we all acquire a language without tuition and when we speak we do not consciously convert our thoughts into speech. Language is, however, non-instinctive in that we can choose what to say or whether to say anything at all. Both the definition’s description of language’s function is not precise. Sapir’s definition confines language only to communicating ideas, emotions and desires, and Bloch and Trager’s definition does not point it out at all.