1) But just the opposite is true—language is one of the most complex of all human cognitive abilities.
2) By contrast, not everyone becomes proficient at complex mathematical reasoning, few people learn to paint well, and many people cannot carry a tune.
3) Because everyone is capable of learning to speak and understand language, it may seem to be simple.
4) It is wrong, however, to exaggerate the similarity between language and other cognitive skills, because language stands apart in several ways.
5) For one thing, the use of language is universal—all normally developing children learn to speak at least one language, and many learn more than one.
