I am a research student at the School of Art and Design, Wolverhampton University and my PhD explores the hypothesis that our understanding of environmental sound is moving beyond its consideration as object or event towards a new model, sound as language. I argue that this partly reflects a shift in perspective as a consequence of the transition from early 20th century modernist viewpoints - as expressed through grand narratives, the rule of scientific rationalism, and taxonomic classification - to a more pluralistic, relational and interactional model in step with postmodern cultural practices. I have also identified work in soundscape studies, acoustic communication, psychology, linguistics, ecological acoustics and philosophy that supports the emergence of a language-like model for environmental sound. Building on the ideas of Roland Barthes, listening is related to the flow of significance and remains associated with speaking. My inquiry explores and deepens the conceptualisation of speaking to include all aspects of human communication and action, establishing a dialogue between the natural world and human presence as expressed through its sounding aspects. A language-like model is further supported by study, specifically in linguistics and ethnography, which suggests that the comprehension of individual sonic elements within the soundscape and the relationships between sounds in terms of cause, effect and consequence - sequential patterning in time - created the fundamental conditions from which language developed.
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