The nature of mind —in particular, its qualitative character— can be understood through the observation of behavior from a 3rd-person perspective. This is especially the case if one is intimately acquainted with the subject in question’s behavior.

Langauge and thought are tightly bound, but not necessarily inseparable. In fact, thought is more basic than language, and language depends on thought, not the reverse.

Language is fundamental to consciousness and our understanding of it is only in its beginning stages. We are therefore unlikely to see general artificial intelligence anytime in the near future.