Speaking and writing The ability to speak and to understand others’ spoken words is shaped significantly by nature. Throughout human history, people have communicated through spoken language. As a result, you inherited mental abilities that enabled you to speak fluently even before you went to school. But the ability to write is a product of nurture. Although biologically modern humans have been around for tens of thousands of years, the first writing system was not invented until about 3000 years ago, and you needed time in the classroom to learn how to write.