A computer program product for controlling the computer's processor to perform responsive actions a natural language input has: (1) vocabulary, phrase and concept databases of words, phrase and concepts, respectively, that can be recognized in the inputted communication, wherein each of these database elements is representable by a designated semantic symbol, (2) means for searching the inputted communication to identify the words in the communication that are contained within the vocabulary database, (3) means for expressing the communication in terms of the word semantic symbols that correspond to each of the words identified in the inputted communication, (4) means for searching the communication when expressed in terms of its corresponding word semantic symbols so as to identify the phrases in the communication that are contained within the phrase database, (5) means for expressing the communication in terms of the phrase semantic symbols that correspond to each of the phrases identified in the communication, (6) means for searching the communication when expressed in terms of its corresponding phrase semantic symbols so as to identify the concepts in the communication that are contained within the concept database, and (7) means for expressing the communication in terms of the concept semantic symbols that correspond to each of the concepts identified in the inputted communication, wherein these concept semantic symbols are recognizable by the processor and can cause the processor to take action responsive to the inputted communication.