Part I: The Introduction
Whether it is in a social setting with acquaintances or a stimulus-bound reaction in the wild, there is no question that both animals and humans do communicate on a regular basis. Both humans and animals use communication as a means to express things to their fellow species. While animal communication is limited, human communication is vast, complex and ever changing. In order for us to be able to argue that animals are using language, the animal would not only have to be able to mimic the sounds of the language, but also be able to demonstrate an understanding for what the words mean. In this essay, I will explore why it is not possible for animals to learn human language.
Part II: Animal vs. Human Language Learning
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If we are to evaluate in reverse: as the more capable of the two, humans are also unable to learn the meaning behind animal communication. Humans are equally capable of mimicking animal calls and vocalizations, but we can only guess at the meaning behind them. To elaborate, a person may be able to mimic the bark of their dog but they can only guess why the dog is barking based on context and previous behaviour. Thus, we are unable to learn the “language” of the dog. Similarly, some animals may be taught to mimic certain words or communication techniques, but we cannot for sure that the animal understands the meaning or implication of the phrase.
This is best illustrated by psychologist Herbert S Terrace’s research of sign language communication with NimChimpsky in 1973, where he discovered that what they interpreted as Nim communicating with them by expressing his own thoughts, was more likely the ape responding to subconscious clues that hewas receiving from the researchers. (Rowe & Levine, 2015) This illustrates that even if animals were able to simulate language, they have not been proven to have the capability to understand it and be able manipulate it to deliver a
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Human children learn language through exposure and the rules become part of their subconscious. That being said, attempts by researchers to raise apes as children have seen little results in terms of language learning. Viki was the subject in one such experiments, where she was raised in the same manner as a human child in an attempt to teach her to speak within the same time frame. Even with the help of speech therapy, Viki was only able to learn 4 words in her time: Mama, Papa, Up and Cup. This is yet another example of the limitations that animals have in terms of learning
“…animals, plants and even “inert” entities such as stones and rivers are perceived as being articulate and at times intelligible subjects, able to communicate and interact with humans for good or ill. In addition to human language, there is also the language of birds, the wind, earthworms, wolves and waterfalls – a world of autonomous speakers whose intents (especially for hunter-gatherer peoples) one ignores at one’s peril” (Manes 15).
The prehistoric times stand evidence to the power of language as a tool for communication and growth. Language has proven to be an effective medium and factor surrounding the evolution of man. Language has played a big role in the development of individuals and societies. What is spoken and/or written, help in the initiation of imagination, expression of feelings, and conveyance of thoughts and ideas. “The pen is mightier than the sword” (Bulwer-Lytton 1839).
Do non-human primates have communication, language, both, or neither? By definition, communication is the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information (Snowdon). Communication is very closely related to social behavior since they are both referring to the ways animals interact with each other (Quiatt and Reynolds 1993). Conversely, language is defined as a system of communication using sounds or gestures that are put together in meaningful ways according to a set of rules (Haviland et al. 2010). Non-human primates and human primates are similar in many ways, and communication is no exception. They both have various types of communication senses and styles. Human primate communication senses consist of sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. Non-human primates mainly understand the world through sight, but smell, taste, and hearing are important as well (Quiatt and Reynolds 1993). Human primates are capable of speaking a language, while non-human primates use different vocal calls to communicate. In essence, the difference is simple, human primates have language while non-human primates do not. Even though non-human primates do not have language, they do have communication.
9. Research on the language capabilities of apes clearly demonstrates that they have the capacity to:
Language is commonly held to be the province of humans, but other inhabitants of earth possess their own forms of communication. Birds, dolphins, and whales are some of those that have a language. Primates also use vocal communication with each other. Their utterances have varied uses and volumes, with each primate’s voice being distinct just as human voices are. These unique calls have given researchers insight into the social workings of primate groups. The very fact that primates have a language offers insight into the evolution of language and calls into question what the term human truly means.
In 1977 Irene Pepperberg, a recent graduate of Harvard University, did something very bold. At a time when animals still were considered automatons, she set out to find what was on another creature’s mind by talking to it. She brought a one-year-old African gray parrot she named Alex into her lab to teach him to reproduce the sounds of the English language. “I thought if he learned to communicate, I could ask him questions about how he sees the world.”
Language is used every day in life whether it’s written, through sign language, or spoken, and without the language concept it would be very hard to communicate with one another. Language is a key part in communication, and has been the main topic debated by many theorist and researchers. Over time there have been many theories developed about where language comes from and how it is developed. There have been many questions concerning language development, but the two main question are whether language is a natural born occurrence or if it is learned through reinforcement and teachings. One of these theories comes from a man named Noam Chomsky. Chomsky believed humans are biologically born being able to understand and learn language at a certain
Keegan (2010) says humans are not the only beings to respond to this kind of communication. An example: If you have a pet, especially a dog, it may follow directions and respond to hand and body movements more than your words. Dogs will even get confused if you say “sit” but give the hand ...
Animal Intelligence Intelligence is defined as the ability to acquire and apply knowledge. Psychologists have exploited this concept in many ways to try and determine whether non-human animals are capable of intelligence. From social learning it is logical to assume that, since non-human animals are able to both acquire and use new behaviours, they must be intelligent in some way. Heyes stated that there are 6 types of behaviour which suggest intelligence. These are imitation, self-recognition, social relationship formation, role-taking, deception and perspective taking.
There are three main theories of child language acquisition; Cognitive Theory, Imitation and Positive Reinforcement, and Innateness of Certain Linguistic Features (Linguistics 201). All three theories offer a substantial amount of proof and experiments, but none of them have been proven entirely correct. The search for how children acquire their native language in such a short period of time has been studied for many centuries. In a changing world, it is difficult to pinpoint any definite specifics of language because of the diversity and modification throughout thousands of millions of years.
"[H]uman knowledge is organized de facto by linguistic competence through language performance, and our exploration of reality is always mediated by language" (Danchin 29). Most higher vertebrates possess ‘intuitive knowledge’ which occurs as the result of slow evolution of species. However, the ability to create knowledge through language is unique to humans. According to Benjamin Whorf, "language…. is not merely a reproducing instrument from voicing ideas but rather is itself the shaper of ideas…. We dissect nature along lines laid down by language" (Joseph 249). In addition, the development and acquisition of language seems to be related to "complex sequential processing, and the ability to form concepts and to classify a single stimulus in a multiple manner" (Joseph 178). Antione Danchin suggests that the knowledge we create through language allows us distinguish ourselves from the rest of the world to produce models of reality, which become more and more adequate due to the "self-referent loop" which enables us to understand ourselves as objects under study. This "path from subject to object," which is common to all humans, Danchin claims, suggests the existence of a universal feature of language (29).
Babies begin to develop language skills long before they embark on speaking. The foundation for learning language begins before birth by the baby listening and recognizing his/her mother’s heartbeat and voice in the womb. “In a study, researchers played a 2-minute recording of a popular Chinese poem to 60 pregnant women and their unborn babies while monitoring total heart rates. Heart rates rose while the babies listened to their own mother's voice, but they fell and stayed lower while the stranger recited. Obviously, the babies were paying close attention, leading the researchers to suspect they were not only recognizing morn, but beginning to learn the ins and outs of language” (Dawidowska and Harrar (2003))....
Language acquisition is perhaps one of the most debated issues of human development. Various theories and approaches have emerged over the years to study and analyse this developmental process. One factor contributing to the differing theories is the debate between nature v’s nurture. A question commonly asked is: Do humans a...
Children’s acquisition of language has long been considered one of the uniquely defining characteristics of human behaviour.
Nearly every member of the human race learns a language or more to the degree of proficiency only in the first few years of life. How children achieve this astonishing skill in such little time sparks controversial debates among linguists, psychologists, and scientists throughout centuries. Some believe that language is an innate ability possessed by all human beings due to the remarkable function of the brain while others maintain that language is learned from childhood experience. However, many are beginning to realize that nature and nurture go hand-in-hand when explaining how children develop their language(s). Despite the claims that language is either pre-learned or environmentally learned alone, the combination of both genes