HOW AND WHEN IS LANGUAGE POSSIBLE? Chapter 8

HOW AND WHEN IS LANGUAGE POSSIBLE?Chapter 8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICng-KRxXJ8

INTRODUCTION

Pig Latin: Happy = appyh + ay = appyhay Awesome = Awesome +way =

Awesomeway Who uses pig latin? What age group? This is a helpful way for children to

explore their language and become better at their language

HOW IS LANGUAGE POSSIBLE?

There is little agreement on this 1. There is no ethical way to experiment

on how children learn language 2. Language did not preserve itself in the

fossil record

THEORIES ABOUT LANGUAGE BEGINNINGS

In the 1700s and 1800s there were tons of theories, including that language began: By imitating animal calls By expressing pain By working together

These are all speculative and cannot be tested Need to look at biology, culture, and the fossil

record

TWO APPROACHES

Innateness Vs Evolution

TWO APPROACHES

Innateness: Language is specific human ability Once, developed, it is part of the brain Universal grammar Children really just acquire language Who does this sound like?

TWO APPROACHES

Chomsky Prescriptivist

TWO APPROACHES

Evolution: Linguistic anthropologists do not agree

with innateness Language is completely intertwined with

culture You have to study context in order to

understand language Who does this sound like?

TWO APPROACHES

Hymes Descriptivist

"There are rules of use without which the rules of grammar will be useless"?

DEFINING LANGUAGE

How is language different from communication? Communication is sending and receiving signals

Humans and animals Limited information Example: Vervet monkeys have different calls

for a leopard, an eagle, or a snake Language is transmitting a limitless amount of

information in a variety of ways

DESIGN FEATURES OF LANGUAGE

Charles Hockett (1916-2000) created the design features of language, which are 13 ways human language can be distinguished from animal communication.

We will discuss the first 9, which can also be used by animals, and then discuss the last 4, which are more unique to humans

These all also apply to sign language

DESIGN FEATURES OF LANGUAGE 1. vocal-auditory channel

Main transmission is spoken Orality

2. broadcast transmission and directional reception Sounds are sent out in all directions but you can tell

where they come from 3. rapid fading

Signals don’t last long Once you hear them your brain almost immediately

forgets them


4. Interchangeability Speaker can send and receive the same signal

5. total feedback Speakers can hear themselves talk and monitor

what they say 6. Specialization

Language sounds are specialized for communication

We don’t really make any sounds that do not communicate information


7. Semanticity Specific sound signals have specific meanings Different sounds provoke different reactions

8. Arbitrariness There is no necessary or causal connection between

a signal and its meaning A signal can refer to anything

9. Discreteness Units used for communication can be separated into

distinct parts


The last 4 features are thought to be unique to humans, but there are some primate examples that contradict this


10. Displacement You can talk about things not present, or things that

don’t exist I have spoken ASL with chimps that can do this

11. Productivity Allows you to produce new types of language

(sounds, words, phrases) Poetry, song lyrics Washoe the chimp (“sour banana,” “water bird,”

“sweet drink”)


12. Transitional transmission Language is learned in social groups Appropriateness is also learned in social settings Washoe taught Loulis ASL

13. Duality of patterning Discrete units of one level can be combined to create

things at another level The sounds for k, a, t, and s can create cat, act, tack,

cast, task, etc. OK, this one is only human

HANDOUT

Read over the handout on the design features and create one example for each category

PRIMATES!!!

Some researchers say that primates can’t really learn language, but I disagree

Apes cannot speak because of anatomical limitations

But they can learn human languages

PRIMATES!!!

Washoe (chimp) knew ASL Koko (gorilla) knows ASL Kanzi (bonobo) knows spoken English and

lexigrams (picture words) Kanzi learned English from being in social setting

with humans

More on this in a bit

HOW CHILDREN LEARN LANGUAGE At 3 days old, can distinguish mother’s

voice At three months, coo and laugh At six months make vowel and consonant

sounds At one year, name things At 18 months, make sentences

HOW CHILDREN LEARN LANGUAGE How do they learn? Three theories:

Innatist Behaviorist Theory Theory

HOW CHILDREN LEARN LANGUAGE Innatist:

Language is hardwired into brain Core or universal grammar What linguist would agree with this?

HOW CHILDREN LEARN LANGUAGE Behaviorist:

Children must hear language from others to understand how to use it

They must receive guidance There is a critical age by which language

must be learned

HOW CHILDREN LEARN LANGUAGE Theory Theory:

AKA Active Construction of Grammar Theory Children observe and interact with their

environment to learn language It is about understanding language in context What linguist would agree with this? This is similar to how anthropologists learn

language in the field

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-B_ONJIEcE Minute 24

WHEN IS LANGUAGE POSSIBLE

Looking at the Brain: There are over 1 trillion cells in the brain and

100 billion are neurons in the cortex This is the oldest part of the brain Controls memory and emotions

The younger part of the brain is the neocortex Contains frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital

lobes Controls language




The brain is divided into a right and left hemisphere

Each controls the opposite side of the body Two areas of importance:

Broca’s Area Wernicke’s Area


Broca’s Area: In frontal region of left hemisphere Affects clarity of speech Someone with damage would understand

what is said to them but not be able to say things back clearly


Wenicke’s Area:

Temporal lobe of left hemisphere People with damage have difficulty

understanding spoken language They can pronounce words clearly but cannot

put them in the correct order

EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGE

Human and non-human primate line split 10-13 million years ago (mya)

Chimpanzees and humans split 5 million years ago

During human evolution, we began walking bipedally (on two legs) millions of years before we had big brains or language

Language did not evolve until about 2 mya


A group of human ancestors called the Australopithecines are the first to have a brain that is shaped somewhat human-like

Example: “Lucy” However, we did not see tool use and possible

communication until Homo habilis

LUCY (3 MYA)

HOMO HABILIS (2 MYA)


We can tell if fossil ancestors spoke because of looking at development of Broca’s area and the position of the larynx (where voice box is)


Human ancestors, the Neanderthals, had language very similar to our own

They had huge brains (1700cc compared to human’s 1400cc)

The position of their hyoid bone (where voice box is) is in same place as in humans


Any ancestor that made complex weapons and tools, and who hunted would need vocal communication

Video clips: Steven Pinker “Language as a Window into

the Brain” Minute 24 “Neanderthals: Human Extinction” Minute 31-35

Documents

HOW AND WHEN IS LANGUAGE POSSIBLE? Chapter 8