Using the three properties of a language, explain to what extent gestural languages possess these properties; and then, describe which of these properties have been shown in the communication patterns of other animals, including animals in the wild and the chimpanzees used in animal communication studies

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer will include that a true language must provide symbols that stand for objects and ideas, that it must have a grammar, or set of rules for making sounds into words and words into sentences; and that a true language must be productive, that is, it must generate new thoughts or ideas. Contrary to common belief, language is not limited to speech. American Sign Language (ASL), is a gestural language, not pantomime or a code. It is a true language, like German, Spanish, or Japanese. In fact, those who use other gestural languages, such as French Sign, Chinese Sign, or Old Kentish Sign, do not understand ASL. ASL has a spatial grammar, syntax, and semantics all of their own with both speech and signing following similar universal language patterns. Signing children pass through the stages of language development at about the same age as speaking children do. Thus, gestural languages have spatial symbols, have their own spatial grammar, and are productive, since new thoughts and ideas are generated. Some psychologists now believe that speech evolved from gestures, far back in human and primate history. Gestures help us string words together as we speak. In fact, the same brain areas become more active when a person speaks or signs. Animals do communicate, but communication and real language are two different things. The cries, gestures, and mating calls of animals have broad meanings that are immediately understood by other animals of the same species. For the most part, however, natural animal communication is quite limited. Even apes and monkeys make only a few dozen distinct cries, which carry messages such as "attack," "flee," or "food here.". More important, animal communication lacks the productive quality of human language. To this point, numerous chimps and gorillas, as well as an assortment of dolphins, sea lions, and parrots, have been taught to communicate with word symbols of various kinds. The "champion" is probably a pygmy chimpanzee named Kanzi. Since the 1980s, Duane Rumbaugh and Sue Savage-Rumbaugh have been teaching Kanzi to communicate by pushing buttons on a computer keyboard. Each of the 250 buttons is marked with a lexigram, or geometric word-symbol. Some of the lexigrams Kanzi knows are quite abstract, like symbols for "bad" and "good.". Using the lexigrams, Kanzi can create primitive sentences several words long. He can also understand about 650 spoken sentences. Kanzi's sentences consistently follow correct word order. Like a child learning language, Kanzi picked up some rules from his caregivers through observational learning and has developed other patterns on his own. For example, Kanzi usually places action symbols in the order he wants to carry them out, such as "chase tickle" or "chase hide.". In these respects, Kanzi's vocabulary and ability to invent a simple grammar are on a par with human two-year-olds. After around 30 years of training, Kanzi's language use is certainly noteworthy and may yet help us better understand the roots of human language. On the other hand, as Chomsky insists, if chimps were biologically capable of language, they would use it on their own rather than have to be trained.