Why Can T Animals Learn Language
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Why Chimpanzees Can't Learn Language and Only Humans Can
Author: Herbert S. Terrace
language: en
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Release Date: 2019-10-01
In the 1970s, the behavioral psychologist Herbert S. Terrace led a remarkable experiment to see if a chimpanzee could be taught to use language. A young ape, named “Nim Chimpsky” in a nod to the linguist whose theories Terrace challenged, was raised by a family in New York and instructed in American Sign Language. Initially, Terrace thought that Nim could create sentences but later discovered that Nim’s teachers inadvertently cued his signing. Terrace concluded that Project Nim failed—not because Nim couldn’t create sentences but because he couldn’t even learn words. Language is a uniquely human quality, and attempting to find it in animals is wishful thinking at best. The failure of Project Nim meant we were no closer to understanding where language comes from. In this book, Terrace revisits Project Nim to offer a novel view of the origins of human language. In contrast to both Noam Chomsky and his critics, Terrace contends that words, as much as grammar, are the cornerstones of language. Retracing human evolution and developmental psychology, he shows that nonverbal interaction is the foundation of infant language acquisition, leading up to a child’s first words. By placing words and conversation before grammar, we can, for the first time, account for the evolutionary basis of language. Terrace argues that this theory explains Nim’s inability to acquire words and, more broadly, the differences between human and animal communication. Why Chimpanzees Can’t Learn Language and Only Humans Can is a masterful statement of the nature of language and what it means to be human.
Why Animals Talk
‘Wonderful . . . Endlessly interesting and beautifully written’ DAILY TELEGRAPH ‘Steady-headed and fun’ SUNDAY TIMES ‘Read this book and, I promise, you’ll never listen to animals in the same way again’ JESSICA PIERCE, author of Who’s a Good Dog? Why Animals Talk is a scientific journey through the untamed world of animal communication. From the majestic howls of wolves and the enchanting chatter of parrots to the melodic clicks of dolphins and the spirited grunts of chimpanzees, these diverse and seemingly bizarre expressions are far from mere noise. In fact, they hold secrets that we are just beginning to decipher. For example, wolves – just like humans – possess unique accents that distinguish their howls; gibbons have different alarm-calls for leopards and snakes, and sing romantic duets with their partners; and dolphins not only give themselves names but respond excitedly to recordings of the whistles of long-lost companions. Chapter by chapter and animal by animal, Kershenbaum draws on his extensive research and observations of animals in the wild to explain the science behind why animals are communicating. Also revealing profound insights into our own language and why it is different, In doing so, Why Animals Talks tells the comprehensive story of communication and how it works across the entire animal kingdom. ‘Quirky, insightful . . . based on a deep understanding of recent research’ TIM CLUTTON-BROCK, author of Meerkat Manor ‘A new look at a fascinating subject’ DESMOND MORRIS, author of The Naked Ape
Psycholinguistics
How do we learn to produce and comprehend speech? How does language relate to thought? This second edition of the successful text Psycholinguistics- Language, Mind and World considers the psychology of language as it relates to learning, mind and brain as well as various aspects of society and culture. Current issues and research topics are presented in an in-depth manner, although little or no specific knowledge of any topic is presupposed. The book is divided into four main parts: First Language Learning Second Language Learning Language, Mind and Brain Mental Grammar and Language Processing These four sections include chapters covering areas such as- deaf language education, first language acquisition and first language reading, second language acquisition, language teaching and the problems of bilingualism. Updated throughout, this new edition also considers and proposes new theories in psycholinguistics and linguistics, and introduces a new theory of grammar, Natural Grammar, which is the only current grammar that is based on the primacy of the psycholinguistic process of speech comprehension, derives speech production from that process. Written in an accessible and fluent style, Psycholinguistics- Language, Mind and World will be of interest to students, lecturers and researchers from linguistics, psychology, philosophy and second language teaching.