Week 2- human and animal language Flashcards
define communication
an exchange of information
define language
An artificially constructed, primarily formal system of signs and symbols including rules for the formation of admissible expressions and for their transformation
define speech
vocalisation
name Hockett’s 13 design features and define them
Vocal-auditory channel - Communicator speaks; receiving individual hears.
Broadcast transmission- Message goes out in all directions; receiver can tell what direction message comes from.
Rapid fading- Message is transitory and does not persist.
Interchangeability - Transmitters can become receivers, and vice versa; we can each repeat any message.
Total feedback- We hear all that we say.
Specialization - We communicate just for the purpose of communicating
Semanticity - Symbols used (phonemes, morphemes) have particular meanings.
Arbitrariness - Symbols are arbitrary: the work “loud” can be spoken softly; “whale” is a smaller word than “microorganism”;
Discreteness - Symbols are made by combining smaller symbols that differ discontinuously (e.g., “bin”, “pin”).
Duality of patterning - The smaller symbols (“p”, “t”) have no meaning of their own, and can be combined in various ways (“pit”, “tip”).
Displacement - You can talk about something not immediately present (at a distance, or in the past).
Productivity - Novel utterances can be made and understood.
Traditional transmission - Languages are socially learned (not genetic), and are passed down through generations.
How do bees communicate?
Dance routine- all moved have a fixed meaning
Finite set
Can’t be broken down (duality)
Not arbitrary
Although the bees have a rather sophisticated way of communicating, if you change one factor then they cannot adjust- unlike humans and language. We can deviate from the rules and create new words and meanings.
Discuss Gua
Chimp Gua (Kelloggs, 1933) Brought up as a child Learned to respond appropriately to 70 commands Never learned to utter a single word
Discuss Vicki Hayes
Chimp Vicki: Hayes (1947-1951) Brought up as a child Learned to respond appropriately to a number of instructions Uttered: Mama, papa, cup, up
Discuss how humans have evolved
Over time, humans have evolved and have learnt to walk bi-pedally (on our two legs), and are no longer required to walk on all fours. Humans have an extended L-shaped vocal tract, and a developed pharynx, that is strong and finely controlled. We have developed our facial muscles, as well as the muscles that stop us collapsing when we stand, and we have a flexible tongue that dependant on movement. Our teeth position has changed, and now that we stand upright we more eye movement and can see more than when we faced the ground.
Discuss Washoe
Washoe, 1966.
Bought up by linguists/ gardeners who taught her sign language, she never heard anyone talking so she was only ever exposed to signs. She was taught one sign at a time, for things that represent the here and now- she picked these up very quickly.
She began to combine words herself, such as ‘gimme tickle’ and ‘open food drink’. This is an example of spontaneous acquisition, something that children do all the time. She became more creative when she was taken out, for example using ‘water bird’ for a swan and ‘rock berry’ for a brazil nut.
Washoe showed signs of semanticty, creativity and displacement.
Discuss Nim Chimsky
Chimp
Nim Chimsky (Terrace 1979)
The first two way conversation between man and animal. He learned 125 signs and supposedly applied them to 200,000 utterances.
What are some issues surrounding teaching animals language?
Its very narrow minded of us to expect them to acquire our language.
We may simply not be able to understand their ways of communication, and they may not understand ours so it may not even be possibly that we could ever have a proper conversation with them.
Unnatural- although the chimps were never mistreated, some were taken from their families at a very young age or placed in isolation. It was clear that some of the animals were showing signs of depression and anxiety, which may have impacted on their ability to communicate.
After the labs closed down due to it being too expensive to maintain, a keeper went to visit a chimp that he had trained to do sign language 6 years later. The chimp instantly recognised him and began to sign, the keeper asked what he wanted and the chimp signed ‘key’.
