why language is human specific.ppt

Why language is human specific? The claim that language is human specific implies that there are certain characteristics of human language that are not found in the communication systems of any other species. Although most animals are assumed to communicate in some way, they convey limited information and only express emotions such as fear and warnings. linguists have done a lot trying to teach animals such as chimpanzees to speak a human language but have achieved nothing inspiring. Gua was a chimpanzee raised as though it were a human child by prof. and Mrs. Kellogg alongside their son Donald. In tests Gua often tested ahead of Donald in reading and understanding. The parting difference came with language. Donald was about 16 months and Gua was a little over a year old when they had language testing. Gua could not speak, but Donald could form words.. Washoe, a female chimpanzee, was brought up like a human child by Beatnice and Alan Gardner. She was taught “American sign Language”, and learned a little that made the teachers happy but did mot make the linguistics circle happy, for few believed in teaching chimpanzees. First, language has the ability to refer to things far removed in time and space. However, most animals have a fixed number of signals which convey a set number of messages and are sent in clearly definable circumstances. Second, humans have the ability to produce and understand an indefinite number of novel utterances. Some linguists call this property of language creativity, but others call it openness or productivity. Third, learning is much important as a factor in human language than in animal communication, human languages have very much in common, but they differ from one other on many specific points. Forth, language is complex in its structure. Human language structure and language use are vastly more complex than any known animal com