Rumbaugh (1980) and Goodall (1964) argue that there is a very good reason why animals cannot learn to talk as human beings do, that is, use words to express ideas. Most of the intelligent things animals do is a result of inheriting certain patterns of behaviour. This works in Special situations, but when you change the situation the animal usually does not know how to deal with it. The other reason animals behave “intelligently” is that they go through a trial-and-error method of learning. Neither of these two ways of “thinking” can ever lead to talking. Talking means the use of words as symbols. The word stands for an idea or a thing it is a symbol of it. And animals do not have the ability to deal with symbols. Their minds cannot use combinations of symbols the same way human beings do. When we study how a child learns to say “Mama”, we can see how complicated learning to talk really is. First the baby learns to recognize mother by seeing her again and again. As soon as the child recognizes her, the mother keeps pointing to herself and saying “Mama” at the same time. Gradually the infant hears the sound “Mama”. After a while, the baby remembers this sound, and now it understands the word “Mama”. Later on, the child makes a connection between the appearance of mother and the sound “Mama”, and it identifies her. Now the mother shows the child how to say the word with its mouth, The baby imitates her and reaches the stage of word formation. It keeps on trying to say the word until certain muscles begin to work. Finally the day comes when everything is ready for talking. The baby sees the mother, recognizes her, remembers the word, forms the word, starts the right muscles working, and says “Mama” and the language develop that way, (Herman & Forestell, 1985).
However, Language since the time it was invented, there is no existing record to date back the origin of language and has always been considered a unique human trait that sets us apart from the rest of the species. The majority of people have considered the word “language” as a mere shorthand for human language, or more explicitly “adult human language. However, there has been a popular, a rather radical disagreement about the specificity of language. Quite a number of researchers and scholars have conducted experiments and studies to prove or disapprove the much contested debate on language. One would present several arguments that would support the Orthodox belief that language is one of the main hallmarks that distinguishes humans from animals.
However, Language since the time it was invented, there is no existing record to date back the origin of language and has always been considered a unique human trait that sets us apart from the rest of the species. The majority of people have considered the word “language” as a mere shorthand for human language, or more explicitly “adult human language. However, there has been a popular, a rather radical disagreement about the specificity of language. Quite a number of researchers and scholars have conducted experiments and studies to prove or disapprove the much contested debate on language. One would present several arguments that would support the Orthodox belief that language is one of the main hallmarks that distinguishes humans from animals.
If language is defined as “a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used by an individual or a group to interact and communicate,” it is clear that the human language has a lot of features or several properties of language that generally cannot be found in animal communication. First is arbitrariness, if language therefore is arbitrary, as popularly explained by Saussure, there is no connection between the linguistic form and the meaning. Almost all the words we used do not posses an obvious relationship between their sound/sign and their meaning except perhaps for onomatopoeic expressions. Let us take for example the word phone. There is nothing “phony” about a phone. Several research observations proved that non human communication system is quite different from human language. The latter is undeniably infinite while the former is limited to a series of sounds or movements that convey a target meaning. The sounds they make could mean that they sense danger, hunger, or for the purpose of attracting the opposite sex as a possible mate. On the contrary, human language has no limit to the number of expressions or words and even until now in our modern era, humans are continually inventing and reinventing the way they communicate, (Herman & Forestell, 1985).
As mentioned above, language is a series of vocal symbols. In the history of humankind, we are probably the only specie that spends most of its time talking. Though we cannot deny the existence of vocal communication among animals, it is but important to note that there is no more complex and composite as the human vocal symbols. Compared to animals, there exists a variation and inflection on the way we speak. Alterations are made depending on the situation or feeling of the speaker, (Herman & Forestell, 1985). We can modulate, change the tone or pitch, even the speed to suit our particular whim at a particular period or time. How about the animals that were claimed to have successfully learned not only to randomly imitate the exact sound of a human language but also to associate it with the corresponding meaning? Well, these experiments had been done in a uniform method that is “iteration” which involves repeating an action or object an arbitrary number of times. Classic example would be teaching a parrot to say “magandang umaga” everytime you open the door. It’s just as good as a simple conditioning (Pavlov: dogs salivating at the sound of the bell). The question is do they understand what they’re doing? Those animals (usually chimpz) that were able to develop or acquire such vocal skills are nonetheless special cases. However, comparing them to the development of a human child, it is quite apparent that human has the more innate ability to naturally acquire the faculty of language in or out of a controlled environment (Herman & Forestell, 1985).
As mentioned above, language is a series of vocal symbols. In the history of humankind, we are probably the only specie that spends most of its time talking. Though we cannot deny the existence of vocal communication among animals, it is but important to note that there is no more complex and composite as the human vocal symbols. Compared to animals, there exists a variation and inflection on the way we speak. Alterations are made depending on the situation or feeling of the speaker, (Herman & Forestell, 1985). We can modulate, change the tone or pitch, even the speed to suit our particular whim at a particular period or time. How about the animals that were claimed to have successfully learned not only to randomly imitate the exact sound of a human language but also to associate it with the corresponding meaning? Well, these experiments had been done in a uniform method that is “iteration” which involves repeating an action or object an arbitrary number of times. Classic example would be teaching a parrot to say “magandang umaga” everytime you open the door. It’s just as good as a simple conditioning (Pavlov: dogs salivating at the sound of the bell). The question is do they understand what they’re doing? Those animals (usually chimpz) that were able to develop or acquire such vocal skills are nonetheless special cases. However, comparing them to the development of a human child, it is quite apparent that human has the more innate ability to naturally acquire the faculty of language in or out of a controlled environment (Herman & Forestell, 1985).
Language for us is a means to effectively communicate and interact in our individual speech community. This is one trait that is analogous to most animal communities. Animals have displayed certain behaviors that are for the sole purpose of conveying messages or symbols to the other members of their pack, thus enabling them to survive. But this doesn’t prove that they have the ability to expand upon the grammatical rule in general sense or fully understand the changes in the meaning of the words. Humans are gifted with a unique imagination, manifesting itself even in language wherein we continually create new expressions (slang) and even hypothetical concepts (Santa Clause, Superman and the likes) which is absent in animals. This further proves that humans have a more conscious control over their faculty of language. It is conclusively more than a tool used for survival. Human language has and is constantly flowing and evolving parallel to the evolution of man.
There are many other arguments that would further support this views on the specificity of language to humans. However, I have just limited my points around the given and acknowledged meaning of language which I think is the most fundamental basis at which we can distinguish the big difference of human language and animal communication. It seems very unlikely for another species to learn or interpret signals or symbols of another (I have not yet heard of a chicken able to talk in “mutton”). I must say that the attention being given to the analysis of animal communication to classify it as a “true language” is but a biased effort of a number of researchers and an over interpretation of the similarities and shared pre-linguistic ability between some animals and humans.
In conclusion, it is clear that over a few million years the concept of communication has evolved to such a specific state that we now posses the ability to intelligently speak and interpret thoughts and feelings as well as manipulate the thoughts and feelings of others through words. Language is a service possessed only by human beings. Its purpose however, that of communication, is an activity in which all species engage. In some way, all creatures communicate, not by words or facial expressions, but in their own way these creatures convey their desires and emotions to other members of their species. The type of communication facilitated is species specific, such as language to humans and sonar to dolphins. Many people may not relate the concept of human language to animals but it is merely a qualitative difference between the two species. Evolutions do not result out of nothing, therefore human language had to evolve from some concept of communication. All species communicate but humans are the only species to do so through language. Creole languages form an unusually direct expression of a species specific biological characteristic, a capacity to recreate language in the absence of any specific model from which the properties of language could be ‘learned’ in the ways we normally learn things.
In conclusion, it is clear that over a few million years the concept of communication has evolved to such a specific state that we now posses the ability to intelligently speak and interpret thoughts and feelings as well as manipulate the thoughts and feelings of others through words. Language is a service possessed only by human beings. Its purpose however, that of communication, is an activity in which all species engage. In some way, all creatures communicate, not by words or facial expressions, but in their own way these creatures convey their desires and emotions to other members of their species. The type of communication facilitated is species specific, such as language to humans and sonar to dolphins. Many people may not relate the concept of human language to animals but it is merely a qualitative difference between the two species. Evolutions do not result out of nothing, therefore human language had to evolve from some concept of communication. All species communicate but humans are the only species to do so through language. Creole languages form an unusually direct expression of a species specific biological characteristic, a capacity to recreate language in the absence of any specific model from which the properties of language could be ‘learned’ in the ways we normally learn things.
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