Preview

Language in Chimpanzees and Humans

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1557 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Language in Chimpanzees and Humans
Running head: LANGUAGE IN CHIMPANZEES AND HUMANS

Language in Chimpanzees and Humans Hadeel Gamal Moheb Faculty of Arts, English Department

LANGUAGE IN CHIMPANZEES AND HUMANS 1 Language in Chimpanzees and Humans Why is it hard for chimps to talk? If both humans and chimpanzees share the same genetic code, a chimp should not only have the ability to talk as fluent as a natural human being, but also have the ability to understand a human language. But it is unquestionable that no animal however well-trained can develop a language with the same scope of expression as a human being. On the other hand, no human however uneducated is incapable of acquiring the barest rudiments of a language. Experiments have been made to teach chimps human language, in attempts to either confirm or falsify Chomsky’s innate theory. It suggests that the acquisition of language requires a “language organ” which is only found in humans (Yule, 1985).

First of all a definition of language is needed to differentiate between the human language and other means of communication. Hillix and Rumbaugh (2004) wrote: Language is an agreed-upon system of signals that represent things, events, feelings, ideas, intentions, and actions on the environment or on other organism. The signals must symbolize something beyond themselves and fulfill a useful (pragmatic) function by coordinating the activities of organisms. The meanings of the signals comprising a language are shared, at least in part, by the individual in the group using the language (p. 21).
This definition excludes meaningless imitations of human speech sounds such as those produced by some kinds of parrots. Same is the case “when young chimpanzees produce

LANGUAGE IN CHIMPANZEES AND HUMANS 2

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    • Language – it is a way of communicating in a pre-structured, systematic, rule directed manner using speech, with conventional meanings understood by masses of people. It contains rules on how to understand and make up words, how to structure words together to make up a meaningful sentence verbally, in written form or signed, how to use sentences to make up stories, conversations and other texts, and how to use symbols, gestures and sounds. Language can be used without speech, such as in Sign language, or the use of body language to convey messages understood in various languages (such as a wave for “Hello” or “Goodbye”).…

    • 400 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Language is defined as the system of linguistic signs or symbols considered in the abstract. Language is purely a human concept. Though it is used by many animals on the planet, no other animal uses language to the extent or complexity as humans do. This is in part to the larger brain size of humans as opposed to animals. Our closest animal relative, the chimpanzee, has a brain size of around 400cc, while humans have a brain that weighs around 1300cc. This larger brain, as allowed humans to use language more efficiently to achieve its goals. With the development of language rose the characteristics that make us human: self-awareness, higher emotion, and personal memory.…

    • 1454 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Muted Group Theory Essay

    • 744 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Merriam Webster dictionary defines language as “communication with words: the human use of spoken or written words as a communication system. This definition is adequate but does not capture how language shapes and defines our reality. Language is our means of classifying our world.…

    • 744 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    For many years, numerous individuals including anthropologists have attempted to explain how a single species evolved into another. From the time of Charles Darwin to Creationism, anthropologists have established that chimpanzees are human’s closet relative. Furthermore, with the extensive voluminous amount of information, not only are chimpanzees genetically and evolutionary similar to human but share analogous traits. For instance, chimpanzees like human make and utilized tools in various techniques. Another trait shared is eutheria, where offspring depend on the placenta and grown internally of their paternities. In addition to the highly mobile digits that assist chimpanzees in grasping and climbing. These illustrations are just a few. This paper is twofold; to highlight humans and chimpanzees shared traits that can aid in recreating the past of humans, secondly to heighten my knowledge of the evolution of humankind and chimpanzees.…

    • 1804 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Chimpanzee and Animals

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages

    One example that shows how animals do not have the capacity to communicate was by Jane Goodall, who raised a chimp named Lucy. After a while of training, she returned Lucy to Africa. She was able to sign, “Please help, out,” but Goodall does not consider this conclusive that the chimpanzee can use language in spontaneous communication, as all humans do. She believes the ability to communicate, separated from events, is the major distinction between humans and apes.…

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Personhood for Primates

    • 2464 Words
    • 10 Pages

    "Primate Language Ability (sidebar)." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 19 Jan. 2001. Web. 2 Dec. 2011. .…

    • 2464 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Unit 068

    • 1959 Words
    • 8 Pages

    * Language- Is a way in which you communicate with words or set of symbols that can be spoken, written or signed.…

    • 1959 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Language can be defined as being made up of socially shared rules that include the following:…

    • 360 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    So an important thing to distinguish when examining ability of non-human primates with communication or language is the actual defined difference between language and communication, and exactly where the definite line of distinction might be separating the two, if there even is a line to be considered when looking at so many different animals. Non-human primates have been studied and observed for both communication and language capabilities and distinction is often necessary to understand what has been discovered and what can be discovered. Many researchers of non-human primates argue that they cannot and do not have the capability of language, while others believe that non-human primates do have language, or can be taught forms of language by humans. Some researchers, that believe that non-human primates do have language or can be taught language, realize that it may not be the same level of complexity as that of human language as a whole but that it is a simple but true language form nonetheless. The reality is the definition of language and communication are what truly can determine if research can show non-human primates having language and or the ability of learning human language when trained, so each research can have potentially a different…

    • 427 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    EAT1/2 Task 1 602.8-.3

    • 1221 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Language can be defined as a means of communication through spoken sounds, written symbols, or hand and body gestures. Subject to this simple definition language is neither human nor animal exclusive, meaning that all living creatures use some form of language to communicate. Humans have created the most advanced system of language. Human language has advanced to include listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and visual representation. These components are known as the six language arts and while they are individual components they are as well interdependent. What you learn about one affects what and how you learn about the others.…

    • 1221 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Nonhuman Primates

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages

    If you were to look at an ape right now, you would find an ongoing list of both similarities and differences they have with humans. Besides the obvious similarities and differences, apes and our nonhuman primates are just like us in so many extraordinary ways. However, there are various skills and abilities we possess that they don’t, and vice versa. Moreover, for the past fifty years anthropologists, scholars and researchers, such as Penny Patterson, have been studying our nonhuman primate’s behaviors, and as expected, they have been arguing about the differences and similarities they have to humans. As many people would say, humans and primates do have similar body features and anatomy. However, something they do not possess, like us humans do, is the ability to speak an elaborate verbal language. After extensive research, scholars and anthropologists eventually determined that they could communicate with them not by speaking, but by using ASL (American Sign Language), testing the theory that they could not use language.…

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    ‘A simple definition’ of language ‘might be that it is “a system of symbols and rules that enable us to communicate” and that ‘words, either written or spoken are symbols’ and ‘rules specify how words are ordered to form sentences’ (Harley, 2008, pg.5). However this can be debated and as a result ‘many linguists think that providing a formal definition of language is a waste of time’ (Harley, 2008, pg5). ‘There is no human society that does not have a fully developed language; being human and being a language user go hand in hand’…

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Language can be defined as being made up of socially shared rules that include the following:…

    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A language is a system for communicating ideas and feelings using sounds, conventional symbols, signs or marks. Any means of communicating ideas, specifically, human speech, and the expression of ideas by the voice and sounds and the written and spoken methods of combining words to create meaning used by a particular group of people. It is the code we all use to express ourselves and communicate to others..…

    • 376 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    (1) For years, scientists have attempted to teach animals to communicate, but for the most part, their efforts have failed. (2) In the 1950s, psychologists failed to teach a chimpanzee to speak, for the ape was able to grunt only a few words. (3) In the 1960s, however, a chimp named Washoe learned the sign language of the deaf. (4) Washoe came to understand hundreds of words, and he used them to communicate and express original ideas. (5) As it turns out, the great apes have the capacity to learn language, but they cannot speak. (6) This research proved that humans are not the only animals capable of using language; however, they are the most sophisticated users of…

    • 119 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays