benja burns

I was looking on creationscience.com and there was an article about how children only learn language from other humans and that children kept out of human contact didn't develop their own languages, therefore, people didn't just start to speak. That would imply that the first humans had a language ability "endowed" on them. Now, I would think that if a child was kept out of human contact, found something like a rock for instance, that once that child was old enough to speak it would come up with a name for that rock. That would eventually lead to a language, probably a very underdeveloped language, but a language nonetheless.

Chuck

Not necessarily. Children who are kept isolated for a long period of time generally do have a very hard time with language, and are often unable to learn syntax and semantics.

But a child kept out of human contact wouldn't necessarily produce language. Think about it; if the child in question is kept out of human contact, why would he/she need a name for 'rock.' Language is a tool for communication; if a child has no one with whom to communicate, then there's no reason to assemble the arbitrary set of sounds symbols that make up a language.

creationscience.com is also bunk (surprise, surprise). Humans didn't just wake up one day and start talking; the evolution of language and advanced communication was very slow and gradual. Steven Pinker's The Language Instinct and Derek Bickerton's Language and Species do a good job of examining the evolutionary roots of language.

Bright Life

Actually...

There was a story on NPR just the other day about a group of deaf Nicaraguan children who invented their on form of sign language. They had previously learned no way to communicate with each other, as no one knew any sign language. They have created ther own version, with an unique syntax and grammatical structure.


Listen here.

Chuck

There was another example of "spontaneous" language creation during the 1970s. Two twins in San Diego created their own language - it had a few characteristics of German (their gradmother, who spoke only German, cared for them during the day) and many idiosyncratic features. In both of these instances, there is a need for communication and there is someone with whom to communicate. Two things necessary for language to develop.

A little more info on Poto and Cabengo

Chris Weimer

yeah, but technically that's not total isolation of each individual child. Language would develop in communities of people, including deaf, even if no one taught them a language because the need to communicate is there. Similarily, Tarzan could speak with apes. :P