How do we acquire language? Is it embedded into our DNA as humans from the time we are born? Or maybe we entirely learn from the people around us?
http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/linguistics/learn.jsp
^^ Visiting this website supports my view in the debate of how humans acquire language. I personally believe, yes, maybe language is somewhat embedded into our DNA, but I more firmly believe that language comes with experience. Growing up with speaking parents obviously teaches children to do the same. Speaking and communicating with others comes with watching your family members and friends throughout the years, and acquiring the same grammar and rules. Plus, language comes with continuous practice.
The best explanation as to why I think language predominantly comes from experience is from learning about the "Wild Boy" that we saw in one of the movies from class. This boy had lived the majority of his life naked in the forest. He had no communication or contact with any other humans and had to survive in the forest by himself until one day he came crawling out onto human land. He obviously did not know how to speak. Why was this the case? He had never personally experienced or heard the language. He had no examples from any family; he had no guide. Never was language apart of his life.
As people tried to work with him and help him develop his language, they could only do so much. He could say simple words and understand them, but was never able to put full sentences together. How is it that somebody who supposedly has language "embedded" into their DNA not able to learn and speak language like anybody else? It was because he never had a hands-on experience learning from other humans just like the rest of us had.
I agree with what you have said. I believe the brain is set up to accept language by the one who created it (More concretely, I believe that the brain’s miraculous design is too perfect to be attributable to anything but God as a creator, as the Bible teaches.) Humans were equipped with the mechanisms for speech from the beginning. Just as he exposed the first people to language, he knew that they would do the same to their offspring naturally. So, yes, I believe he gave the most important steps toward language acquisition by making the brain totally capable of it and left it to the people to do the other 10% of teaching and learning the language of their culture to the generations thereafter. It is also interesting how the Bible says that for a period in history the human race spoke only one common language in Genesis 11:1 and explains why that changed, just as a side note.
ReplyDeleteI have the same point of view about this topic. I would think that language could be embedded into our DNA somehow, but I also strongly believe that if there is not experiences, practice or other people around them, the person will never acquire language. It requires practice, the person might have the trait embedded into his/her DNA but will never developed if not exposed to the language.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your viewpoint on language coming from DNA and a learning process. The website supports this view and I also have this belief from the wild boy video. The wild boy seemed like he had it in him to perform the task of language, he just did not know what to do. I guess it is like a bird which has wings to fly, but has to be taught to.
ReplyDeleteI do think DNA plays a big roll on kids acquired language yet kids acquired language by imitating adults.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Just because we are born with ability to acquire language does not mean that this is not triggered by the people who surround us. We need that trigger to assist in the language growth; without this trigger we may not even know we have this innate ability. Hmmmm, so what else do we have the ability to do that we are just not aware of yet?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Becca. I feel that language is a small part DNA and a huge part exposure. If it weren't for our parents and teachers speaking a language to us as children, we would never have a drive to speak a language.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your theory, but I have to point out that yes we are born with the ability to learn languages in our DNA like you said. ANd obviously children can make sounds and noises that start working out their verbal skills. But we do not have "rules" for a language placed in our DNA. I believe that since the Wild Boy was never exposed to the rules of the language he was made to learn later in life it was to late. Language in DNA: Yes, Rules of Language in DNA: No (I like your theory)
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