Language is defined as "any nonverbal method of communication or expression." In my opinion, animals do have language. Although the articles state substancial and factual elements to both arguements, I believe that the arguements supporting animal language are stronger as well as logical. The statement "In short, using various methods of communication, different chimpanzees and an occasional gorilla have managed to communicate at about the level of a somewhat slow four-year-old child" accuratley portrays the fact that although language is possible in animals, it is not near the level of humans. I think that animals do have a language that they use to communicate but it is significantly diverse from that of humans.
I agree with your point. I like your statement:"Animals do have a language that they use to communicate but it is significantly diverse from that of humans."
human language is significantly diverse compared to animal language and in my opinion, is more complicated. I agree that animals have the capability to learn a language, it isn't near the level of humans.
In my opinion, language is a really big concept to apply to animals. I do believe animals can communicate from one to another. As they stated in the article: "A blue-jay "talks" to other birds when it warns them of a cat". However, even though they do have a language among them, I don't think they have the capacity to learn human languages. I agree with the statement: "No teacher has bothered to record all the nonsense combinations produced by an ape, but every lucky hit is sure to be reinforced by cues of approval, and to go into a teacher's records, reports, books, and lectures.", I think that point is really important, because it would help us to compare the times the animals are successful with the times they are wrong, and we could actually evaluate if the signs are random or not.
I liked your point that animals can communicate but you "don't think they have the capacity to learn human languages." I totally agree with that. Also, it would be great if it could be evaluated if the signs are random or not.
Your points are all valid. I really appreciated your statement, "...it would help is to compare the times the animals are successful with the times they are wrong, and we could actually evaluate if the signs are random or not" because I, too, am a bit unhappy with the lack of opposing information to compare with the current information. Thanks for sharing!
Every one of us have related this "language" to the human language. We cannot say that language is a big concept to apply to animals because they have their own means of communication. I also mentioned that the constant repetition to teach an animal signs or language is never mentioned even though it is only logical.
Do animals have language? In my opinion, yes they do. Whether or not people want to realize it, animals are always communicating. Just because we can't typically understand what they are saying, they are always talking to one another... Language is defined as a type of communication using symbols, sounds, gestures... Different spices have their own language. In the article when it was talking about the chimpanzee not being able to communicate like humans shouldn't be classified as not having a language.
I think you make a very valid point that just because the chmpanzee does not communicate in the same manner as humans does not mean they do not have their own form of language. Also, I like how you defined language to help present your view point.
I think you gave a really valid point, Taylor. "In the article when it was talking about the chimpanzee not being able to communicate like humans shouldn't be classified as not having a language.", I agree with that and I also believe that language is a much bigger concept than be able to talk as a human being too.
I agree with your point: "In the article, when it was talking about the chimpanzee not being able to communicate like humans, shouldn't be classified as not having a language." An Animal's language is not comparable to human language and I am glad you brought that point to the table. Thanks!
I agree with you Tay! I like how you say "whether or not people realize it, animals are always communicating. Just because we can't typically understand what they are saying, they are always talking to one another." That statement is very true because even as humans if people are talking in a different language and we can't understand them, they are speaking their language and are talking to one another.
I think that animals use language just they don't use it the same way that us humans use. Humans mostly use words to talk to one another, while animals use more basic language skills, like an ape grunting to another one of his ape friends to tell him that he did good climbing that tree. Since language is described as "any nonverbal method of communication or expression" it means that if a beaver slaps his tail against the water to warn his fellow beaver friends that someone wants to shoot them, then that it language. The difference is that people use a much more complicated language that isn't based off of Instincts.
I agree that animals use a language different than humans. I also agree that animal language is based off of instincts because everything animals do, they usually do to survive.
I agree with your statement that "while animals use more basic language skills", it might not be words that their using but their sounds are their language and way of communicating!
Animals are, obviously, at a very different level than humans. If animals could speak, their language would not be as complex and would be in a completely different form than our language. All of the examples in the article seem a little bit skewed. Only the good parts of the experiments are told, which is very suspicious. I am sure that animals have their own language, but I am positive that their form of communication is nothing we will ever be able to understand or respond to. Also, the article refers to the fact that, “Ninety percent of [a chimpanzee’s] signing was in response to gestures by teachers.” This fact, to me, signifies that animals do not really have language in the way we refer to language, but rather they imitate what they see and hear during the experiments to please the humans teaching them. Yes, some animals have “managed to communicate at about the level of a somewhat slow four-year-old child,” but that communication was limited and also based on a high level of coaxing by teachers. I believe that animals communicate with themselves, and that their language is real, but I also believe that their language is completely different from what we consider to be language.
Respectfuly I have to disagree, what if animals have an even more elaborate way to speak to each other than we do? I feel that without further research there is no way to say that " If animals could speak, their language would not be as complex and would be in a completely different form than our language." I believe you should make that a sentence that could very in answer because there is every chance that the animals are more advanced than us and we just can't understand that yet.
Most animals will have a language, but it is extrememly difficult to learn a different kind of language. Not as in spanish or german, but a kind of language that animals use. Cats and dogs have a language. Cats start to hiss and the hair on their backs stand up when they feel threatened or scared. A pack of wolves need to have a language because if they didn't, they wouldn't succeed as well as they do. They must have some strategy to get their prey. People have tried to teach chimpanzees sign language and use certain symbols. The chimpanzees learned over 100 different words/symbols/signs, but they never completely learned sign language. Learning a different kind of language would be difficult. Even if you had the mindset that you wanted to learn, you couldn't ask questions because the 'thing' teaching you doesn't know your language.
I think you bring up some good points. Especially the wolves communicating in their pack and the fact that humans don't know how to speak chimpanzee, which makes it extremely difficult for the animal to learn from humans.
I definately agree with you that the wolves need to have language to successfully kill their prey, makes total sense, i also agree that it is hard for humans to learn to speak dog or cat.
I agree that animals have a different language than people do and I don't think that we will ever be able to know what they are trying to communicating.
Do animals have language? In my opinion I believe that they do have language. Their language is not in any way the same way as ours, but they understand their own as we understand our own. Communication is symbols, sounds, actions and things like that, so how a cat or a dog or a human uses these different types of communication is totally different from each other. Not all communication is verbal, a lot of animals use nonverbal communication. Because of all of this, animals have their own language and animals have their own langauge, and we may not ever be able to understand thiers and they may not ever be able to understand ours.
Bringing up that, "not all communication is verbal," is valid proof that animals have language, since they can communicate with gestures, sounds, and what not.
I agree with you, when you say that animals and humans may not be able to understand each other, doesn't mean that they don't have their own language of sorts. You prove a valid point.
Thanks! I just thought that people who thought all communication was verbal should know that it is not true. And yea man animals gotta flirt too so therefore they gotta have some kind of communication!!
I agree that animals can communicate using language. The definition of language states: “The ability to communcate combining sounds, words and gestures to convey information”. Experiments had shown, that animals who are close to as can learn sign language e.g. Washoe and Sarah(Gardner et al, Premack et al) However, due to lack of ability, primates can not speak making sounds. Later on, people could primates how to communicate using the American Sign Language. Moreover, chimpanzees can not only use sign language on a simple level, they can combine words into sentences. Chimpanzees showed the ability to create games, and come up with the new words the never heard before. On the other hand, one can think that animals do that to achive an award. Skiner claimed that language should be assigned with a operant conditioning.
I feel that this was phrased perfectly. I have to agree with you on this. I like how you showed that Skiner thought Operant Conditioning could put forth the requirments for a language. Well done
I believe that animals can comunicate with language. It's been proven that chimps and gorilllias can speak with sign language. When the chimp formulated a series of gestures for watermellon it showed that animals of this nature are able to fornulate a thought process similar to ours.Yes they are not able to vocalize their thought prosses but they are able to speka in ways. Like cats when theyhiss dogs when they whimper or bark., or birds cooing. Babies do all of these primal things why can't animals do it to? I believe that the animals are able to comunicate in a way that we might not be able to hear or might not be able to even phathom. What if we are the primals ones who still have to be loud and flamboint to speak to each other when they can look and understand. I believe that animals can comunicate but we should still do research to see how they do it.
I believe that animals do have language that differs from species to species. As human beings, we have evolved to become vastly superior, intellectually. This is mainly because of certain parts of our brain, such as the frontal lobe, that allow us to solve complex problems. Not all animals have this ability; however, just because they don't have the "brain power" to communicate as we do, doesn't mean they don't have their own language to communicate with. Studies and tests have provided evidence that this is true. Like in the article, chimpanzees use extensive gestures with each other in the wild and in captivity. Since our form of communication is so complex, it seems impossible for a lower animal to communicate with the same language we do. Chimpanzees can be taught sign language, and they can also use that sign language to form simple sentences (like Washoe); however, it takes an immense amount of time and practice to teach them such, as we see it, simple signs. Other animals communicate with their own language as well. After all, language is defined as a flexible system of communication that uses sounds, rules, gestures, or symbols to convey information. Who's to say that a bark from one dog to another or a growl from one animal to another doesn't mean anything? They're sounds that convey information, aren't they?
I agree with you when you state "we have evolved to become vastly superior, intellectually." Language does differ from species to species but our language is more advanced.
I believe that animals have languages and the languages they use are different in every species such cats, dogs, monkeys, ect.. However, I believe that some of the species languages such as when a dog barks at a cat it usually runs, the other species understands the language. Animals may not be able to learn our language and be able to speak it but the experiments with the chimpanzees shows that they have the ability to learn sign language. In the article it talks about how when people are born deaf doesn't mean they can't communicate with us, yes they might not be able to speak, but they use sign language just like the chimpanzees can. Further more in the article it states "Is it possible that other animals lack the neural and muscular equipment necessary to produce patterned speech as it occurs in humans." And I believe that it possible, and that if they are really lacking the neural and muscular equipment needed to speak that they really do understand our language they just can't talk back. Lastly, I strongly believe that animals have a language because animals that hunt in groups have to have some kind of language or else their hunting techniques wouldn't be as good as they are.
Good job using key points from the article. I really like how you brought up hunting strategies, and how if animals didn't have some type of communication, they wouldn't be as successful.
I agree with you when you say that different animals can understand each others language... maybe there is a universal language among animals?? Especially sheep?? :) And way to use all those points from the article.
Thank you guys!(: I think animals do have a language just like humans do!! And the poor sheep..... They have a language too! And sheep rights!!! haha(: That was funny!!
In my opinion, I believe animals have and use language. Animals may use language in a different way that could be similar to humans or completely different. Since language is described as "any nonverbal method of communication or expression" it pretty much shows an animals could simply make a noise or movement that the same possible species can understand, what we can not. For example, a dog barking and other dogs barking back or when whales "sing" to another. Also in the video we watched, chimps have learned a variety of words, symbols and signs. Up to over a hundred to be exact. We as humans may not completely be able to understand the language that animals have, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have and use language.
I like the point you made about the dogs barking to one another and they understand each other. It doesn't mean they don't have a language just because we can't understand them.
I do believe animals have their own language. Being human, we have a more developed brain and consequently our language is more complex. The way animals communicate isn't what we expect by our own definition of language, but it is still their own language. Animals use body language and noises, and being that they can not speak, it is their language. In the article, one of the given examples of the animal language, was with Blue-jays. In the situation where there is danger, they warn each other. I think the body movements and specific noises they communicate to each other, qualifies as a language.
In my opinion I think animals definitely have language. As humans we tend to see language as just spoken noises that make sense to us, when in fact the language definition is "A flexible system of communication using sounds, rules, gestures, or symbols to convey information." For example, the article states, "A bluejay "talks" to other birds when it warns them of a cat. A cat "talks" when it asks to be fed by rubbing against your calf. Dogs communicate by barking, growling, whimpering, wagging their tails, and leaving symbolic messages on fire hydrants." All of these are some type of communication to transfer information. I think we should perceive animals gestures to be language just as much as we accept sign language.
Most animals definitely have a way of communication among each other. However, I believe this communication between themselves is much more than human could ever understand. Just like animals could never fully understand the numerous tongues of the earth. Even though, "Over several years, Washoe has learned at least 130 signs that she both understands herself and uses herself." This is simply impractical unless the scientists plan to teach every other chimp the sign Washoe has learned. I'm positive much repetition is needed so the signs actually stick permanently if they ever do. Overall, I feel as though we should not intrude on animals and testing there ability to speak in the human language because we do test ourselves to communicate through their dialect. This would be ridiculous and certainly impractical.
I completely disagree with what you are saying that humans could never learn an animals language. I strongly believe that if a chimp can learn sign language then a human that uses a much larger portion of his brain can learn how to speak chimp or dog or cat or any other animal language.
Animals can communicate with us to a short extent. A dog can learn a simple sit, stay etc. Animals can speak amongst themselves in their own language that we will never be able to figure out. Washoe the Chimpanzee was taught sign language where she could understand some basic words to interact with humans but she couldnt actualy speak to them what she really thought or felt. We think that we can speak to animals when really we are only interacting with them. I think that it was easier for Washoe to learn sign language than actually trying to speak because it was all visual and she could show what she was trying to say rather that learning a whole new language. It would be impossible for humans and animals to communicate to eachother and i dont believe that it will ever happen.
I believe animals do have a language. Yeah, it's not as advanced as ours but they do communicate with each other. In the article it states "Animals, other than humans have not developed communications comparable to human language." That's a fact. However, Language is defined as a flexible system of communication that uses sounds, rules, gestures and symbols to convey information. That being said, the sounds and the gestures animals make also qualify as a "language". Their language will probably never be as advanced as ours but either way they communicate. For example in the article they talk about Washoe, a chimpanzee who was trained in sign language. She didn't learn much but she did learn and that shows intelligence, meaning that she understands and is capable of communicating. All animals have a language.
I do believe that animals possess a form of language. Animals are able to effectively communicate with each other, quite obviously. The definition of language states that sounds, rules, gestures, and symbols are forms of communication which define it. All animals use some form of this, so animals, by the very definition of language, HAVE language. Sure, it may be different from what we consider "language", but nonetheless, it fits the guidelines. Animals are also able to communicate with different species of animal, and humans, through body language, noises such as growling or whining, etc. Though other animals are not as advanced as humans, they still possess some form of communication.
I totally agree with you Shelby. Even though your means of communication is different since you are indeed from Alabama. Sorry that was rude. Anyway, the idea of animals learnin the human language is impractical and as you mentioned, they have their own language so why are we trying to confuse them further?
Harsh, Alex. Harsh. But really, what reason IS there to teaching animals a language that we can use to communicate with them? We're more intelligent, we have no use for them. We should be spending money on more important research, maybe, like, ohhh I don't know, our space program? Much better idea, much better uses, which will provide us with a much better future.
Language is defined as "any nonverbal method of communication or expression." In my opinion, animals do have language. Although the articles state substancial and factual elements to both arguements, I believe that the arguements supporting animal language are stronger as well as logical. The statement "In short, using various methods of communication, different chimpanzees and an occasional gorilla have managed to communicate at about the level of a somewhat slow four-year-old child" accuratley portrays the fact that although language is possible in animals, it is not near the level of humans. I think that animals do have a language that they use to communicate but it is significantly diverse from that of humans.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point. I like your statement:"Animals do have a language that they use to communicate but it is significantly diverse from that of humans."
Deletehuman language is significantly diverse compared to animal language and in my opinion, is more complicated. I agree that animals have the capability to learn a language, it isn't near the level of humans.
DeleteI agree with your statement. Animals do communicate, just in a different light.
DeleteIn my opinion, language is a really big concept to apply to animals. I do believe animals can communicate from one to another. As they stated in the article: "A blue-jay "talks" to other birds when it warns them of a cat". However, even though they do have a language among them, I don't think they have the capacity to learn human languages. I agree with the statement: "No teacher has bothered
ReplyDeleteto record all the nonsense combinations produced by an ape, but every lucky hit is sure to be reinforced by cues of approval, and to go into a teacher's records, reports, books, and lectures.", I think that point is really important, because it would help us to compare the times the animals are successful with the times they are wrong, and we could actually evaluate if the signs are random or not.
I liked your point that animals can communicate but you "don't think they have the capacity to learn human languages." I totally agree with that. Also, it would be great if it could be evaluated if the signs are random or not.
DeleteYour points are all valid. I really appreciated your statement, "...it would help is to compare the times the animals are successful with the times they are wrong, and we could actually evaluate if the signs are random or not" because I, too, am a bit unhappy with the lack of opposing information to compare with the current information. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteI completely agree with your stance on the issue. I also think that talking about the blue-jay's supported you opinion.
DeleteEvery one of us have related this "language" to the human language. We cannot say that language is a big concept to apply to animals because they have their own means of communication. I also mentioned that the constant repetition to teach an animal signs or language is never mentioned even though it is only logical.
DeleteDo animals have language? In my opinion, yes they do. Whether or not people want to realize it, animals are always communicating. Just because we can't typically understand what they are saying, they are always talking to one another... Language is defined as a type of communication using symbols, sounds, gestures... Different spices have their own language. In the article when it was talking about the chimpanzee not being able to communicate like humans shouldn't be classified as not having a language.
ReplyDeleteI think you make a very valid point that just because the chmpanzee does not communicate in the same manner as humans does not mean they do not have their own form of language. Also, I like how you defined language to help present your view point.
DeleteI think you gave a really valid point, Taylor.
Delete"In the article when it was talking about the chimpanzee not being able to communicate like humans shouldn't be classified as not having a language.", I agree with that and I also believe that language is a much bigger concept than be able to talk as a human being too.
I agree with your point: "In the article, when it was talking about the chimpanzee not being able to communicate like humans, shouldn't be classified as not having a language." An Animal's language is not comparable to human language and I am glad you brought that point to the table. Thanks!
DeleteI agree with you Tay! I like how you say "whether or not people realize it, animals are always communicating. Just because we can't typically understand what they are saying, they are always talking to one another." That statement is very true because even as humans if people are talking in a different language and we can't understand them, they are speaking their language and are talking to one another.
DeleteI think that animals use language just they don't use it the same way that us humans use. Humans mostly use words to talk to one another, while animals use more basic language skills, like an ape grunting to another one of his ape friends to tell him that he did good climbing that tree. Since language is described as "any nonverbal method of communication or expression" it means that if a beaver slaps his tail against the water to warn his fellow beaver friends that someone wants to shoot them, then that it language. The difference is that people use a much more complicated language that isn't based off of Instincts.
ReplyDeleteI agree that animals use a language different than humans. I also agree that animal language is based off of instincts because everything animals do, they usually do to survive.
DeleteI agree with your statement. Just because animals dont communicate in the same manner as we do doesnt mean they dont communicate.
DeleteI agree with your statement that "while animals use more basic language skills", it might not be words that their using but their sounds are their language and way of communicating!
DeleteI surprisingly agree with you. In class this did not seem to be your view but I am happy that you came to this side! I like your points though.
DeleteAnimals are, obviously, at a very different level than humans. If animals could speak, their language would not be as complex and would be in a completely different form than our language. All of the examples in the article seem a little bit skewed. Only the good parts of the experiments are told, which is very suspicious. I am sure that animals have their own language, but I am positive that their form of communication is nothing we will ever be able to understand or respond to. Also, the article refers to the fact that, “Ninety percent of [a chimpanzee’s] signing was in response to gestures by teachers.” This fact, to me, signifies that animals do not really have language in the way we refer to language, but rather they imitate what they see and hear during the experiments to please the humans teaching them. Yes, some animals have “managed to communicate at about the level of a somewhat slow four-year-old child,” but that communication was limited and also based on a high level of coaxing by teachers. I believe that animals communicate with themselves, and that their language is real, but I also believe that their language is completely different from what we consider to be language.
ReplyDeleteRespectfuly I have to disagree, what if animals have an even more elaborate way to speak to each other than we do? I feel that without further research there is no way to say that " If animals could speak, their language would not be as complex and would be in a completely different form than our language." I believe you should make that a sentence that could very in answer because there is every chance that the animals are more advanced than us and we just can't understand that yet.
DeleteI agree with you saying animals communicate with themselves and have their own language, much different from ours.
DeleteMost animals will have a language, but it is extrememly difficult to learn a different kind of language. Not as in spanish or german, but a kind of language that animals use. Cats and dogs have a language. Cats start to hiss and the hair on their backs stand up when they feel threatened or scared. A pack of wolves need to have a language because if they didn't, they wouldn't succeed as well as they do. They must have some strategy to get their prey. People have tried to teach chimpanzees sign language and use certain symbols. The chimpanzees learned over 100 different words/symbols/signs, but they never completely learned sign language. Learning a different kind of language would be difficult. Even if you had the mindset that you wanted to learn, you couldn't ask questions because the 'thing' teaching you doesn't know your language.
ReplyDeleteI think you bring up some good points. Especially the wolves communicating in their pack and the fact that humans don't know how to speak chimpanzee, which makes it extremely difficult for the animal to learn from humans.
DeleteI definately agree with you that the wolves need to have language to successfully kill their prey, makes total sense, i also agree that it is hard for humans to learn to speak dog or cat.
DeleteI agree that animals have a different language than people do and I don't think that we will ever be able to know what they are trying to communicating.
DeleteDo animals have language? In my opinion I believe that they do have language. Their language is not in any way the same way as ours, but they understand their own as we understand our own. Communication is symbols, sounds, actions and things like that, so how a cat or a dog or a human uses these different types of communication is totally different from each other. Not all communication is verbal, a lot of animals use nonverbal communication. Because of all of this, animals have their own language and animals have their own langauge, and we may not ever be able to understand thiers and they may not ever be able to understand ours.
ReplyDeleteBringing up that, "not all communication is verbal," is valid proof that animals have language, since they can communicate with gestures, sounds, and what not.
DeleteI agree with you, when you say that animals and humans may not be able to understand each other, doesn't mean that they don't have their own language of sorts. You prove a valid point.
DeleteThanks! I just thought that people who thought all communication was verbal should know that it is not true. And yea man animals gotta flirt too so therefore they gotta have some kind of communication!!
Delete"Not all communication is verbal, a lot of animals use nonverbal communication" - sounds fairly convincing for me; I totally agree with you.
DeleteI agree that animals can communicate using language. The definition of language states: “The ability to communcate combining sounds, words and gestures to convey information”. Experiments had shown, that animals who are close to as can learn sign language e.g. Washoe and Sarah(Gardner et al, Premack et al) However, due to lack of ability, primates can not speak making sounds. Later on, people could primates how to communicate using the American Sign Language. Moreover, chimpanzees can not only use sign language on a simple level, they can combine words into sentences. Chimpanzees showed the ability to create games, and come up with the new words the never heard before.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, one can think that animals do that to achive an award. Skiner claimed that language should be assigned with a operant conditioning.
I feel that this was phrased perfectly. I have to agree with you on this. I like how you showed that Skiner thought Operant Conditioning could put forth the requirments for a language. Well done
DeleteI really like how you brought in the definition of language. Keep up the good work.
DeleteThank you for the kind feedback!
DeleteI believe that animals can comunicate with language. It's been proven that chimps and gorilllias can speak with sign language. When the chimp formulated a series of gestures for watermellon it showed that animals of this nature are able to fornulate a thought process similar to ours.Yes they are not able to vocalize their thought prosses but they are able to speka in ways. Like cats when theyhiss dogs when they whimper or bark., or birds cooing. Babies do all of these primal things why can't animals do it to? I believe that the animals are able to comunicate in a way that we might not be able to hear or might not be able to even phathom. What if we are the primals ones who still have to be loud and flamboint to speak to each other when they can look and understand. I believe that animals can comunicate but we should still do research to see how they do it.
ReplyDeleteI believe that animals do have language that differs from species to species. As human beings, we have evolved to become vastly superior, intellectually. This is mainly because of certain parts of our brain, such as the frontal lobe, that allow us to solve complex problems. Not all animals have this ability; however, just because they don't have the "brain power" to communicate as we do, doesn't mean they don't have their own language to communicate with. Studies and tests have provided evidence that this is true. Like in the article, chimpanzees use extensive gestures with each other in the wild and in captivity. Since our form of communication is so complex, it seems impossible for a lower animal to communicate with the same language we do. Chimpanzees can be taught sign language, and they can also use that sign language to form simple sentences (like Washoe); however, it takes an immense amount of time and practice to teach them such, as we see it, simple signs. Other animals communicate with their own language as well. After all, language is defined as a flexible system of communication that uses sounds, rules, gestures, or symbols to convey information. Who's to say that a bark from one dog to another or a growl from one animal to another doesn't mean anything? They're sounds that convey information, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you state "we have evolved to become vastly superior, intellectually." Language does differ from species to species but our language is more advanced.
DeleteI believe that animals have languages and the languages they use are different in every species such cats, dogs, monkeys, ect.. However, I believe that some of the species languages such as when a dog barks at a cat it usually runs, the other species understands the language. Animals may not be able to learn our language and be able to speak it but the experiments with the chimpanzees shows that they have the ability to learn sign language. In the article it talks about how when people are born deaf doesn't mean they can't communicate with us, yes they might not be able to speak, but they use sign language just like the chimpanzees can. Further more in the article it states "Is it possible that other animals lack the neural and muscular equipment necessary to produce patterned speech as it occurs in humans." And I believe that it possible, and that if they are really lacking the neural and muscular equipment needed to speak that they really do understand our language they just can't talk back. Lastly, I strongly believe that animals have a language because animals that hunt in groups have to have some kind of language or else their hunting techniques wouldn't be as good as they are.
ReplyDeleteGood job using key points from the article. I really like how you brought up hunting strategies, and how if animals didn't have some type of communication, they wouldn't be as successful.
DeleteI agree with you when you say that different animals can understand each others language... maybe there is a universal language among animals?? Especially sheep?? :) And way to use all those points from the article.
DeleteThank you guys!(: I think animals do have a language just like humans do!! And the poor sheep..... They have a language too! And sheep rights!!! haha(: That was funny!!
DeleteIn my opinion, I believe animals have and use language. Animals may use language in a different way that could be similar to humans or completely different. Since language is described as "any nonverbal method of communication or expression" it pretty much shows an animals could simply make a noise or movement that the same possible species can understand, what we can not. For example, a dog barking and other dogs barking back or when whales "sing" to another. Also in the video we watched, chimps have learned a variety of words, symbols and signs. Up to over a hundred to be exact. We as humans may not completely be able to understand the language that animals have, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have and use language.
ReplyDeleteI like the point you made about the dogs barking to one another and they understand each other. It doesn't mean they don't have a language just because we can't understand them.
DeleteI do believe animals have their own language. Being human, we have a more developed brain and consequently our language is more complex. The way animals communicate isn't what we expect by our own definition of language, but it is still their own language. Animals use body language and noises, and being that they can not speak, it is their language. In the article, one of the given examples of the animal language, was with Blue-jays. In the situation where there is danger, they warn each other. I think the body movements and specific noises they communicate to each other, qualifies as a language.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I think animals definitely have language. As humans we tend to see language as just spoken noises that make sense to us, when in fact the language definition is "A flexible system of communication using sounds, rules, gestures, or symbols to convey information." For example, the article states, "A bluejay "talks" to other birds when it warns them of a cat. A cat "talks" when it asks to be fed by rubbing against your calf. Dogs communicate by barking, growling, whimpering, wagging their tails, and leaving symbolic messages on fire hydrants." All of these are some type of communication to transfer information. I think we should perceive animals gestures to be language just as much as we accept sign language.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all your points, Good job Morgan. I think that gestures should be accepted as a language because sign language is pretty much the same.
DeleteThe example with birds caught my attention, I totally share your opinion.
DeleteMost animals definitely have a way of communication among each other. However, I believe this communication between themselves is much more than human could ever understand. Just like animals could never fully understand the numerous tongues of the earth. Even though, "Over several years, Washoe has learned at least 130 signs that she both understands herself and uses herself." This is simply impractical unless the scientists plan to teach every other chimp the sign Washoe has learned. I'm positive much repetition is needed so the signs actually stick permanently if they ever do. Overall, I feel as though we should not intrude on animals and testing there ability to speak in the human language because we do test ourselves to communicate through their dialect. This would be ridiculous and certainly impractical.
ReplyDeleteI completely disagree with what you are saying that humans could never learn an animals language. I strongly believe that if a chimp can learn sign language then a human that uses a much larger portion of his brain can learn how to speak chimp or dog or cat or any other animal language.
DeleteAnimals can communicate with us to a short extent. A dog can learn a simple sit, stay etc. Animals can speak amongst themselves in their own language that we will never be able to figure out. Washoe the Chimpanzee was taught sign language where she could understand some basic words to interact with humans but she couldnt actualy speak to them what she really thought or felt. We think that we can speak to animals when really we are only interacting with them. I think that it was easier for Washoe to learn sign language than actually trying to speak because it was all visual and she could show what she was trying to say rather that learning a whole new language. It would be impossible for humans and animals to communicate to eachother and i dont believe that it will ever happen.
ReplyDeleteI believe animals do have a language. Yeah, it's not as advanced as ours but they do communicate with each other. In the article it states "Animals, other than humans have not developed communications comparable to human language." That's a fact. However, Language is defined as a flexible system of communication that uses sounds, rules, gestures and symbols to convey information. That being said, the sounds and the gestures animals make also qualify as a "language". Their language will probably never be as advanced as ours but either way they communicate. For example in the article they talk about Washoe, a chimpanzee who was trained in sign language. She didn't learn much but she did learn and that shows intelligence, meaning that she understands and is capable of communicating. All animals have a language.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that animals possess a form of language. Animals are able to effectively communicate with each other, quite obviously. The definition of language states that sounds, rules, gestures, and symbols are forms of communication which define it. All animals use some form of this, so animals, by the very definition of language, HAVE language. Sure, it may be different from what we consider "language", but nonetheless, it fits the guidelines. Animals are also able to communicate with different species of animal, and humans, through body language, noises such as growling or whining, etc. Though other animals are not as advanced as humans, they still possess some form of communication.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Shelby. Even though your means of communication is different since you are indeed from Alabama. Sorry that was rude. Anyway, the idea of animals learnin the human language is impractical and as you mentioned, they have their own language so why are we trying to confuse them further?
DeleteHarsh, Alex. Harsh. But really, what reason IS there to teaching animals a language that we can use to communicate with them? We're more intelligent, we have no use for them. We should be spending money on more important research, maybe, like, ohhh I don't know, our space program? Much better idea, much better uses, which will provide us with a much better future.
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