The Evolution of Language

1. The Evolution of Language Summary of Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press. Summary by Cleo Arnold, Megan Dorrian, and Stefanie Galich For Dr. Mills’ Psych 452 class, Fall, 2007 Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

2. The Birth of Language • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh /evolution/library/07/2/l_072 _04.html Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

3. The Dawn of Language • It has been estimated that the evolutionary branch of apes that developed into modern Homo sapiens separated from the branch that developed into chimpanzees about six million years ago. • Spoken language is thought to have developed only 200,000 to 300,000 years ago. • Prior to language, hominids were most likely using gestures to communicate. Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

4. Signals, Icons and Symbols • A signal is about the surrounding world, it stands for a perception or a sensation • An icon is a sign that resembles the detached representation denoted by the sign • A symbol is an arbitrary convention that a person must learn to use as a communicative tool. It can only be interpreted through agreeing on a convention and then learning it. Some basic form of communication has to be used to understand symbols. • Essentially, symbols refer to the inner world, the meanings of words must be located in the head and not out in the world. Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

5. Signals, Icons and Symbols Symbol Signal Icon Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

6. Linguistic Communication and Higher-Order Intentions • Paul Grice’s theory of linguistic meaning • “U meant something by uttering x’ is true if and only if, for some audience A, U uttered x intending: • 1. A to produce a particular response. • 2. A to think (recognize) that U intends (1). • 3. A to fulfill (1) on the basis of his fulfillment of (2). • Condition 3 means that the listener behaves as the speaker intends because the listener understands that the speaker intends it (Gardenfors, 2003, pp. 147).” Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

7. Animals’ Linguistic Capacity • Among mammals only humans can control their voices • Human speech is generated in Broca’s area in the brain, located in the left frontal part of the human cortex. • The voice of apes and other animals are controlled by structures in the brain located below the cortex that are evolutionarily much older • There are involuntary voice reactions among humans as well • cries of pain, fear, surprise, and laughter. • Animals can learn when different vocalizations are appropriate. • Rhesus macaques Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

8. Language Research with Apes • Animals do not use spoken language because they do not ‘need’ to talk, they live in the present • Apes cannot speak because they cannot control their speech organs sufficiently well and they cannot produce enough variation in the sounds • Researchers teach apes to use sign language • Sign language worked to a certain point • At best the apes mastered a couple of hundred signs and reach the linguistic communication level of about a two-year-old human child Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

9. Kanzi • Learned language by participating, not by behaviorist methods • Learned at a young age, similar to human children • Difficulty with ambiguous and functional words • Author’s doubts and criticism of study Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

10. How Children Learn Language • Children can understand the meaning of words and connect different symbols • Children do not need training or repetition to learn words and language • Children learn words just by listening • Humans are able to interpret the intentions behinds a linguistic utterance and apes are not • The author believes humans have language because we have a more developed inner world; animals only interpret words or signs as symbols, they do not have the capacity for the human inner world Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

11. Miming as Intentional Communication • Homo sapiens seem to be the only species that use symbolic language in a totally detached manner • Miming is deliberate use of the entire body to communicate one’s intentions, it is entirely possible to communicate without spoken language • Animals cannot actively produce new combinations like humans • Gestures are a strong carrier of meaning, even when a person is using verbal speech to communicate Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

12. Interesting Points • Difference between signal and symbol • Only humans can understand the meaning of symbols, combine signs, and create spoken language • Miming was a precursor to spoken language. Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

13. Main Drawbacks • It would have been in the authors benefit to use more animal studies to further support his argument. • The author frequently talked about a study and then discounted it with what he thought, but, he did not give any solid research for why his reasoning was correct. • The author failed to explain what his ‘inner world’ hypothesis was and how it corresponded to signals, symbols and icons and human language. • The author talked about icons but never said why they were important Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

14. Test Question • Humans developed _______ followed by the development of _______ . • Words; Gestures • Gestures; Language • Language; Mimicry Correct answer:Gestures; Language Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

15. Test Question • Apes are able to use ______ but are not able to produce a _______. • Signals; Symbols • Symbols; Signals • Mimicry; Motions • Motions; Mimicry Correct Answer: Signals; Symbols Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

16. Test Question • The main difference between signals and symbols is: A. Symbols refer to a detached representation, while signals stand for a perception or a sensation. B. Signals represent the detached, inner world where as symbols are present in the current environment. C.There is no main difference between signals and symbols. Correct Answer: A Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

17. True or False • Kanzi was able to produce a language to the symbolic level of human language. Correct answer: False Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

18. True or False • Miming was not a precursor to spoken language. Correct answer: False Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.

19. True or False • Signals are about the surrounding world, while symbolic language is often about our inner world. Correct Answer: True Gardenfors, P. (2003). The dawn of language. In How homo became sapiens: on the evolution of thinking (pp. 141–165). New York: Oxford University Press.