Answer the questions - Case Study Example

a) What is the difference between speech and language? Speech is the mechanism by which humans communicate, and refers to the actual actions of making noise that correspond to different meanings. Language is a set of socially-shared rules which are used to communicate and does not have to involve speech; it merely needs to get the message across.b) How is this difference reflected in American Sign Language?People communicate and use language every day with American Sign Language, but are not using the mechanism of speech to do so.

These people communicate with gesture rather than with sound.c) Compare the brain structure of humans with those of nonhuman primates such as chimps.There are a number of differences. Humans have a much larger cerebellum than chimps (or other primates) even when adjusting for total brain size and body mass. Humans also have much larger cerebral cortices than other primates, much larger than would be expected judging by the size of the cerebellum alone. The temporal cortex is also much larger than predicted for an ape of our size, which might affect our language ability as this part of the brain contains Broca’s area, implicated in language use.d) From viewing chimps in the wild (The New Chimpanzees), can they be said to have a language?

Include Uhlenbroek’s description of pant hoots, the chimp patrol of their territory, their displays in dominance of behaviour, and grooming and begging behaviour.These elements do seem to represent a kind of communication between chimps, so yes, it could be seen as a language by some, although not perhaps as advanced as human language. The differences in behaviours between different groups have been described as ‘cultural differences’.e) From viewing Koko alone, does Koko have a language?

How about Michael? How about Ndume?Koko had extensive exposure to sign language and did seem to pick up some elements of language, although the grammar was not perfect. Many of the utterances could just be imitation or nonsense. Michael learned much less than Koko because he was only alive for a short while, but perhaps the transmission of the signs could be seen as language transmission. Ndume does not currently use sign language.f) Describe Koko’s use of sign language.Although the video describes Koko has having a lot of knowledge and the gorilla does seem to know a lot of signs, it is not completely clear whether this is imitation or language and therefore is extremely difficult to describe.g) Has Francine (Penny) Patterson made the case that gorillas are capable of language?

Please explain your answer.It does not seem to be a very strong case, although Koko does show extensive evidence of learning. Merely learning a lot of different signs or letters does not create language, although it is interesting that some of these signs were transmitted to another gorilla. However, it is also possible that sign language may not be the right medium for language and gorillas may have their own complex language structure in a form that humans cannot understand.h) Does that mean that gorillas have a culture? Explain.Some people think that language is necessary for a culture, but there are many different aspects of culture (such as techniques, dances and mating) that do not rely on language in this sense.

It could be said that it does not mean gorillas have a culture, but it does not mean that they do not have a culture either.i) Why didn’t Koko mate with Michael? Does that mean that the incest tabu applies to gorillas?There are many different things that all animals take into account subconsciously when choosing a mate, which are not necessarily to do with tabu. Additionally, there are signals or effects that can be detected, which have been used evolutionarily to prevent inbreeding and related disease.

This again does not necessarily mean tabu.j) Why didn’t Koko mate with Ndume? How would this explanation differ from her refusal to mate with Michael? View this segment of the video carefully for an explanation.Koko may not have mated because she could not communicate with him the same way that she could communicate with Michael.k) Do gorillas use sign language in the wild? Why or why not? This will take some internet research. For a start read Michael’s obituary on the CBS website.Gorillas do not use sign language in the wild as this is a human construct and has to be taught to them by humans.

They do use other gestures that could be considered similar, but not as extensive as human sign language. l) Finally, in light of the discussion on pp. 15-20, evaluate the scepticism over ape language studies. Include in your evaluation the Clever Hans Effect and definitions of Faculty of Language in the Broad Sense and the Narrow Sense.Many people are sceptical about the use of language by animals. Reading the conversation with Koko on AOL makes it clear that a lot of interpretation is needed to actually understand Koko.

One of the reasons for this is known as the Clever Hans effect, which suggests that researchers may be giving subtle clues to animal subjects, which they pick up on and imitate, mirror or respond to get rewards. This is not technically language, and may be the reason that Koko seemed so impressive. Faculty of language in the broad sense involves a lot of different elements including a sensory-motor system, a conceptual-intentional system, and the computational mechanisms for recursion which can apply to Koko and many primates, but in the narrow sense only requires recursion and is uniquely human.