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UI CSD 3117 - Where Did Language Come From?
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Where did language come from?We don't know for sure, but there are several proposalsLanguage evolved from imitationding-dong theory; heave-ho theory; bow-wow theoryonomatopoeic- cuckoo, hiss, ouchcons: this only accounts for a few words+ < > creativity / flexibility of languageLanguage arose as a side-effect (The side effect theory)side effect of other forms of evolution (e.g., brain size (brain size bigger cognitive capacity in general), general intelligence)cons: not enough time for something as complex as language to evolve; we either have grammar or we don’t (no intermediate stages)Evolved via natural selection (Current winner!)(Some) agreement that there has been enough time for language to evolveability to convey existing cognitive representations using a grammar based system does confer evolutionary advantagesanimals that you can eat vs. animals that can eat you (order of the sentence)our needs for language also has evolved, capacity for using language that too has evolvedLanguage as biology, learning, culturegenes shape learning mechanismslearning mechanisms determine cultural dynamicemergent structure affects fitness landscapeLanguage as a biological endowmentlanguage capacity arises as human brain and skull size increased when homo sapiens differentiated from other species 2 million to 300,000 years agofossil evidence suggesting that a brain area analogous to Broca’s area in modern humans present in early hominds as long as 2 million years agothe descended larynx and change of particularly structuresdoes increase choking risk!FOXP2 genepresent in other animals; linked to coordination of sensory and motor info and skilled sensory movementevidence that mutation of gene over 100,000 years – greater development in Broca’s area ; coordinate complex sequence of movementLanguage as learninghow was the gulf bridged between us and our closest relatives bridged by evolution?need mechanism for the acquisition and transmission of informationwere there stages of development ?Protolanguagevocal labels for concepts but doesn’t have a proper syntaxPidgin communication –adults with diverse linguistic backgrounds come together and negotiate a shard languagenuinui pool. make kanaka (much-much gun. Kill men)apopo tabu. aole hanahana(tomorrow forbidden. not work)=> evident for developmental stage for languagepidgin -> crill ? (krill?) : evidence for learningchild language (examples from 23 month old child)tear up.more doggiedoor shutlanguage of trained apes (examples form koko)more pourme goodkoko purselacks morphology, syntaxlanguage as learning cont.Mechanism for learningmemory systems that support the acquisition of different types of knowledge and representations (next week)Mechanism for transmissiongestures to languageco-speech gesturesmirror neuronsneurons in the premotor cortex that fire during goal-directed actions as well as the observation of similar actions; provide neural basis for imitationsmile, reaching -> motor act that’s goal directed. the neurons in the brain fire (activated) when I smile. neurons create record of it.ratchet effect(Tomasello)once a certain invention is made, it can jump from one mind to another (by means of imitation) and thus a whole population can acquire a new traitused to describe aspects of cultural learning in humans and chimpanzeesiterated learning (Kirby)linguistic behavior is learned through experience and use of that behavior others who themselves have learned the behavior using the same mechanismLanguage as culturewhat were the social pressures that selected for languagewhy don’t other highly social animals have languagedid the function of language drive its evolution?social grooming , sexual display, alliance-formingCan animals learn language?how do we define languagelanguage as biology?language as learning?language as culture?how has the work on teaching animals language influence some of the major themes psycholinguistics?are language processes independent from other cognitive processes?is language species specific? are some aspects of language species specific?Are language functions localized?Language specialization?The 4 lobes of the brainEach cerebral hemisphere is divided into the frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobesWhat are their functions?The four lobes are specialized for different activitiesFrontal lobeslocated at the front of the brainassociated with reasoning, motor skills, higher level cognition, and expressive languageParietal lobeslocated in the middle section of the brainassociated with processing tactile sensory information such as pressure, touch, and painhas somatosensory cortexOccipital lobeslocated at the back portion of the brainassociated with interpreting visual stimuli and informationTemporal lobeslocated on the bottom section of the brainalso the location of the primary auditory cortex, which interprets sounds and the language we hearhas the hippocampus which is associated with the formation of memories (learning)Localization of FunctionWithin each lobe, specific areas are associated with various aspects of neural processingWhere does information regarding localization of function come from?Observation of patientsElectrical stimulationAnimal studiesPierre (Paul) Broca 1824-1880French physician who observed disruption on speaking ability associated with damage to area in the frontal lobe of the brainBeginning of neuroscience/neuropsychologyKarl Wernicke (1848-1905)German physician who identified area of the brain associated with understanding of speech (temporal lobe)Double dissociationJohn Hughlings-Jackson (1835-1911)British neurologist; observed people with epilepsyPattern of motor movement associated with seizures led him to hypothesize organization of the motor cortexMotor and sensory homunculus “little man”Wilder Penfield, 1950Electrical StimulationWilder Penfield (1891-1976)Neurosurgeon who mapped brain in terms of response or sensations that occurred when parts of the cortex of an awake person were electrically stimulatedSpeech and LanguageBroca’s areaLocated in the frontal lobeFunction: language productionWernicke’s areaLocated in temporal lobeFunction: language comprehensionArcuate fasciculusPathway that connects these two areasDamage = repetitionBut…This direct one-to-one correspondence is to simpleMost language functions are localized in the L hemisphereThere are some important aspects of language in the R hempisphere (eg. Prosody, figural language)New research


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UI CSD 3117 - Where Did Language Come From?

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