Wednesday, 28 April 2021

CHAPTER 10: LANGUAGE EVOLUTION

LANGUAGE EVOLUTION: BETWEEN REALITY, BELIEF, AND TRUTH   
                     (A scientific discussion in Psycholinguistics)
                                     Selnistia Hidayani, 2021

    This topic include the materials how humans learn, store, and understand words of others. Having discussed in previous chapter about people learn a language, their language acquisition depend on their biological development. Language is a complex cognitive activity so that pre-linguistic condition take important role in its acquisition.  People's cognitive model relates to the grammatical construction and vocabulary that they have had for a long time ago. While people are children, they will explore the world around them.

    They firstly recognize the objects and process to distinguish and name them.  There are two theories of how children acquire a language: a generative grammar lead by Chomsky (1968) and a usage-based theory introduced by Tomasello (2003). Both theories have different views in children language acquisition. Chomsky (1986) argued that all children have an innate of universal grammar which their acquisition have two processes. First, the children acquire the words, the idiom, and the structure of target language including their constructions. Second, the children associate the acquired language with universal grammar where the linguistic items are used to the rules of different languages. Thus, the unit of language could be as a process or a grammatical category (Tsvetkova, 2016). In the modern theory such as the usage-based theory, it proposed that children initially acquire their language through concrete constructions from the speech they hear and use daily. The theory views that children learn and get their language from their linguistics knowledge and experience.  

    Going to further discussion, it relates to recent topic about language evolution. Language evolution include the question how languages gradually developed over time into the world recently. It means that language acquisition and language evolution are connected in which both involve the change of biological aspect and culture in completing their languages. Therefore, the processes of human communication depend on their anatomy of vocal devices and brains as our belief that Allah gives more knowledge to people living now than long time ago. Thus, Qur'an as God divine revelation is the most completed book than previous. It shows that language both words and meaning have been developed time to time including people's brains. 

    There are two major issues in language evolution: the symbolic units such as words or manual signs and syntax (Bickerton, 2007) since they are as the real originality in human communication. Whereas the minor issues are the questions of did language begin with speech or signs, of did language develop gradually as means of communication?, and of did language begin in one place or several? To answer those issues, we have to know how language develop in line with human development which involve different knowledge and experience. Some theorists believe that language evolution comes from primate calls  (like Hauser, 1996, Holden, 2004, etc). The theorist argue that call system is communicative and language is communicative, so they conclude that language only has been sort of primate call system. But, I have my own preference that language develop as people's knowledge and experience develop. Thus, the language does not relate to primate call system. To answer the rest of those issues, you could discuss in my blog in the comment column as one of activity in this session. 

50 comments:

  1. Wielda Hudaeby
    181230155
    TBI 6 D
    Assalamualaikum Wr. Wb.
    Miss, i would like to ask you about your own preference that language develop as people's knowledge and experience develop. But, i don't get it when you say language doesn't relate to primate call system... Isn't it from the primate call that along with the development of human science, language continues to be refined?
    Thank you, miss.
    Wassalamualaikum Wr. Wb.

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    1. Thank you wielda, primate call system' means that people adopt animal do as evolution theory argument. That human begin as primata then develop into human beings. In this side, I don't agree. But, people could choose any theories as basis of their arguments.

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    3. Ahhhhh got it
      I thought what stated by theorists that language evolution comes from primate call systems means human just adopt how animals communicating, so they just speak with limited sounds using their mouth at the beginning before they refined it as current human language, not human begin as primata...
      Thanks for the explanation, Miss :)

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  2. Lida Maulida
    181230170
    TBI 6E

    "....language develop as people's knowledge and experience develop."
    I agree with you, Miss. I do believe that too.

    But, I want to ask, Miss.
    What if someone got an accident, and then that person become Amnesic. Does it mean the language develop of that person is stop/stuck or it doesn't change anything even he is amnesia? Is the language develop of that person still the same as before?
    Thank you.

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    1. Thanks Lida,people who injured by accident, they might have kind of damage in their bodies including Brain. So, if their brains damage since this accident, they would have language disorder depending on where the damage is placed. If they get kind of language disorder, it impacts on their language productivity.

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    2. So it will impact language productivity. Hopefully we are will always in good condition :)
      Thank you, Miss.
      Stay healthy >_<

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  3. Hayu Amalia
    181230003
    TBI 6 A
    Assalamualaikum, Ms. Selnistia.
    I would like to ask based on your opinion, is there any another factor that can influence language development except from people's knowledge and the develop of experience?
    Thank you.

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    1. Thanks hayu, it could be other factors beside knowledge and experience influencing people language development as long as they have theoretical basis.

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  4. Name: Annisa Ayundi Prastiwi
    SRN: 181230017
    Class: TBI 6A

    In my opinion, when viewed from history, I feel that the opinion that language was obtained from primates, can be considered. First languages ​​emerged as a result of the interaction of sign language by primates (as Thomasello argues) and began to develop over time.
    However, if the religious aspect is inserted, in my opinion Allah SWT has bestowed language skills on the first human, the Prophet Adam and all of us, then the language has begun to develop over time to this day due to human abilities which also continue to develop.

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  5. Name: Yasmin Aulia Mumtaz
    Nim: 181230018
    Class: TBI 6A

    I want to ask miss,
    If the theory of the evolution of language as vocalization is true, why deaf-mute people use gestures communication instead of the vocal one?
    Thank you

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  6. Name : Nurafia Widianingsih
    SRN : 181230015
    Class : TBI-6A
    Assalamualaikum, Miss. I would like to ask, is language development influenced by age? And how does that influence? Thank you.

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  7. Name : Susilawati
    SRN : 181230073
    Class : TBI-6B

    Discuss about history of language certainly have differences of perspective as well as between view on theory of expert and religious views especially Islam. and I also same with you miss Tia. I believe in the truth of Islamic views including about the explanation of where the language comes from. I believe the language comes from God and God taught the first humans to get to know the language.

    As described in (Q.S al-Baqarah: 31)
    "And He taught to Adam names (things) the whole, then put it forward to the angels and then said:"Call me the names of these things if you are really the right people!" (Surah Al-Baqarah: 31).
    This verse explains that Allah taught the names to Adam, the names can be said as part of language symbols. Gone description of how the process occurs learning and teaching between Allah and Prophet Adam, but what is clear is that the first human, namely the Prophet Adam learning languages ​​through the teaching and learning process, automatic tools are not created. However, the language device is already created by Allah and installed in the human body, including: reason mind, hearing, sight, mouth, throat, and so on.

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  8. Name : Annisa Nabila Rizqa
    SRN : 181230047
    Class : TBI 6B

    Lemme ask Ms, How primate created language if primate in every country were same? And why the development of language in every country are different? Thank you.

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  9. Name: Suza Atha
    NIM: 181230012
    Class: TBI 6A

    in my opinion, the origin of human language is start first time because of the ability of the human brain which is gifted by God's, so human can speech, and I agree with Some researchers whos claim that everything in language is built out of other human abilities: the ability for vocal imitation, the ability to memorize vast amounts of information (both needed for learning words), the desire to communicate, the understanding of others' intentions and beliefs, and the ability to cooperate. Because of that, language being evolut because of the ability of humans, for example first we can speak, only speak, then our ability is grew up because of knowledge and experience, we can write then that's why language being evolut.

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  10. Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabbarakatuh. I'm rahmania aulia from TBI 6 D (SRN 181230136). I would like to ask, As told there that They firstly recognize the objects and process to distinguish and name them. So many people that recognizen a people but forget their name. Is it distraction of biological development? And why its often happen? Thank you miss.

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  11. DIAN HERAWATI
    181230052
    TBI-6B

    I argue that Language evolution is the application of evolutionary theory to the study of language. If biological evolution is change in the frequency of genetic variants in a population over time, then cultural evolution is change in the frequency of cultural variants. According to (Culotta and Hanson, 2004:1315), Language evolution has not stopped, of course; in fact, it may be progressing more rapidly than ever before.
    In dealing with language evolution, linguists have at least one advantage over members of other disciplines. The unresolved controversies between various theories of syntax and phonology, not to mention the still virtually uncharted wastes of semantics, should have well prepared them for the striking lack of consensus and the incompatibility of different approaches that will confront them in the field of language evolution.
    Language may have culturally evolved so that it was easy to learn using these capabilities, even with relatively few examples from which to derive its grammatical structure. It may be our desire to communicate with each other that is hardwired into our brains.

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  12. Riska Maulina
    181230125
    TBI 6D

    assalamualaikum Mrs I would like to ask you, in your opinion is the human language created from their own instincts or there are other factors that influence the creation of language ?

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  14. Kikin sakinah
    181230059
    TBI 6B

    Assalamualaikum miss, i wanna ask.. does memory affect a person in learning a language?

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    1. Siti Ifat Fatimah
      181230076
      TBI-6B

      Permission to answer questions from you. Yes, memory affects a person in learning a language. Because working memory is the place where language is being processed, working memory provides the temporary storage that's very useful in language process. In language production, working memory becomes the place where the pronunciations of the words are put in linear order on the basis of the syntactic and semantic relations in the intended utterance before the construction of a motor program that produces the utterance. Moreover through phonological loop the new vocab is being stored and rehearsed in working memory before it's transferred to the long term memory. Hope my answer helps.

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  15. Assalamualaikum Miss. I am Nafa Saniati (181230057) from TBI 6 B. I will sharing my opinion about this topic . In my opinion, learning language evolution is very interesting. Maybe in the past, We know that a human imitate all from animal. We see the animal communicated, we try it. With advances in science and technology, civilization is getting more and more sophisticated Now humans can have their own language. Recognize words, vocabularies, or grammatical well. I agree that if we are a children, we need to put more effort into understanding it. So that a mature exploration pattern is needed. so i agree with some theorists believe that language evolution comes from primate calls (like Hauser, 1996, Holden, 2004, etc). in the primitate calls, adults have the ability to imitate, and children imitate the mannerisms or ways of adults speaking. keep doing that until humans have good habits of speaking.
    If my opinion is wrong, please correct. Thank You.

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  16. Nama : Manda
    Nim : 181230045

    I want to ask, what is a symbolic unit and how do we know symbolic units such as words or manual signs and syntax in language

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  17. Name: Umi Habibah
    SRN: 181230061
    Class: TBI 6B
    let me ask miss, sorry it might be a little out off topic🙏🏻. There are several cases where patients who wake up from a coma suddenly speak fluent foreign languages, according to your personal opinion miss, what do you think about this case?

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  18. Reni Mutiara
    181230060
    TBI 6B

    I agree, Miss, that language develops along with the development of people's knowledge and experience by using thinking, because without thinking, language cannot be conveyed and understood by other people. Likewise, without thinking, human language would not have developed as it is now. In my opinion, the theory that is explained if the originating language of the primate call seems absurd because as explained in Islam that humans are given reason to think, there are at least three features of humans compared to other creatures, namely: language acquisition, the ability to think, and the perfection of bodily forms. and if we look at the theory which states that language evolved from the call of primates like animals, then the existing language ability limits the human world.

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  19. I agree if the language is a means of communication... because today, we use the language for communication with other..

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  20. name: Nurul Azmi Agisni
    nim: 181230071
    class: TBI 6B


    In my opinion, the Qur'an has explained the origin of human language as coming from Allah the creator by teaching it to
    Adam a.s and created language devices that exist in humans. In the Noam Chomsky language, device is the Language Acquisition Device (LAD). The language tool that has been created by Allah stay used by humans through the learning process. Without going through the learning process of the language device cannot function optimally.

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  21. I wanna ask miss.. my nama shabrina fitri annazmy from Class 6B (181230075)
    Why does the cultural evolution of language matter?

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  22. Name : Annisa Nurfadillah
    TBI 6B

    According to what I understand from the material above is, their language acquisition depend on their biological development. There are two theories of how children acquire a language: a generative grammar lead by Chomsky and a usage-based theory introduced by Tomasello.

    Second, the children associate the acquired language with universal grammar where the linguistic items are used to the rules of different languages. In the modern theory such as the usage-based theory, it proposed that children initially acquire their language through concrete constructions from the speech they hear and use daily.

    Language evolution include the question how languages gradually developed over time into the world recently.The theorist argue that call system is communicative and language is communicative, so they conclude that language only has been sort of primate call system.

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  23. I am Murdevi (181230156) from TBI 6D. I'll respond about language evaluation. There has been much speculation about the origin of language, one of which is: Theological school states that the ability to speak human language is a gift from God to distinguish him from his other creatures. In the Qur'an (2: 31) Allah explicitly instructed Adam to name objects (not counting objects). Adherents of this school argue that Adam's ability to name objects is called not only the first linguistic event in human history, but also a social event that distinguishes man from all other creatures of God's creation.
    Apart from that, language change and development can occur due to the contact of a language with another language, where humans as social beings are cultured and interact with each other.

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  24. Nur Rasmayanti
    181230066
    TBI - 6B


    in the writing that miss gave and other sources, that I have read. explain that the origin of human language is still unsolved. There are theories of the origin of language in western literature, for example those proposed by such as Michael Tomasello, language developed from the aspect of primate communication, which tends to communicate through signs rather than through vowels. But in my opinion, we as religious Muslims, I agree with the opinion of Miss, who does not believe in the evolution of language from the aspect of human communication. the origin of language in Islamic literature has three views. the origin of language according to Muslim scholars in Islamic classical literature divided into in three groups:
    a. The viewpoint group that language in the beginning is from Allah that happened by tauqiify or by revelation and inspiration. This is based His words in the letter al- Baqarah verse 31. The Ulama carry this view is Ibn Faris.
    b. The viewpoint group that language in the beginning is created by humans (ishtilahy or muwaadha'ah).
    c. The viewpoint group that language in the beginning is from human creation given the power of Allah therefore. The cleric carry this view is Abu 'Ali al-Farisi, Abu al-Hasan al-Rummany and Ibn Jinny.
    Linguistic thinking is a thought strategic in Islamic studies remember the main source of the teachings Islam is the Al-Qur'an using Arabic. By because it is linguistic studies (linguistics) must get special attention, because it will become a pondation and gateway for other studies.

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  25. Siti Mariam
    181230130
    TBI VI D

    Assalamu'alaikum Miss,
    i'd like to ask, Does the dialect we speak also include the evolution of languages?" Remembering Since each region has its own dialect in communication.
    Thank you miss

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  26. Nama : Salma Aida Maftuhah
    Kelas : TBI 6B
    Nim : 181230068
    I agree with the statement that language starts with signs because, charles darwin, 1871 says I cannot doubt that language comes from imitation and modification, aided by gestures and movements, to various sounds of nature, other animal sounds, and the instinctive screams of humans themselves.

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  27. Name : Usrotul Hiyaroh
    SRN : 181230067
    Class : TBI6B
    In my opinion, just as Darwin pointed out that species are inherently immutable, it is now recognized that language has evolved over time, adapting to society and its environment. In recent years, various disciplines have contributed new ideas to understanding the evolution of language. Therefore, we are uniquely prepared to build on this new initiative to develop a general theory of language evolution.
    Basically, language evolution operates at many levels and span of time: from the evolution of language as a communicative system, which lasts for tens or hundreds of thousands of years, to the evolution of certain languages ​​across generations and in speech communities. This is to relate the cognitive capacities of individuals and how they process language with the use of language as a public and social product in certain cultural and ecological contexts. Therefore, it will integrate our understanding of how language works at the individual level with the community or nation level.

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  28. Name : Hayanun
    SRN : 181230041
    Class : 6B

    I have no idea about the theory of the evolution of language that comes from primate calls. However, no one knows for sure when languages ​​began to exist, where, and how to create them, and who started them. Let's just say that the history of language begins at the very beginning of human existence. Thus, the history of language lasts throughout human history. I believe that language has basically been given by Allah as creator, in the form of a device within us. Likewise with Chomsky, he has the view that language is owned by humans since she/he was born. He tried to show and prove the potential involvement of the brain in humans. He tries to analyze it through speech behavior between speaker and listener.

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  29. Nisa Nuranisa
    181230053
    Tbi 6B
    I wanna ask miss,, what is the primate calling system? did the previous person originally said the word, for example, the word stone and it became language?

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  30. Name : Syifa Qotrun Nada
    SRN : 181230062
    Class : TBI 6B

    I want to ask miss, what is a good strategy for using the usage-based theory introduced?

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  31. Maurizka Adilla
    181230154
    TBI 6D
    Assalamu'alaikum wr. wb., Mrs. I think I have the same thoughts as you. I'm disagreeing because i think between human and primates, we have our own language, and the process of the development too, which made me think that some people misunderstood that primates are our "beginning". human and primates share up to 96% DNA similarities. based on what i've read too, language evolutions took time. earth had been existed million years ago, and scientists found the evidence of civilization approximately in 50.000-100.000 years ago, and that is a huge gap of time. i believe that language developed from just a sound, a shout, and some sort of it. but human race developed, civilization were rising, there are so much going on, new inventions, new cultures, of course language were developing in that process too.

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    1. by "disagreeing" i mean that primate call system doesn't have any relation to human language development

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  33. Name : Nanda Siti Radela
    Class : TBI VI-B
    SRN : 181230054

    Assalamu’alaikum wr. wb
    Ms, I would like to ask..
    Why do children first learn to differentiate syllables, if evolution of speech theories show clearly that words were used before syllables?

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  34. Name: Siti Nurkomariyah
    SRN: 181230074
    Class: TBI-6B

    I agree with the preference of Miss, that language develops as people's knowledge and experiences develop. As such, the language is unrelated to the primate vocation system. Because as far as I know, no human speaks like a primate.

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  35. Dede Rapli
    181230177
    TBI 6E

    I would like to ask miss, if language acquisition and language evolution are connected in which both involve the change of biological aspect and culture in completing their languages.
    Then, how do we respond to the times that usually many foreign cultures affect the lives of young people, especially in language? because it often happens, many young people today use foreign languages ​​that are not polite to hear, how do we respond to that, miss?

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  36. Name : Anisa Fauziah
    Nim : 181230164
    Class : TBI 6 E

    I want to ask miss, how is the process of language development from year to year so that humans have created several languages ​​in several regions?

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  37. Intan permatasari
    181230092 / TBI 6C

    I wanna ask ma'am, why in Indonesia there are various languages? Thanks ma'am

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