THE ORIGINS OF LANGUAGE Ludwig Ruiz, Paola Vivas, y Victor Tun Cruz Universidad de Quintana Roo, Campus Cozumel Introduction. Language, the key of communication, is used to express feelings, emotions and thoughts! But do you know how language originated?
I am…The divine source theory. I am the divine source theory. I provided people with a unique and original language since birth. But because of the events in the “Tower of Babel” when men tried to build a tower to reach “God” he punished them by creating different languages, so that way they could not communicate with each other to finish the tower. I am the correct theory, God gave us language.
I am…The social interaction theory. I am also known as the “Yo-he-ho theory” and I state that language originated because of the interaction between early humans that must have lived in groups, which require some form of organization and communication. Those humans must have developed language because of grunts, moans and cursing at the moment of lifting trees, rocks, mammoths, etc. La-la theory is also a part of me: Language originated from a song from an expressive rather than a communicative need. So, I am the correct theory.
I am…The tool-making source theory The speech and the tool-making source may have a connection since they involve the left hemisphere of the brain. Early humans’ hands became occupied with the use of tools, they were less able to communicate with hand gestures, so speech became as a necessity . Most of the other approaches to the origins of speech have humans producing single noises to indicate objects in their environment. I am the correct theory! don’t think about it a lot.
All the theories gave you their explanation but…Which theory would you choose? Choose two theories, the one that convinced you the most and the one that did not convinced you at all.
• Explain why you chose the one that convinced you. • Explain why you chose the one that did not convinced you.
1- The divine source theory.
“Don’t be so sure” said the next theory…
I am…The natural sound source theory. I am also known as the “Bow-wow theory”. I state that language originated from the imitation of the sounds of nature like the rain, the wind and animals. Early humans tried to imitate these sounds and associated them with the things around them. • Those sounds are called “Onomatopoeias” Oh, but I am also related to the “Pooh-pooh theory” which suggests that language may have been a product of natural cries of emotion such as pain, anger and joy.
“Now it’s my turn” , said the next theory…
2- The natural sound source theory. “Well, I don’t think so…” said the last theory.
.
I am …The physical adaptation theory. All in me is about the evolution of human beings. The skeletal structure of early humans started changing, looking more like a modern human structure, specially in the following organs: teeth, lips, mouth, tongue, larynx and pharynx. Those changes may have been important for developing speech, even if those changes resulted in partial adaptations. Choose me, I am the correct theory.
I am…The genetic source theory. I state that the language is innate. It is endemic in all humans. Genes give humans the unique ability to produce and understand language. All humans are born with the capacity of speech, which develops through time, it is like having a black box. Even children who are born deaf (and do not develop speech) become fluent sign language users, given appropriate circumstances, very early in life.
3- The social interaction source theory. 4- The physical adaptation source theory. 5- The tool-making source theory. 6- The genetic source theory.
REFERENCES I am the correct theory.
I’m not really sure about that” said the next theory… RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2015
www.PosterPresentations.com
“ I want to talk too” started the next theory…
I am the most believable theory, choose me!
Yule, G. (2010). The study of language, 4th edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Fromkin, V. et al. An introduction to language. 7th edition. Boston: Heinle. Pinke, S. The language instinct, 1st edition. New York: Penguin.