Persuasive Essay On Sign Language

Michelle Tong

Professor Finney

LING 100

23 February 2014

Persuasive Essay 1

It has long been debated whether or not humans are the only species that have evolved and are advanced enough to cultivate a complex language system. While it has been argued that other species do indeed have their own inherent methods of communication, none so far have exhibited sign of a language system as complex and structural as that of humans. Apes have exhibited their own method of language through ‘call systems,’ a limited number of sounds produced when certain stimuli are encountered. But while they are capable of their own language, it is another question entirely of whether they are capable of human language, which is characterized by its inherent qualities of displacement, arbitrariness, productivity, discreteness, duality and cultural transmission (Nature of Language, p. 17-18).

The legitimacy of apes’ understanding of human language is a much-deliberated topic. Though many apes have been trained to understand and use American Sign Language, the degree to which they exhibit comprehension of the properties of human language seems to vary. The apes Sherman and Austin, were able to use symbols to describe objects that were not immediately present and also to describe their intended actions, which is demonstrative of the displacement property. Sherman and Austin could also look at a certain set of printed lexigram symbols and denote whether each could be classified as either a ‘tool’ or a ‘food.’ Since they were never told beforehand which lexigram symbol corresponded to which classification, the apes were successfully demonstrating the arbitrariness property of language. Apes have even demonstrated making their own language rules, such as using...

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...ing inadequate and incapable of discussing these complex topics. However, as the reading suggests, “all languages are capable of the same types of expansion of vocabulary to deal with whatever new areas of life their speakers need to talk about” (Language Myths, p.13). So while these ‘inferior’ languages have not yet developed the vocabulary necessary of explaining more complex concepts, it does not necessarily mean that they are less superior, but only less developed, since all languages have the capability to evolve to accommodate the developing technical areas of life.

While it is true that some languages may be less complex than others, it does not necessarily constitute them as being inferior. No language is truly superior or inferior, since every language has the capacity to develop, and also since it is the nature of language to constantly evolve and expand.