LING 1100 Chapter Notes - Chapter Reading 5: Sign Language, Yerkish, David Premack
31 Jan 2018
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Learned four spoken words (mama, papa, cup, and up) Researchers suggested two systems for apes to have a better chance at language: word-like symbols, sign language. These all had about an 80% accuracy. Sarah learned relationships between words and objects. She learned by a system controlled by a computer. Buttons on the system were her form of communication. System of lexigrams lana learned was called yerkish . The system had a button that represented a period to end a sentence. The most plausible conclusion for sarah and lana is that they were expert pattern learners. Sarah and lana did this for rewards like food, unlike humans. Problem in ape language research is over interpretation. Washoe never used signs for communication purposes, only to ask/demand his wants. The owners spoke and signed to koko. She knew over 2,000 signs but obviously didn"t speak. Used language in sophisticated ways (puns, word plays) Species can learn parts of stem for language.
