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If humans can learn to speak different languages and we're considered an animal species why can't animals such as dogs learn to speak our language?
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
Language by definition is more than simply single sounds, calls, barks etc. So too is stringing words together not constituent of a language.
To use a language an organism's cognitive functions needs to be developed enough that syntax can be used to express differences in meaning, e.g. "bear eats girl" is different to "girl eats bear". Humans are the only organisms who have demonstrated such higher cognitive ability - even our closest primate cousins cannot do this, so dogs and cats certainly won't. It has nothing to do with the tongue or larynx, as is obvious by the ability of certain animals to mimic human words, but is because of the brain.
To use such a generalisation between "animals" is fallacious to the extreme. It's akin to saying fish can live underwater, and fish are animals, so why can't humans? The answer is obviously that all animals are not the same. Pretty simple, no?
The physical character of animals ( besides man) are so that they are not able to talk in words. Animals do say a lot with their body motions, all you have to do is watch.
Animals can talk, except they have a different form of communication.
Animals don't have the same equipment as we do for talking. Many have tongues but tongues are just for shaping the sounds of words that start as vibrations in our throats. Most animals lack complex vocal cords like we have in our throats, so they can't make smooth vowel sounds. Parrots and a few other animals can make noises that sound like words, but they're really just mimicking us, and they don't really understand what they're saying.
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/onlinestuff/snot/can_animals_talk_and_what_do_they_say.aspx
There is a very good reason why animals cannot learn to talk as human beings do, that is, use words to express ideas.
Most of the intelligent things animals do is a result of inheriting certain patterns of behaviour. This works in Special situations, but when you change the situation the animal usually does not know how to deal with it. The other reason animals behave "intelligently" is that they go through a trial-and-error method of learning.
Neither of these two ways of "thinking" can ever lead to talking. Talking means the use of words as symbols. The word stands for an idea or a thing it is a symbol of it. And animals do not have the ability to deal with symbols. Their minds cannot use combinations of symbols the1 way human beings do.
When we study how a child learns to say "Mama", we can see how complicated learning to talk really is. First the baby learns to recognize mother by seeing her again and again. As soon as the child recognizes her, the mother keeps pointing to herself and saying "Mama" at the same time. Gradually the infant hears the sound "Mama". After a while, the baby remembers this sound, and now it understands the word "Mama".
Later on, the child makes a connection between the appearance of mother and the sound "Mama", and it identifies her. Now the mother shows the child how to say the word with its mouth, The baby imitates her and reaches the stage of word formation. It keeps on trying to say the word until certain muscles begin to work.
Finally the day comes when everything is ready for talking. The baby sees the mother, recognizes her, remembers the word, forms the word, starts the right muscles working, and says "Mama"!http://www.blurtit.com/q996673.html
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
While humans have a more advanced cognitive ability for language acquisition, animals like dogs have a different anatomical and physiological makeup that limits their capability to produce speech sounds like humans. However, dogs can still learn and understand human language to some extent through training and conditioning behavior. Communication between humans and dogs mostly relies on non-verbal cues, body language, and vocalizations.
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Why people have language and animals do not?
Because,god want it that way,and humans are different from animals,plus animals have their own languages,they can communicate with their species.
Does all animals have different levels of adulthood?
yes . Some animals are considered as adults earlier then some or later they all have a different age considered as being an "adult"
Why do humans talk and other animals not?
it is like different races of humans have different languages. only they can understand each other. but if we really tried i bet we could translate it.
How does language distinguish man from animals?
No matter how or what we do with language, we're still animals.
How is human language different from animal communication?
Animals can't "speak" but they can use sounds, actions and stuff to talk. the only difference could be that they don't have a learnable language
Why people have language and animals do not?
Because,god want it that way,and humans are different from animals,plus animals have their own languages,they can communicate with their species.
Can animals speak a different language in France?
Animals don't have languages or dialects. They communicate in other ways, which are based on species, and not based on country.
Do different animals have different languages?
possibly, i am a kid and i think that animals have different languages because when a bird calls, a dog doesn't start barking in return, and a cat doesn't talk to a mouse before it kills it, so i think NO!
Do animals have language?
Well different animals have different languages for example a lion roars.Additional:Coyotes for example make forty different and distinct sounds. When they cry and howl, they combine these in different ways. Incidentally, human language makes forty distinct and different sounds that we combine in different ways.
What languages are spoken by kangaroos?
Kangaroos are animals. They do not speak a language.
Why are animals called so?
Animals are called animals because that's what God called them!"Animals" is the word in the English language to refer to this class of living things. In other languages other words are used.
What are more names in scienticfi language?
Most of the scientific names for animals are derived from Latin language. Latin is, however, considered a dead language.
Does all animals have different levels of adulthood?
yes . Some animals are considered as adults earlier then some or later they all have a different age considered as being an "adult"
What is distinction between human and animal language?
Whilst we know a vast amount about how human language works, we know almost nothing about how animals communicate, and how their "languages' work. As a result we cannot define distinctions between human and animal languages with any certainty.
What are the three basic characteristics of language?
The three basic characteristics of language are arbitrariness (the lack of inherent connection between words and their meanings), productivity (the ability to create and understand infinite new sentences), and displacement (the capacity to talk about things not present in the immediate environment).
What ways is human different to animals?
humans can cook,they have manners,we can talk (many differnt languages) and we can write
What mammal build things and speak?
All animals have their own language and means of communication. Just because we don't understand it doesn't mean they aren't talking. However if you are referring to our human languages then I would say a human. Humans are in fact a species of animals, and to be more exact, mammals. There are also some animals that can mimic our languages, though they are not actually speaking it, for they cannot hold a valid conversation. Some of these animals include different birds, like parrots.
