Home Sign Systems Challenge the Term Paper

Total Length: 625 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 5

Page 1 of 2

Furthermore, this element of cognitive aspect of linguistic development is equally evident in other species with complex languages, such as in many species of birds (Edey & Johanson, 1999; Simonds, 2002). Typically among songbirds, if infant birds are not exposed to the songs of their parents (or other adults of their species), they lose the ability to communicate in that manner even if they are repeatedly exposed to those languages later in life (Simonds, 2002).

Feral children demonstrate precisely the same phenomenon: they lose the ability to mimic any form of human speech because they lack exposure to it in infancy. They may possess normal levels of intelligence and that accounts for their ability to establish alternate forms of communication, such as through sign language based on the logical connection to the physical world and even to some abstract concepts.
Even deaf children likely have more opportunity to absorb critical information about human speech during infancy, because they observe the mouth movement patterns of their parents even if they do not hear the sounds they make.

In principle, home signs adopted by feral children are the method of communication sometimes used by other species to communicate with humans, such as when dogs paw at a door or bring us their collars to communicate they need to go outside. Feral children have much greater capacity to create home signs but they usually cannot ever overcome the lack of exposure to human language in infancy any more than a songbird that is deprived of the opportunity to hear the songs of their species......

Show More ⇣


     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Home Sign Systems Challenge The" (2011, November 20) Retrieved June 4, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/home-sign-systems-challenge-47705

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Home Sign Systems Challenge The" 20 November 2011. Web.4 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/home-sign-systems-challenge-47705>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Home Sign Systems Challenge The", 20 November 2011, Accessed.4 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/home-sign-systems-challenge-47705