Notes from Stephen Fry documentary

-Children speak from the age of two years old. They begin with consonant vowel construction ("ta, da, ba").
-They have a heightened semantic awareness but a lessened phonological awareness.

-Animals are unable to make complex sounds - their vocal abilities aren't flexible enough. Some animals however have been taught sign language, (to some extent) successfully.
-The University of Columbia conducted an experiment with a Chimp called 'Nimchimpsky': they raised him as a child and attempted to teach him sign language. To their amazement they discovered Nimchimpsky was able to construct simple sentences but not to initiate conversations - no linguistic creativity, only able to build imperative requests.
-There are only TWO differences between the amino acids in Fox-P-2 (language gene) between humans and chimps.

But where did language originally come from?

-It is thought that as language developed in the early ages it was biologically the woman's job to ensure social cohesion and to keep the tribe/village together (maternal instincts).
-Something in a woman's DNA which makes them more cooperative (dating back 1000s of years).

-VICTOR, a child found had been living alone and as an animal for some years (a ferile child). He was essentially a 'blank slate', and the doctor who took him had to teach him everything. Victor was NEVER able to talk - evidence that there is a critical aquisition period. We must be stimulated linguistically.

-Children associate lexis with context (e.g, water)
-The WUGtest supports Chomsky's LAD - we are born with the apparatus to use language and grammar. Even with nonsense made-up words, children apply grammatical laws that they've somehow absorbed.
-The amount of language that parents provide kids before school is crucial.
-Never negate the importance of visuals in CLA - children sometimes need to look at who they're talking to.