Why is Language Unique to Humans?

Abstract

Abstract. Cognitive neuroscience has focused on language acquisition as one of the main domains to test the respective roles of statistical vs. rule-like computation. Recent studies have uncovered that the brain of human neonates displays a typical signature in response to speech sounds even a few hours after birth. This suggests that neuroscience and linguistics converge on the view that, to a large extent, language acquisition arises due to our genetic endowment. Our research has also shown how statistical dependencies and the ability to draw structural generalizations are basic processes that interact intimately. First, we explore how the rhythmic properties of language bias word segmentation. Second, we demonstrate that natural speech categories play specific roles during language acquisition: some categories are optimally suited to compute statistical dependencies while other categories are optimally suited for the extraction of structural generalizations.

Eye gaze reveals a fast, parallel extraction of the syntax of arithmetic formulas

“…The interaction between the spatial layout of the expression and its syntactic structure are reminiscent of the tight relation between syntax and prosody observed in spoken language (Mehler, Nespor, Shukla, & Pena, 2006;Nespor & Vogel, 2007). It argues in favor of a tight relationship between perceptual organization and conceptual reasoning (Goldstone & Barsalou, 1998).…”

How language evolved as a backchannel between two feedback loops

“…This is especially true for powerful innate language-learning mechanisms, such as the ability of neonates to identify patterns of tokens (finding word boundaries) on the basis of statistical probability of the phonetic structure in fluent ongoing speech (Pelucchi et al 2009). Neonates prefer language to all other acoustic stimuli (Shultz and Vouloumanos 2010) and are fascinated by language more than by anything else (Mehler et al 2006); even foetuses recognize speech with sufficient clarity for this to influence the melody of their first cry (Mampe et al 2009). Children are born with the presumption that language is structured in words that relate to each other to build propositions (sentences).…”