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According to Prof. Robert Sapolsky, children are the innovators of language, and children speak like their peers. A famous example is a sign language spontaneo
by silicon2401 5y ago
According to Prof. Robert Sapolsky, children are the innovators of language, and children speak like their peers. A famous example is a sign language spontaneously invented by deaf schoolchildren in Child (iirc). The sign language persisted, but after a couple of generations the original generation couldn't even understand the way the new schoolchildren spoke. Children are adaptable and innovative, and both learn and invent new speech. In contrast, adults tend to be rather ossified in their speech and don't change with the times (generally).
- rjbwork 5y agoSpeaking of Sapolsky - his lectures from his Human Behavioral Biology course at Stanford are on youtube and they are fantastic.
- silicon2401 5y agoExactly what I was referencing. Excellent series; I watched/listened to them maybe 4 years ago and couldn't stop. Honestly better than any college course I took myself by far