Nova on Human Origins

I just watched the third part of the PBS television series on "Becoming Human." It barely discussed the origins of speech or language, which I suppose is just as well. Better to say nothing than to say something superficial and pretend that it is the whole story. Still, I'm struck by the fact that they did a three hour report tracing the human lineage over about 6 million years and had very little to say about the issues discussed routinely on this blog. The speech triangle, voluntary control of vocalizations, words, syntax ... nope.

Comments

[David Fried]

I had the same reaction. To my mind "becoming human" and learning to speak" are pretty much the same thing.

[uzza]

Thank you David. Those of us who sign and don't speak appreciate you expressing your opinion so honestly.
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BLOGGER: I think speak/sign was understood in David's post.

[David Fried]

No offense intended. In fact I have a deaf goddaughter and know some ASL. I never think of her as "not speaking," but as speaking a language I am embarrassed not to have mastered. The experience of watching her learn to communicate more or less convinced me that human speech began as sign. It is just too peculiar, otherwise, that human language can be fully realized through two such different channels. I believe that the "language instinct" is far older, in evolutionary terms, than the fine control of the articulatory processes necessary for fluent speech. I also think that the fact that all humans "talk" with their hands is a fact that requires more attention and explanation than it usually gets.