Can A Chimpanzee Truly Acquire Human Language Skills?

Can chimpanzees acquire human language skills? It’s a question that has intrigued researchers for years. One notable observation is that chimpanzees struggle to grasp human language in the same way infants do. Typically, human infants start producing their first words around the age of 12 months, and this process is preceded by two crucial non-verbal interactions with their parents, which are distinctly human in nature. These interactions lay the foundation for language development, a process that raises intriguing questions about whether chimpanzees can ever reach a similar linguistic milestone.

Why can’t chimpanzees speak human language? According to Fitch, the reason behind this limitation lies in the neural control chimpanzees have over their vocal tract muscles. Unlike humans, who possess precise control, monkeys and apes lack the necessary neural configuration to manipulate their vocal tract for speech production. Fitch suggests that if these animals had a human-like brain controlling their vocal apparatus, they might be capable of speech. However, it remains a somewhat enigmatic phenomenon as to why some other animals can produce rudimentary speech to some extent. This insight sheds light on the fascinating connection between neural control and speech production in non-human primates, raising intriguing questions about the evolution of language. [Source: 9th December 2016].