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ANIMAL
COMMUNICATION
LI 2023
NATHALIE F. MARTIN
Outline of Today’s Class
Today:
 Animal communication

References:
Introduction: The Nature of Communication
(chap. 1; Rowe & Levine)
 « La communication et le langage »
 « Peut-on faire parler les singes? »

Homework for Today
 Create a glossary of these key-terms:
 Communication
 Code
 Language
BEFORE WE START !!!
 HOW DO ANIMALS COMMUNICATE?
down how you think animals
communicate.
 Write
 At the end of the class, we will see how many you were
able to find 
Communication
 Communication is a behaviour, or the
transmission of information, that affects the
behaviour of others.
 When a living organism (or machine) communicates
it sends messages about itself or its environment.
 The message is placed into a code.


Humans have a highly elaborate code called language.
Animals and Human Languages
 All living beings can communicates certain types of
information.
 But can we say that animals have linguistic
abilities?
 We must be careful to distinguish communication,
which is broad, from language, which is a certain
type of communication.
Animal Communication
 Different means of communication used by
animals:
• Smell
• Light
• Electricity
• Color
• Posture
• Actions/movement
• Facial expressions
Perception and
animal communication
 Animal communication is unconscious and non-
deliberate.

For example, if an animal lets out a cry in the presence of a
predator, we automatically suppose that it is a reaction and not a
deliberate desire to warn the other members of it’s species.
 Communication: results of a stimuli.
 Produced only in reaction to a given situation.
 In other words, an animal would never seek to
communicate if it wasn’t enticed by something in it’s
environment.
Perception and
animal communication (2)
 Animal communication is understood as
genetic.
 If an animal, like a monkey for example, emits a
certain cry, it is because it has been genetically
programmed to do so.
 Proof: Many animals, like eels, have adapted to
be able to communicate.
An example: Bees
 Their communication system:

The distance is indicated by the type of « dance »:

In circles, with movement of tale (waggle dance), and figure huit;
 Direction is indicated by the orientation of the dance in
light of the sun;

The quality of the given source of food is indicated by the
speed of the dance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NtegAOQpSs
Dance of the Bees
Of Bees and Men
 A mix of symbolism and clues.
 Symbolic since the dances are not directly associated to the
content they represent.
 Indicial (/ɪndɪʃəl/) since they indicate the quality of the food by
accelerating the dance.
 Limited:
 There is only one subject/topic addressed by the message;
 The information within the message is limited.
 « Code » is mainly genetic (and non cultural).
 Proof: genetic (crossbreeding)
Communication and/or language
 But can we say that what animals possess is in fact
what we refer to as language?
Can primates talk?
THE CASE OF KOKO
AND MANY OTHER ANIMALS
Can humans make primates talk?
 What do you think? Can we make apes talk?
 The first experiments with primates seem to have
shown us that primates can in fact adopt a form of
human language
(whether it be sign language of a similar system).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmuu8UEi2ko
Can humans make primates talk? (2)
1- 1966: Allen & Beatrice Gardner and Washoe
 They taught her Americain sign language (ASL)
 4 years later, she uses 130 signs.
 They also affirm that she has spontaneously
combined different signs that they have never
taught her

e.g. « bird » + « water » = duck
ASL : http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabet_dactylologique#Composition
Can humans make primates talk? (3)
2- David Premack and Sarah the chimpanzee.
 He decided to teach her a new language.
 This language is made up of symbols attached to
magnets placed on a board.
 Sarah learns to manipulate symbols that are non
“iconic” (non representative).
 After many years, she is able a manipulate many
signs to answer questions.
Sceptics
 The success of there two studies opened the door for many
researches, including Francine Patterson and Koko.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U64k_fA2Rcc
 By these studies are hindered by scepticism ...
 H. Terrace says that:
these studies do not show that into account
syntax.
 these chimpanzees have been preconditioned.
 the true ability for language is lacking.
 Other researcher says that this study can be likened to the
“Clever Hans” controversy.

The « Clever Hans » Controversy
 German school teacher, von Osten, in 1904;
 Claims that his horse can think;
 and communicate through clicking his heals or by nodding his
head.
 Oskar Pfungst;
 Explains this phenomenon: « Clever Hans » is simply a good
observer.
The « Clever Hans » Controversy (2)
The horse:
 Has a superior sensory perception;
 Interprets the clues given by his master
(involuntary movement of the head);
 Did not have the right answer when his master
didn’t know the answer or when the horse was
blindfolded;
 Therefore, the horse was simply trained;
 in other words, it could read the clues given by his
master.
Repercussions on the study of primates
 Many think that the positive results (in the study of
apes) are the results of training.




The humans want to animals to do well;
This is communicated to the animals through involuntary
movements;
The animals perceive these messages;
The animals give the desired response.
 Therefore: these animals are only trained.
And the studies continue ...
 In 1977, D. Rumbaugh teaches Lana an artificial
language called Yerkish.
Advantages: there is therefore a certain distance
between the scientist and the chimpanzee, since
they “speak” via a computer and keyboard.
 This eliminates the “clever Hans” phenomenon!
Get this:
the monkeys Sherman and Austin, that know
Yerkish, teach one another the symbols to obtain
food.
And the studies continue ... (2)
In 1980, the bonobos chimps Kanzi et Mulika are
exposed to speech, human gestures and Yerkish
The goal is to imitate the manner in which human acquire
language.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRM7vTrIIis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Dhc2zePJFE
And the studies continue ... (3)
Results: Kanzi learns 90 words in Yerkish with sentence
manipulations (2800 combinations in all, 90% of which
were not taught by the instructor).
Like a child, Kanzi shows natural linguistics abilities.
His unexpected reactions and requests prove that he
understands the meaning (and that it is not only a matter
of training).
Example: “Wash the hot dogs”
So … do primates really have access
to human language?
A FEW CONCLUSIONS
Do apes really have access to human language?
“No, but we have learned that”…
No, but we have learned that primates :
1. have access to a symbolic code, whether it be inate or
learned through training;
2. Are able to name objects, not just ask for them;
3. Are sensitive to word order (syntax);
4. Can create new sentence by changing word order;
5. Can use signs to communicate false information;
6. Who learn “language” = profoundly modified behaviour
and cognitive abilities.
Why don’t primates who live in the wild talk?
 Primates are highly intelligent beings, who have
developed complex social structures, and can
manipulate tools – so why can’t they “talk” in a natural
setting?
 Scientists think that primates have a specific
intelligence, which short-circuits their access to a more
evolved language.
 They are therefore unable to come to a stable
consensus about the meaning of different signs and
symbols that could serve are “words”.
Review: Language, Languages and Speech
FRENCH
“Language”
ENGLISH
Language/ability
The innate ability to learn and produce language/code.
Natural, universal and innate ability (amongst humans).
“Langue”
Language/code
A code or system, used by consensus.
Ex: different languages (French, English, Spanish, Greek, etc.).
Collective (used within a language group, speakers of the language)
“Parole”
Speech
The individual act of speaking
(Concrete use of the language/code).
Ex: “Please stop the bus!”
Individual.
Back to Today’s Challenge
 HOW DO ANIMALS COMMUNICATE?
How do animals
communicates?
Communication and/or language



Can we say that animals possess the ability to learn
language?
Do animals have the innate ability called “language”?
Can they learn human language?
For Next Class
 What we will see:
 Homework:
 Reading:
 Reminder:
HAVE A NICE DAY!
God bless you!
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you blameless before the presence of
his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty,
dominion, and authority, before all time and now and
forever. Amen.” (Jud 1:24-25 )
Matériel nécessaire
 Ce dont j’ai besoin pour ce cours:
 Photocopies :
 Affiches :
 Livres :
 Autres :
Contemporary
Linguistics
Analysis: p. 7.
 Can primates learn a language?
 Do primate have the innate ability for language?
 Justify your answer.