Language and Species

TESC/E&W Studies/Winter ‘11

Syllabus

Instructor: Richard McKinnon, Ph.D.

Email: mckinnon.rick@comcast.net
Course Description: Humans often claim distinction as unique among the animals of the world. This
course examines this hypothesis from the perspective of communication. What are the parameters that
govern communication systems of all species? Why do bees dance, frogs croak, and humans speak?
What kinds of messages do members of various species communicate to each other? Is human language
qualitatively different from other forms of animal communication? If so, how did it evolve to be so
different and what does that mean about humans as a species? We will employ the tools of linguistics,
psychology, ethology and anthropology to find answers to these questions.
Required Readings: Bickerton, Derek, 2009. Adam’s Tongue. Hill and Wang.
Extended Readings: http://moodle.evergreen.edu/course/view.php?id=1355
Course Objectives: By the end of the quarter, participants will:
● be familiar with the evolutionary landscape around humans (wrt communication), and how
language distinguishes us,
● develop a model for understanding brain development and mental architecture as the set of
adaptive solutions to “problems” presented by the environment, and be able to describe the
relationship between language and general cognition (smarts),
● have a greater appreciation for the complexity of language, as well as for some other specialized
abilities of animals and humans.
● be able to describe the specific evolutionary pressures that caused language to evolve.
Course Activities: Participants will produce response writings (not less than 750 words in length) for
each week. The response writing will address a specific issue raised in the readings for that week, and
may begin with a brief quote or summary of an argument from the text. A forum will be available on
the web where participants will post response writings each week. Finally, participants will produce
an end-of-quarter project in the form of a creation of (or substantial contribution to) a Wikipedia entry
concerning animal communication or the evolution of language. This project will include readings
beyond those provided in the course materials. Participants may form groups to complete the
Wikipedia project. Participant’s work will be evaluated on the following components:
● Contribution to class discussion of readings (Moodle and in-class).
● Completion of response writings.
● Independent research of journal articles and book chapters.
● Completion of Wikipedia project.
Completion of a peer-reviewed self-assessment.
 Course Schedule
*All readings should be completed before class on the week they are assigned.*

Topic: Bickerton Readings:

Week 1: Introduction: What is language? --
Language instinct/organ/module/frames of mind
Video: Thinking Allowed: Steven Pinker or With and Without Words (Human Language Series)

Week 2: Pidgins and Protolanguages Chs. 1 & 2

Suppl. Readings: Slobin; Zuberbuehler; Deacon
Video: The Wild Child.

Week 3: The Holistic Hypothesis Ch. 3

Suppl. Readings: Pepperberg; de Waal; Falk
Video: Animal Minds or Koko

Week 4: The Social Hypothesis Ch. 4

Suppl. Readings: Dunbar; Gardner; Savage-Rumbaugh
Video:

Week 5: Niche Construction Chs. 5-6

Suppl. Readings: Pinker (all groups)
Video: The Blind Watchmaker

Week 6: The Recruitment Hypothesis Ch. 7-8

Suppl. Readings:
Video: The Life of the Honey Bee

Week 7: Spandrels & Exaptation Ch. 9

Suppl. Readings: HC&F; Gould; Pinker & Bloom
Video: The Mind’s Big Bang

Week 8: Concepts & Categories Ch. 10

Suppl. Readings:
Video:

Week 9: The Pace of Incrementalism Ch. 11

Suppl. Readings:
 Video:

Week 10: The Structure of Language Ch. 12

Suppl. Readings: Everett
Video: Human Quest – The Nature of Human Nature

*All readings should be read before class on the week they are assigned.*