Lecture no. 1
Comprehension Questions
1. How many languages are there in the world according to the text?
2. What does the “divine source” theory claim about the origins of language?
3. What does the “bow-wow” theory suggest about early words?
4. What kinds of sounds does the “pooh-pooh” theory link to the origin of language?
5. Why is the “pooh-pooh” theory considered implausible as the sole basis for human
language?
6. Which physiological features make humans uniquely capable of producing speech?
Mention at least two.
7. What are the two main language areas in the human brain and what hemisphere are
they located in?
8. What is the difference between the transactional and interactional functions of
language?
9. What communication method was successfully taught to Washoe the chimpanzee, and
what was one creative example of how she used it?
10. Why do researchers study animal communication when investigating human
psycholinguistics?
11. What does it mean when we say that the human brain is lateralized?
12. What is the main function of Broca’s area?
13. What is the main function of Wernicke’s area?
14. How was Koko the gorilla taught language, and how many signs did she learn within
four years?