Stephen Fry : Planet word - origins of language

• over 7000 languages
• 2 year olds tend to start speaking - listen for two years, listening in the womb
• first words - mumma, dada
• human language for collaboration - food, hunting
• could have been leant via song - alphabet
• fox p2 - medical research- part of dna - incharge of language
• a window or language development which closes around puberty
• Dr deb roy - recored his child for three years - tracked the pronounciation of 'water' over 7 months
• Stephen pinker - children are born with the ability to speak as they 'make up' words to replace the correct ones
• jean berko gleason developed the 'WUG' test (1955) - strong evidence born to speak - 'this is a Wug, now there are two '...'
• parents need to provide context, different opportunities to speak in different contexts
• the childs semantic awarenesses outstrips their phonological ability highlighted by deb roy