The course aims to provide students with the basic knowledge about the modern theories of language origins. Starting from the comparison between human language and animal communication, two theoretical proposals will be discussed: on the one hand, the hypothesis according to which human language derives from the communication systems of non-human animals (of the great apes, specifically); on the other, the hypothesis according to which animal communication is not a precursor of human faculty of language.
At the end of the course the student:
- will acquire the basic concepts of the theoretical models of language proposed in the field of evolutionary studies.
- Will be able to distinguish the theses advanced by the authors from the arguments used to support such theses, and will be able to provide a correct reconstruction of these arguments
At the end of the course the student:
- will acquire the basic concepts of the theoretical models of language proposed in the field of evolutionary studies.
- Will be able to distinguish the theses advanced by the authors from the arguments used to support such theses, and will be able to provide a correct reconstruction of these arguments
teacher profile teaching materials
Animal communication and human language: the Darwinian tradition.
Human evolution
The communication of hominids: vocal hypothesis vs gestural hypothesis.
The model of the explosion.
Human communication: reading the intentions of the speaker.
Theory of mind in non-human primates.
- Adornetti I., 2016, Il linguaggio: origine ed evoluzione. Carocci, Roma.
Programme
Animal communication and human language: the Cartesian tradition.Animal communication and human language: the Darwinian tradition.
Human evolution
The communication of hominids: vocal hypothesis vs gestural hypothesis.
The model of the explosion.
Human communication: reading the intentions of the speaker.
Theory of mind in non-human primates.
Core Documentation
- Ferretti F., Adornetti I., 2012, Dalla comunicazione al linguaggio. Scimmie, ominidi e umani in una prospettiva darwiniana, Mondadori Università, Milano. (Chapters 2 and 3)- Adornetti I., 2016, Il linguaggio: origine ed evoluzione. Carocci, Roma.
Type of delivery of the course
The final decision will be subject to the pandemic trendType of evaluation
multiple choice written test