Present a comparing – and – contrasting analysis of human langu age and the vocal communication of nonhuman primates.
Vocal C
ommunication
of
H
umans and
Nonhuman P
rimates
T
OPIC
Present a comparing
–
and
–
contrasting analysis of human langu
age and the vocal communication
of nonhuman primates. Specifically, you should analyze how vocal communication systems of
humans and nonhuman primates are similar and different in terms of:
(1) production mechanism (anatomy and physiology)
(2) repertoires (types of signals and range of
meanings that the signals convey); and
(3) underlying cognitive abilities (grammar, referentiality,
intentionality,
theory of mind, etc.).
Of these, question (3) should be your primary emphasis and take up a majority of both space and
focus in your ess
ay. One of the key questions in the study of human language considers which
aspects of language are uniquely human and which may be considered part of our primate
heritage (
see
Zuberbuhler
2012
). This is a difficult question, on which there is no consensus
in
the scientific community. You will address this by focusing on cognitive aspects of
communication
.
Regarding questions (2) and (3), we
will
not have extensive
class
discussion of these
with regard
to human language use. Regarding question (2), we ta
ke it as given that human languages are
capable of producing an unlimited variety of utterances and conveying a full range of meanings,
intentions, and emotions (cf. Pinker, Ch. 2). Regarding question (3), you can use what you know
about
y
our own language u
se and your own experiences. However, do not go into lengthy
discussion of human language. The focus should be on nonhuman primates for these questions.
G
UIDELINES
Essays are assessed not only for content, but also for grammar, clarity, conciseness, and
c
oherence. Strive to make
your essays accurate, relevant
and organized
, and
u
se academic
English. Your writing should demonstrate an understanding of key scientific terms related to
sound and communication, with accurate use of
relevant
technical terms such as
amplitude,
spectrum, conspecific, heterospecific
,
etc
. You might think of this as writing a short article
directed towards an educated layperson, and it should read as a prose essay, not a lab report
outlin
ing
observations. The purpose is to assess y
our writing skills in addition to your
understanding of the material presented in class.
For source material, you may draw on a mix of course lectures, videos, and assigned readings,
but
to earn full credit, you must include material from (and cite) at le
ast
two
articles
from
the course readings
.
No outside sources are required, though you are certainly welcome to draw
on other research materials if you like. There is no need to provide citations for material you
draw from lecture
s
,
unless the material ori
ginated from one of the readings or videos. Properly
cite these and any other data drawn
from
course readings
and videos
. (You may use the formal
citation style of your choice,
so long as you are consistent and the source and page number of the
material is
made clear. If you do use additional sources, be sure to cite the
m
and provide full
bibliographical entries.) Otherwise, as with any academic writing, your work must be your own
and in your own words.
F
ORMATTING AND
S
UBMISSION
•
Your document should
include your name and class name and number at the top of the
document. The name of your document should include your surname and “L123 E
2
”.
•
Provide your own original, descriptive title for your essay.
•
Your essay must be
a minimum of
1500 words long
, but n
o longer than
1
8
00
words
. Please
include the
word count at end of
the
document
in square brackets
[ ]
.
•
Document formatting should use a
12 pt. font,
have
1
–
inch margins
on all sides
, and be saved
in
either
a
doc/.docx or .pdf format
.
•
The
essay must be
submitted in
two
ways. One copy should be
emailed to me by
the due date
and time in either .doc/.docx or .pdf format. The other should be uploaded to Turnitin via
Canvas
by the same deadline
.
