Stephen Fry - Planet world origins of language

• 2 years is a key age for language to start, they acquire 10 new words a day 
• Dadda and Mumma are frequent first words
• Chimps cannot acquire like we can however they can make commands by pushing buttons and use sign language but not have/hold conversations
• As a human communication is used for collaboration
• Medical research found Fox P2 as a chromosome in charge of language - only a small change within this chromosome can alter the ability of language. For example rats are only 3 amino acids different for humans
• We know more about the universe than we do our brain
• The brain has the ability to rewire itself if damaged
• There is a window for language development that closes around early puberty 
• Dr Deb Roy - Created the speech home project. He recorded every second of his sons first three years of life to analyzing his speech development. Suggests a childs semantic awareness out strips their phonologival awareness ( Understands what they want to say but just do not have the ability to say it)
• Steven Pinker - Children say things they've never heard before which suggest children are born with the ability to speak
• Jean Berko Gleason - Developed the WUG test. Suggests parents need to provide the opportunity to speak in different contexts