How would you think if you knew no spoken language? Would you rely on mere instinct? How would you express your self? Last night I stared into the night sky in a state of constant thought, listening to my lungs breathe. I am frightened, confused, and excited. It was then that I realized that I know nothing, but I am trying hard to learn.

you'd probably make up sounds or feelings for things, and your thought process would work like that.
Interesting thought.

Did you know... that if you haven't learnt to speak a language by about the age of five it is almost impossible to develop full lingual skills

My neighbour is 5 and can't talk properly yet.

As long as they have basic concepts of language (word association, identifying objects/people etc.) they should be fine, I was talking about severe inability like not being able to say anything basic.
Has your neighbour had their hearing checked?

Yeah. He can hear.

i have cousin who couldn't speak very well when he was little because he had hearing problems. my aunt didn't know that until my mom told her to go get his ears checked.


i think language is one of the most interesting aspects of life. i love making connections between languages and using new words.

My aunt didn't start talking until she was 5.

Not because she was impaired or anything but because she didn't have to learn.

She would just make up signs for what she needed. For example, if she was thirsty she would just rub her throat.

the information that if you don't learn language by the time you're 5 is false. its actually around the age of 12 or 13 and there have been a few extreme cases where a child was neglected or imprisoned from social contact for this long. After this age it is very difficult to pick up language yet still possible. Basically they are trapped in their own little world, and will never be fully functional in society without aid.

there have also been cases where inseparable twins who shun themselves from other children actually create their own language out of babble and jabber. interesting.


also,if you want to learn more about this i recommend taking linguistics or psychology in school. you'll learn about this in any basic course.

My son is five but most people think he is younger because of the way he talks. He has an issue with his tounge. It is not strong enough to form words properly so a lot of people don't understand him all the time. It is sad because he is very bright and has an incredible memory but people don't always listen to him because of his speech.

My son had to learn sign language when he was 2 years old just to communicate without being frustrated. Having my son go through this reminded me how important language really is and how frustrating it can be to not communicate effectively.

I do believe children do understand each others "gibberish". I have seen toddlers "talking" to each other. It is incredible because they look like they are having a real conversation....

Oh well yes, thankyou Mark, my sources were false! I am actually doing psychology at the moment and guess what they told me today! Exactly your information! If, however, you don't know exactly...make something up, is my motto.

ask the french.

Down with the french....Long Live Freedom Fries!!!

thanks a lot.



i'm french. well, part french.


i learned how to talk when i was about one. i was quite the chatterbox. i said my first curse word when i was one.

Moi ten faire des Fries.