Insights from the Evolution of Newly Formed Languages: The Case of Nicaraguan Sign Language
Recently-developed languages like Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL) offer invaluable insights into how language evolves and develops. This article delves into the fascinating research conducted on this unique language, providing a deeper understanding of linguistic phenomena and offering practical insights for linguists and educators alike.
Introduction to Nicaraguan Sign Language
Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL) emerged in the 1980s when Nicaragua established its first deaf school for the first time. Prior to this, deaf children were integrated into mainstream schools with no language of their own. As a result, a rudimentary form of sign language was created and taught to a group of deaf children. This initial effort formed the basis for the evolution of NSL over the next several decades.
Phases of Language Development
The language development process of NSL can be broadly categorized into several phases:
Phase 1: Initial Emergence
The first cohort of children who learned the rudimentary signs focused on arm and hand motions, signing relatively slowly. Signers in this phase typically signed alone with others watching and responding after the first individual finished their sign. This early phase resembled a pidgin, with a limited set of signs and no established grammar.
Phase 2: Rapid Expansion and Grammar Formation
As new cohorts learned and built upon the previous signs, NSL began to evolve rapidly. The signs became more nuanced, involving finger movements and other body language. Signers started to sign faster and interrupt each other, indicating a more developed level of communication. This phase saw the emergence of grammatical structures that allowed for more complex conversations.
Phase 3: Full Language Development
After the first few cohorts, NSL evolved significantly, so much so that older generations could no longer understand the new signs used by younger generations. This phase highlighted the need for continuous language adaptation and the unpredictable yet efficient nature of language evolution. Even attempts to control the language and impose grammatical rules were unsuccessful, reinforcing the principles of natural language development.
Implications for Linguistics
The study of NSL provides several key insights for linguists:
Spontaneous Language Emergence: The emergence of NSL in a new community of deaf individuals demonstrates how language can spontaneously arise without external linguistic influence. Grammar and Structural Development: Observing the evolution of NSL grammar over time helps linguists understand the processes by which grammatical structures develop and change. Efficiency and Adaptation: The rapid adaptation and efficiency of NSL to the communicative needs of its speakers illustrates how language can evolve to meet pragmatic demands, often in unpredictable ways. Language Control: The failures to control NSL and instill grammatical rules highlight the inherent dynamism of language and the limitations of imposed language structures.Conclusion
The study of newly formed languages like NIcalaguan Sign Language provides a unique window into the complex and dynamic processes of language development. Understanding these processes can help linguists, educators, and researchers better comprehend the nature and evolution of sign languages, as well as the broader principles of language formation and adaptation.