| Language acquisition is interpreted as an acquired Stimulus-Response processunder the philosophical framework of Standard Social Science Model. It is alsosuggested by Relativistic Holism as babble vs. child-directed speech process so as toachieve effective social communication. However, the above views are challenged bythe recent research work of structural genomics on FOXP2, a so-called"gene forlanguage/speech". In this paper, I argue that an understanding of language origin andacquisition requires substantial interdisciplinary cooperation. I will suggest how workin linguistics can be profitably wedded to current developments in molecular biology(especially structural genomics), philosophy, anthropology, archaeology, neuroscienceand cognitive science. Based on the logical thinking on human behaviors (specificallyreview of Standard Social Science Model and reanalysis of Relativistic Holism) andthe scientific facts from interdisciplinary cooperation (specifically the localization,function and molecular evolution of FOXP2), a hypothesized integrated model issubmitted to interpret the nature of language origin and acquisition. And it is provedthat both language origin and acquisition are motivated by the net force ofenvironmental evolution plus genetic environment instead of the monofactor of theenvironment (as Standard Social Science Model suggested) or the net force ofinnateness plus posteriority (as Relativistic Holism proposed). My conclusion is thatthe nature of language/speech is neither an imitation to the environment (as StandardSocial Science Model suggested) nor a compromise to the society (as RelativisticHolism proposed). It is a human-specific faculty which was provided by an accidentalmutation of a single gene as well as evolving against selective pressure to survive ofthe fittest and minimize communication errors. Therefore it is very possible thathuman language faculty has always been playing an indispensable role for thesurvival and evolution of human beings. |
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