Main content

Witnessing the birth of a new language

How linguists were given the unique opportunity to study the emergence of a new sign language among deaf children in Nicaragua in the 1980s.

In the early 1980s deaf children in Nicaragua invented a completely new sign language of their own. It was a remarkable achievement, which allowed experts a unique insight into how human communication develops. Mike Lanchin has been speaking to American linguist Judy Shepard-Kegl, who documented this process and says "our belief is that you are born with a language-ready brain".

(Photo credit should read INTI OCON/AFP via Getty Images)

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Thu 6 Feb 2020 04:50GMT
大象传媒 World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only

More episodes

Previous

Cixi: China's most powerful woman

Next

The Native American casino boom in the US

See all episodes from Witness History

Broadcasts

  • Wed 5 Feb 2020 08:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service
  • Wed 5 Feb 2020 12:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service
  • Wed 5 Feb 2020 13:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service News Internet
  • Wed 5 Feb 2020 16:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service Australasia
  • Wed 5 Feb 2020 18:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service except Australasia, East and Southern Africa, South Asia & West and Central Africa
  • Wed 5 Feb 2020 21:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service South Asia
  • Wed 5 Feb 2020 23:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Thu 6 Feb 2020 03:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service Online & UK DAB/Freeview only
  • Thu 6 Feb 2020 04:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only

Featured in...

Podcast