Any conclusions drawn about one specific ape language project should not be assumed to apply to other projects. Although the two projects were similar in some ways, the methodology of the two research teams differed significantly, as did the results. For example, Washoe is often discussed alongside another chimpanzee, Nim Chimpsky, who also participated in a research project using American Sign Language (ASL). Sometimes they assume that the results of all ape language projects must be the same. Second, journalists writing for a non-academic audience often express doubt about whether Washoe’s language use has really been proven. However, empirical research results should be considered on their own merits, regardless of their implications for previously-held theories.
First, some philosophers and linguists defend theories which imply that only humans can learn language. The misunderstandings and doubts come from at least two sources. I believe that these chimpanzees are genuinely using language, and that much of the philosophical resistance to this claim is based on misunderstandings of the research and its results. In this article I will focus on Washoe and her family. The language capabilities of non-human apes have been studied in several important projects, with widely different methods. I have been a volunteer docent there since 2007. Their home is the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI), located on the campus of Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. Their names are Tatu, Dar, and Loulis, and their more famous family member Washoe was the first non-human to acquire a human language. I live a few blocks away from some unusual neighbors: three chimpanzees who fluently use American Sign Language. SUBSCRIBE NOW Articles Language-Using Apes J’aime Wells is an ape talking about the possibility of apes talking.
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