Gardner and Gardner Alternative Evidence

Terrace taught ASL to a chimp called Nim Chimpsky, named after the linguist Naom Chomsky, who proposed that humans have a language acquisition device which determines our linguistic ability. Like Washoe, Nim learned to use sign language. Nim learnt 125 different signs and put them together in combinations. Terrace recorded over 20,000 combinations over a two year period. However, Terrace was disappointed to find a difference between Nim's communication and human language. This supports Gardner and Gardner as their research also showed that chimps can acquire ASL, as they evidenced that Washoe acquired 30 words and was able to use them in different combinations as Nim did. However, Terrace further develops Gardner and Gardner as he compared his findings with speech acquisition of children. 

Further research was when Washoe was given an adoptive son, Loulis. The researchers decided that none of the caretakers would sign when Loulis was there, except to use the key seven signs: who…