Not one, but two?

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Language is a system of communication that combines symbols, such as words or gestural signs, in rule-based ways to create meaning. Language serves several crucial functions such as the transmission of information and the ability to express our thoughts about social interactions. It is also one of the few documented cases in which children are more efficient learners than adults. We, as humans, spend much of our conversational time establishing or maintaining our relationships with others, which, in turn, creates a bond between two people
One commonly held belief is that this special "bond" enables twins to invent their own secret language that only they can understand. This phenomenon, known as cryptophasia, is natural to expect when two people have been together from the moment of conception. However, this notion is not as truthful as it may seem. Cases of cryptophasia among twins turn out to be a result of phonological impairment and other types of language delay that are more prevalent among twins. The twins are simply attempting to use their native language, but with poor articulation and significant pronunciation errors. The reason they make it look like they have their own "language" is because twin pairs tend to make similar kinds of phonological errors, making their speech more understandable to each other that to their parents or nonrelated children.

Video of two twins talking in their "own" language.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JmA2ClUvUY

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Language is a system of communication,To people but own other than to convey their thoughts, feelings change, etc. language is very important. All over the world created specifically for the language impaired, sign language, to solve the language they can not express the idea. But maybe differet countries have different Sign Language,I think if sign language will be same is good.

This video was not only relatively funny, but was very interesting as a part of the language decision. What I found to be the most interesting part was that one baby seemed to be asking a question based on its tone and that the other baby seemed to reply. There were also times when the baby would laugh at the other. Its amazing to think that these two babies may be able to understand and communicate with one another despite the fact that they are purely making noises in an attempt to form words. An additional interesting aspect is that to those who have learned a language, this sounds like babbling. However, between the two babies, what they are saying makes sense. I wonder if this would work between two children who were related and born at relatively the same time, such as cousins.

Cryptophasia seems like a very interesting phenomenon. It is fascinating how the similarity between twins can be so finite that it includes the same phonological errors. Would having their own language be something twins will continue to use after learning a standard established language such as English for a number of years?

Great post! As I was reading the textbook, the subject of cryptophasia also caught my attention. Cryptophasia is such an interesting topic because it shows that there can be communication without real language. The video was also very entertaining to see it occur first-hand.

The appearance of Cryptophasia does not only come from impairment in twins. No child is born speaking a language. They develop linguistic skills slowly but surly. Cryptophasia can also be falsely perceived when twins are in the babbling stage of learning to speak.

I must say that I'm skeptical about the findings that Cryptophasia is merely an inability to correctly form their native language. I know for instance of times where I've tried to create languages in which only me and a group of close friends could speak. I'm sure that if I had a twin then we would have perfected such a thing. Granted that it may be the case with certain twins, I hesitate to group it all up as merely a weak point in brain function. Another factor that I believe contributes to Cryptophasia between twins is the fact that it's known to be a twin thing. For example, say that the twins learn that twins are known for having a language, they may be more inclined to create a language between the two of them.

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This page contains a single entry by whit1618 published on March 5, 2012 4:30 PM.

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