Death Announcement of Celebrity Gorilla Sparks Debate on Her Sign Language Abilities

Category: Human Interest

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. rise to fame / ˈraɪz ˈtuː ˈfeɪm / (idiom) – to become popular
    Example:

    The actor rose to fame after his movie became successful.


  2. conventional / kənˈvɛnʃənl̟ / (adj) – common or normal
    Example:

    Her views on marriage are very conventional.


  3. primate / ˈpraɪˌmeɪt / (n) – a member of a mammal group that is considered most intelligent and most developed
    Example:

    Gorillas are considered to be the largest primates.


  4. spontaneously / spɑnˈteɪnijəsli / (adv) – in an unplanned manner
    Example:

    I dislike scripted speeches because I prefer speaking spontaneously.


  5. briefing / ˈbriːfɪŋ / (n) – a set of instructions given for a certain task
    Example:

    I attended the briefing about the new application process.


Article

Read the text below.

The announcement of the death of Koko, a famed gorilla, has revived previous debates on her American Sign Language (ASL) skills.


The western lowland gorilla, who died last June, rose to fame for her ability to communicate using ASL. Francine Patterson, an animal psychologist, began training Koko to use a version of ASL when she was around a year old. According to her instructors, Koko used ASL as a means to express her thoughts and emotions. Koko was also reportedly able to grasp around 2,000 spoken English words and could communicate using 1,000 signs.


Upon the announcement of the gorilla’s death, several news organizations highlighted Koko’s mastery of ASL.


However, some language experts and scientists doubted Koko’s ability to communicate using ASL. They emphasized that Koko did not really learn ASL but rather a modified version of signs used in ASL. They added that most of Koko’s signs were derived from conventional gestures.


Herbert Terrace, a scientist who also taught sign language to a primate, said that Koko’s interactions with trainers and caretakers did not occur spontaneously and were probably prompted.


In 2015, NGOs Gorilla Foundation and NOE Conservation produced a video for the COP21 Climate Change Conference in Paris. The video showed Koko using ASL to explain the value of protecting nature. However, the video’s press release stated that Koko’s “speech” was scripted and that she was given a briefing on climate change.


While biological anthropologist Barbara King believes that Koko could grasp unique signs and gestures, she asserted that there is no proof of Koko’s ability to understand complex ecological concepts.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you think it is important to confirm whether or not Koko could really communicate using ASL? Explain.
• In your opinion, is it necessary for humans to learn how to communicate with animals? Why or why not?

Discussion B

• Do you think it is necessary for scientists to teach human skills to animals? Explain.
• If you could teach a human skill to an animal, what would it be? Why?