response to "Talking Hands"

This chapter was about a group of four linguists that are studying a language deep in the deserts of the Middle East. The language they are studying is a sign language that developed all on its own and which surprisingly is spoken by all the inhabitants of the remote village. The sign language is of immense interest to them because it developed in isolation and they believe that by studying it new information will be revealed regarding the relationship between language and humans.

Throughout this course, I have learned that language and culture are intricately woven together and that one cannot exist without the other. Language can function as the "keeper" of culture, so to speak, and many people would go to extreme measures to protect both. That is why the linguists had to go to extreme measures to establish trust with the inhabitants of the village. After establishing trust they proceeded with discretion and in the writing of the book Talking Hands the author had to change names and even the exact geographic location of the village. By doing this, the linguists are ensuring that the inhabitants will not be bombarded by outsiders who might change the insular and remote life that allowed the language to thrive in the first place.

It amazes me, that even now, in the era of globalization, that people are still living in almost virtual isolation. The language of the Bedouins discussed in the chapter could have lived and died and no outsider would have ever known about it. Luckily, the linguists were able to stumble across it and will most likely devote their whole lives in documenting it. In our never-ending search for answers, their research will bring humanity one step closer in understanding how language works.