Re: samples of language on a CD...
but even if they did--there are some sounds, that unless one is expossed to them at an early age-- one never learns to hear them-- the most famous for english speakers is R/L-- unless learned early, most japanese can not hear that these letters represent different sounds..
My own sister has the problem.. her name is Tsuyuki-- which is not the same as Suyuki.. but it "sounds the same to her" -- so just as we chuckle over air line stewards saying "have a nice fright!" she does the same in japanese to her own name!
a language needs children-- to hear the sounds.. and if they don't hear them at a critical point...
Steve Pinker points out, that children known to be deaf at an early age, (before 1 year old) and then "spoken" to in sign, "speak" sign language at almost the same rate as "verbal language" children..
and children with normal hearing-- spoken to in sign-- by deaf parents, are a little slow with verbal skills, but the difference is gone by age 5-- they learned language.. (sign language) and have "primed their brains" for language.. and when with verbal children, quickly pick up the spoken language...
Unless children are listening to the CD's, and before the age of 2-- the language dies..
