Case Analysis of Anthropological Linguistics Research

on Animals and The Language of Humans

by Gellian Dominguez & Martin Jose Orquia

August 26, 2023

One of the studies about human-animal relationships is from Brandt (2004), this research is

about the approach to communication between humans and horses. The findings of the study

imply that horses can understand the bodily gestures in humans, and humans can also understand

the bodily gestures in horses.

The study demonstrates the possibility of the 'co-creation’ of a language system

connecting humans and horses through bodily gestures. As indicated, during initial horse-human

interactions, horses learn foundational cues through pressure and release. These bodily cues form

the basic body language alphabet of human-horse communication, enabling advanced language

developmental possibilities. Eventually, the horse and the rider can synchronously execute

multiple cues, as highlighted in the research. In time, this can later become a shared, embodied

experience when both horse and humans have a clear communication process.

The study emphasizes body language skills, and it was stated in the mentioned study that

it takes time to develop and understand horses’ body language in return. In teaching and learning

a language, body language is also important in expressing oneself through language. In learning

languages, this also emphasizes the mental processes of how an animal learns a language and

reflects it to humans such as: the ability to recognize patterns, to memorize vocabularies, and to

adapt the natural acquisition of a language.

 Possible ethical issues that may be implied in the research is the pressure applied to the

horse. It may not be stated, but when pressure is applied too much to the horse that it causes

harm, it is a direct ethical issue. Additionally, horses that are not well trained may cause

discomfort to horses. The objection of this analysis from the ethical issue is that it is wrong to

harm horses during training if they are suffering too much physical pain to the extent that

bleeding will occur. However, if it is not to that extent, it is fine because horses do not

understand any forms of language except bodily cues. They would not learn if they could not

understand unlike humans where oral language is possible.

References:
Ottenheimer, H. J. (2012). The Anthropology of Language + an Introduction to Linguistic

Anthropology Workbook Reader, 3rd Ed. An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology

Workbook/Reader. Wadsworth Pub Co.

Palmer, N. (2018). Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. Willford Press.

Kottak, C. P. (2002). Anthropology: The Exploration of Human Diversity. McGraw- Hill .

Brandt-Off, K. (2004, December). A Language of Their Own: An Interactionist Approach to

Human-Horse Communication. ResearchGate.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233706687_A_Language_of_Their_Own_An_I

nteractionist_Approach_to_Human-Horse_Communication

Jarvis, E. D. (2004). Learned Birdsong and the Neurobiology of Human Language. Annals of the

New York Academy of Sciences, 1016(1), 749–777.

https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1298.038

Puppel, S. (1995). The Biology of Language. In Google Books (p. 122). John Benjamins

Publishing.

https://books.google.com.ph/books?hl=en&lr=&id=DXJAAAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA

99&ots=YpuxKasp7F&sig=LQsOPip2nWwxn92N0yMCJ0hV6es&redir_esc=y#v=onepa

ge&q&f=false