Thoughts and questions on language

• I think that language is learned. Extract A claims that a child learns language without conscious effort, but that is not necessarily the case. When a baby grows up, it can't automatically speak the native tongue of its family. The baby's parents have to teach the baby words that relate to certain forms of communication, otherwise, the baby will not know how to speak the language. The parents are the teachers of the language. I think communication, on the other hand, is innate. Even when babies are really small, they always find some simple way to communicate their needs to their parents. It can come in the form of crying when babies are hungry or in pain, or it could come from laughter when a parent does something to make the baby happy. The reading I have used is Is Human Language Innate Or Learned? This is from the second reading packet known as Language. The page number I used is pg. 84. 
• 1. Can the vocal sounds and movements of babies be considered a language?
• 2. Can babies form cogent thoughts if they do not have an established language to mentally express their opinions in their heads?

Proposal- Save a Language!

1. The name of the country I have chosen is Italy, the name of the language I have chosen is Walser, and the status of Walser is on the 6b scale (or threatened).

2. The Walsers are people who are descended from ancient Germans. They live in the higher areas of the alps at about 1,200 meters of altitude. The people of the Walser culture wear almost Scottish style clothing (without the plad manskirts) and fairly large hats that are sometimes tied to the bottom of their jaw.  They are an independent, free, and hardworking society who till their lands and rely heavily on agriculture (http://www.tangoitalia.com/turismo/piemonte/alagna_walser.html).

3. "Many historic cultural associations work today to keep and promote the Walser tradition making of Alagna an active center for the circulation of the history of the Walser people."This quote is from a website that has a page dedicated to telling the world about the Walser language and community. It tells about their struggles, their foundation, and their independence. The website wants the world to acknowledge the individuality of these people, and they want the Walser culture and language to be preserved (http://www.tangoitalia.com/turismo/piemonte/alagna_walser.html).

4. "Many historic cultural associations work today to keep and promote the Walser tradition making of Alagna an active center for the circulation of the history of the Walser people."(http://www.tangoitalia.com/turismo/piemonte/alagna_walser.html)

(http://www.tangoitalia.com/turismo/piemonte/images/walser.jpg)