Simple languages

[Ylva]

I know many autistics and otherwise learning disabled struggle with language acquisition, or with pronunciation. Natural languages are complex and irregular and take years to learn properly. So, how about conlangs?

Esperanto is a really simple language. Toki pona is as simple as they come. Solresol is a pitch language; you don't even need to pronounce words, you can just hum them. There must be others with which I am unfamiliar.

Just an idea. How does it sound?

 

[Tom]

Intriguing. Sometimes there are very sharp intellects trapped within the non-communicive/non verbal shell. Humming in particular seems an idea worth exploring. Of course the NT people working with them have to learn it as well. The most similar approach I can think of today is sign language.

 

[tree]

"Like other constructed languages with a priori vocabulary,
Solresol faces considerable problems in categorizing the real world around it sensibly."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solresol

I thought solresol was a language that people...somewhere...
had developed, like the whistling of shepherds. But it's a
manufactured system.

http://sharyphil.com/root/solresol-the-project/
There is a video within the link above.

The link below says:
"Here is probably the largest compilation of information about
Solresol the Web has seen (108 resources, 98 archived)."
http://www.sidosi.org/resources

Ways to communicate in Solresol

• Speech
• Various forms of writing http://www.omniglot.com/writing/solresol.htm#above
• Sign language
• By singing or playing notes on a musical instrument
• Using lights the colours of the rainbow: one colour for each syllable
  
• http://www.omniglot.com/writing/solresol.htm

 

[grommet]

I know many autistics and otherwise learning disabled struggle with language acquisition, or with pronunciation. Natural languages are complex and irregular and take years to learn properly. So, how about conlangs?

Esperanto is a really simple language. Toki pona is as simple as they come. Solresol is a pitch language; you don't even need to pronounce words, you can just hum them. There must be others with which I am unfamiliar.

Just an idea. How does it sound?

I don't know about those. I began learning American Sign Language years ago. I have often wondered if it wasn't a good language for aspies.

 

[Ylva]

Solresol faces considerable problems in categorizing the real world around it sensibly."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solresol

Indeed, but isn't seven words better than none? At least when two of those words are 'yes' and 'no' (or 'si' and 'do' respectively). And if it helps make the language more workable, combine Solresol with Toki Pona. You'd have 120 words as melodies instead of just seven notes to speak with.

 

[Ylva]

I don't know about those. I began learning American Sign Language years ago. I have often wondered if it wasn't a good language for aspies.

As tree mentioned, there is a sign language component to Solresol, or really two — seven distinct handsigns plus seven spots on the hand one can touch.

 

[EricD]

Klingon is just the opposite of simple. It's an action- biased, verb-subject language withe excruciating pronunciation!

 

[StephF]

Hab soshli Quch !

 

[EricD]

You speak the Warrior's' Tongue!?!?!?

 

[Myway]

Language for me is rather easy if it is visual. If it is spoken then I miss half of it. Simple is all relative to me. Simple means visual for me.

 

[King_Oni]

Klingon is just the opposite of simple. It's an action- biased, verb-subject language withe excruciating pronunciation!

But it's hardly on the topic of simple languages

 

[hazybabe]

Simple answer is there's no simple answer, everyone's different and learns differently. The symptoms, triggers and difficulties my Aspergers throws up are vastly different to others. If one form of communication doesn't work for someone another should be tried and hopefully something will eventually work. I speak English, Swedish & British sign language. I tried learning French in school but it was absolutely hopeless although I don't know which combination of aspects that was a result of, poor teaching, my aspergers or my dyslexia.

 

[Astroganga]

Yes it is really subjective. I know French, was terrible at it in school but inadvertently memorised a lot of it, and completed the French tree on Duolingo easily as well as exercises on other apps in French. I can also read and understand fairly well written French. However I cannot understand spoken French to save my life nor can I string a sentence together to speak it. My eldest son who has only been learning French, at a low level for a few months understands spoken French better than I ever could. Welsh I understand it well but again cannot speak it. However with Danish, a supposedly 'impossible' language in pronunciation both in terms of speaking for non-natives and also understanding, I can understand it very well, better than English sometimes* and am starting to be able to speak it now. I even dreamt in Danish a couple of times.

*I have auditory processing issues which mean I cannot understand my own language at times. There is a video on YouTube something like 'what does English sound like to non-English speakers?' And my God that is exactly how people speaking sound to me sometimes.

 

[Ylva]

Simple answer is there's no simple answer, everyone's different and learns differently

Well, there's a silver lining to every cloud.

However I cannot understand spoken French to save my life nor can I string a sentence together to speak it.

Francophones' refusal to make even the slightest pause between words makes it sound like they want to make it as difficult for us as possible.