Father Speaks Only Klingon Until Son Turns Three
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Klingon, baby, talking, star, trek | Themes: The Internet
A lot of kids are brought up speaking more than one language at home but how many kids are raised in a home where Klingon is the only language they hear?
In his wisdom, d'Armond Speers decided to see what effect it would have on his son if he spoke Klingon, and only Klingon, around him until he was three years old. The reason? Apparently, Speers wanted to see if a kid would acquire Klingon as his first language in the same way he would any other language.
MinnesotaDaily cites Speers, who actually isn't even that big of a Star Trek fan, as saying, "I was interested in the question of whether my son, going through his first language acquisition process, would acquire it like any human language. He was definitely starting to learn it."
At the time, Speers was using his doctorate in computational linguistics to help Ultralingua, a dictionary, translation and grammar software company create applications for a Klingon dictionary.
Unfortunately, it seems the experiment was a bust. MNDaily reports that fifteen years later, Speers' son is in high school and doesn't speak a word of Klingon. All Speers has left are the memories of singing the Klingon lullaby "May the Empire Endure" at bedtime.
It's not clear how long it took the boy to learn English once his father began speaking it around him.
Read the full story here.
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Nerds should not have any offsprings.
How do you say, "What an idiot." in Klingon?
Wow, he is apparently unaware that Klingon IS a human language.
He would have developed it as his native language if he kept going, you can't just stop randomly.
That said, theres a point where an experiment becomes cruel. This kid is going to have issues when he's a little bit older about his father raising him as an experiment.
Cant wait to have kids so i can perform sociological experiments on them.
My question is, is he a trek fan?
I wonder if the kid has any identity issues?
Human P´tah!!, their kids are too weak to be part of the Empire!
This kid has no shot of getting a girlfriend.
hmm...now if only someone would do the same experiment with the ancient languages of Cthulhu & the Old Ones...
That would be one scary kid.
Speers decided to see what effect it would have on his son if he spoke Klingon, and only Klingon, around him until he was three years old. The reason? -- Cuz he's a massive choad!javascript:%20void(0);
ummm... last knew, the Klingon language was invented by a human, thus it is a human language. It is no different than Elvish or French for that matter. FAIL!
"MinnesotaDaily cites Speers, who actually isn't even that big of a Star Trek fan, as saying..."
How can you not be a big star trek fan, but know enough Klingon words to speak only that language? sounds like he is coming out of the nerd closet via his son
My question is, is he a trek fan?
[citation][nom]IN THE ARTICLE[/nom] MinnesotaDaily cites Speers, who actually isn't even that big of a Star Trek fan, as saying....
You shouldn't teach Klingon. Here are some words without any equivalent in Klingon:
-Dating
-Social Life
-girl
-Semprini
3 years old is way too early to stop if he's planning on doing this experiment.
Languages developed from not having a word for something and trying to describe it. Because of this when we say something in English, its more natural for a baby to learn it since its similar to how their instincts would describe it.
It doesn't matter how much you sing me a song in a different language. I won't learn a single word and it's meaning in that language. You need to learn to associate the word with an object or action, hence holding up objects to your baby and saying the word of what it is. If this guy did not realize that, he is simply an idiot.
someone should arrest this guy for breeding. he is definitely a weak link in the human race
Nerds should not have any offsprings.
Hehe, yeah... wait a sec... wouldn't that also include us?
While I will agree that speaking in only Klingon as an adult will effect your social life, I fail to see how having Klingon spoken to you as a baby will impact your adult life in any way.
I cant speak from experience here, but from what I have seen, many Trekkies have great social lives. There is a huge active community for people who enjoy it and I am assuming they are very happy with it. Looking down on people who have different interests than you is so childish.
Also, if he did grow up to be a Trekkie and spoke Klingon fluently, I am sure he'd be a big hit with the Trekkie ladies. Jus' sayin.
..How stupid can you get! At least the only good from this stupid experiment is that the outcome appears to be totally useless!
If I where to teach my child a different language, it would be an existing language!
GOOD WAY TO MESS UP A KID NOT KNOWING ENGLISH.. Good job super trek nerd!!
lol seriously, I am a Star Trek fan but dont know a single word of Klingon so there is no way in hell this guy can speak Klingon and not be totally into it.
Its not like Rosetta Stone makes one for Klingon lmao
Isn't there laws governing unusual/crual "experimenting" on human subjects?
Come on, everyone is a nerd to some other group. Calling someone a nerd on a Tom's forum is, well, I don't even need to say it. I love Star Trek myself and don't know any Klingon. As usual this story is too thin on details. How did he learn Klingon? Did he try to teach it the way that I teach my one year old English and Spanish? Or was just in the background (meaningless noise in that case).
I have shouted fake Klingon at my son, just being silly. I also make silly animal noises which he really likes. Maybe he'll grow up speaking gorilla.
Come on, everyone is a nerd to some other group. Calling someone a nerd on a Tom's forum is, well, I don't even need to say it. I love Star Trek myself and don't know any Klingon. As usual this story is too thin on details. How did he learn Klingon? Did he try to teach it the way that I teach my one year old English and Spanish? Or was just in the background (meaningless noise in that case). I have shouted fake Klingon at my son, just being silly. I also make silly animal noises which he really likes. Maybe he'll grow up speaking gorilla.
Hahaha well said
the kid is already in high school and doesn't remember a thing. Did any of you even read this article past the first sentence?
Kid's aren't stupid, and this one didn't only hear Klingon for Crissakes. 10 to 1 mom warned him not to listen to daddy speaking silly. Lame uncontrolled experiment :-)
Nerds should not have any offsprings.
Then we can feed all of our plants Gatorade, 'cause IT'S GOT WHAT PLANTS CRAVE -- ELECTROLYTES!
I'm going to tell my kids up is down and red is blue until they are 10.
Wow, he is apparently unaware that Klingon IS a human language.
toDsaH!
petaQ sounds more mad about it