I chose to examine the story “A Voluble Visit with Two Talking Apes” by Jon Hamilton for this assignment. I want to begin by saying I think the story is fascinating. The idea that two chimps are able to clearly, in my opinion, understand the human language is incredible. The narrator begins by setting the scene; he describes where he is telling the story, which is in Iowa at the Great Ape Trust near Des Moines. The listener can easily tell the reporter is actually on-site. Numerous instances of natural sound are used to convey this notion which is extremely important (the chimps making noise and drinking from a hose, the scientists asking questions etc.) The most important part of this story, however, is the story itself. Without such an interesting story I may not have been as willing to sit and simply listen to a thirteen-minute piece of audio. So it was the great story, first and foremost, paired with the great use of natural sound that kept me intrigued. I will certainly have to keep this in mind when working on my multimedia package.

The scientists created a world for the chimps that was similar to that of human babies to see if the chimps could acquire language skills just the same. The chimps now have the language skills of a preschooler. They understand human words but cannot make them on their own. They simply hit symbols on a computer keyboard to communicate. The chimps can follow orders and show affection. The scientists believe the chimps know they are different from humans and that they’re straddling two worlds. It’s all just so amazing and after having listened to this story I found myself researching online to find out more – that’s when you know a story has done its job. And at first, I was a bit skeptical I would be entertained by a simple piece of audio that aired on National Public Radio.

One other quick note: the story had an accompanying print story that was quick and easy to read. I found that useful. Also, there were pictures of the two chimps described in the story which certainly allows the listener/reader a better visual of what is taking place. At the end of the audio story, the NPR host says that Jon Hamilton furthers his series on language by examining children with autism, which is coincidentally the focus of my multimedia package. I found that interesting and I will certainly try to find that story online.