1-2: Unraveling the Origins of Language Learning: From Ancient Experiments to Modern Classrooms

Have you ever wondered where language actually comes from—or why we’ve been trying to decode it for so long? It’s a question that has fascinated leaders, scholars, and everyday people across centuries. From an Egyptian pharaoh’s unusual baby experiment to intense military language training programs, human history is filled with attempts to discover how we learn to speak.

In this post, we’ll journey through the key developments in language education: how ancient rulers tried to pinpoint the “original” language, why reading dominated classrooms for centuries, and what changed when face-to-face global communication became a necessity. Finally, we’ll consider whether modern methods—like immersive conversation practice—truly outperform the older approaches.

1. Humanity’s Enduring Quest for the Origin of Speech

Pharaoh Psamtik I’s Strange Experiment

Our story starts in the 7th century BCE with Pharaoh Psamtik I of Egypt. According to ancient historian Herodotus, Psamtik wanted to discover humanity’s very first language. His method? Isolate two newborn infants in a remote hut with a shepherd who was forbidden to speak to them. The idea was that the first word these children eventually uttered would reveal the “original” human tongue.

The outcome was supposedly “bekos,” which was interpreted (rather creatively) as the Phrygian word for “bread.” Based on this flimsy evidence, Psamtik’s scholars proclaimed Phrygian the earliest language. Although the story sounds outlandish to modern ears, versions of this kind of experiment repeated over the centuries, driven by the same question: Where does language come from, and how do we learn it?

Echoes in Other Eras

Pharaoh Psamtik’s experiment wasn’t a one-off. Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, King James IV of Scotland, and Emperor Akbar of the Mughal Empire all tried variations of it. Each attempt—from the 13th to the 16th centuries—reveals humanity’s deep-rooted desire to understand language’s origins.

But here’s the modern twist: we know now that isolating infants is unethical, and any results would lack serious scientific merit. Yet the fact that powerful rulers attempted it points to the enduring mystery of how children so effortlessly pick up speech.

2. Teaching the Unobservable: Why Language Baffles Us

Hidden in Thought and Emotion

Language is intimately tied to our thoughts and feelings, so it’s inherently tricky to study. Scientific research generally relies on what can be measured and tested, but how do you measure a thought or an emotion?

By the early 20th century, many researchers turned to written language—grammar, syntax, and text analysis—as a tangible way to unravel linguistic mysteries. While that approach clarified how words and sentences are structured, it did little to explain how our brains process spoken words, handle meaning, or connect language with real-time communication.

Impact on Foreign Language Education

Because we don’t fully understand how language emerges in the mind, foreign language teaching has sometimes felt like guessing in the dark. Teachers and learners might rely on memorization or drills without tapping into how kids naturally pick up language—through immersive, meaningful engagement.

3. The Natural vs. The Formal Path to Language

Childhood Acquisition

Think about how a baby learns to speak. They don’t drill vocabulary lists or read grammar books. They simply hear people talking all day long. Little by little, they figure out sounds, words, and sentences. It’s a process so natural that most parents are amazed by how fast it unfolds—often without any explicit instruction.

Historical Emphasis on Reading and Writing

But if child language acquisition seems so effortless, why did our ancestors prioritize reading in formal schooling? The short answer: culture and necessity.

• In medieval Europe, Latin was the language of the church and ruling classes. Want to join the clergy or nobility? You’d better master Latin texts.

• In East Asia, scholars needed to read classical Chinese to succeed in government or academia. Before the Korean Hangul system was widely adopted, reading and writing Chinese characters served as a gate to higher status.

Over time, these traditions evolved into grammar-focused education, placing writing at the center. It made sense in a world where reading classical works or official documents was key to academic or career success.

4. Why Reading Became the Foundation of Language Teaching

From Latin to the Modern Classroom

Latin “Grammar Schools” in medieval Europe focused on translating classic texts. By the Renaissance, interest in Greek and Roman works grew, keeping the emphasis on reading. As public schools emerged, the national written language took precedence because literacy was crucial for social and economic mobility.

When English rose to the status of a global lingua franca in the 20th century, schools worldwide replicated these reading-centered methods. In Korea, for example, just as students once studied Chinese characters in village schools, they began studying English in the same structured, text-heavy format. Meanwhile, in the West, the “Grammar-Translation Method” reigned: students parsed literary passages, often with minimal attention to speaking or listening.

5. The Rise of Speech-Focused Language Instruction

Post-WWII Global Interconnectivity

With the advent of global travel and faster communication, speaking skills became far more valuable. By the mid-20th century, educators realized that the ability to hold a conversation was at least as important as the ability to read written texts.

Audiolingual Approach

One of the first major speech-centered methods to catch on worldwide was the Audiolingual Approach, popular in the 1950s and 1960s. This method relied on:

• Drills and Repetition: Students listened to set phrases, repeated them out loud, and practiced variations.

• Focus on Pronunciation and Pattern Mastery: Grammar was introduced inductively through repeated examples instead of long explanations.

While it improved spoken fluency in controlled settings, critics pointed out that students sometimes struggled in real conversations once they left the classroom.

6. Wartime Urgency and Intensive Language Programs

The U.S. Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP)

A vivid example of rapid, high-stakes learning comes from World War II. The U.S. Army needed soldiers fluent in German, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, and more to handle intelligence work. In response, they launched the Army Specialized Training Program, sending over 15,000 recruits to universities for immersive courses that ran eight to ten hours a day.

Motivation and Pressure

Why did these soldiers learn so fast? They had immense motivation—passing meant safer intelligence duties, failing meant deployment to combat zones. Classes were tiny, each led by a native speaker. After six to nine months, many participants reached high proficiency levels.

7. Adoption into Civilian Life—And Its Limitations

When the war ended, the Audiolingual Approach and ASTP-inspired drills spread to everyday schools. But issues quickly surfaced:

1. Short-Term Memory Loss

• Material learned in a crammed, high-pressure setting often fades if not reinforced.

2. Narrow Language Use

• Military students focused on specific wartime tasks, so they didn’t develop broad, creative conversation skills.

3. Motivation Gap

• Most civilians lack the life-or-death stakes that spurred soldiers to keep studying. Ordinary students often can’t replicate that level of intensity or dedication.

By the 1960s, American and European educators began questioning whether drilling alone was enough. Over time, speech-focused methods evolved further, incorporating more authentic interactions and student-driven content.

8. Conclusion: The Ongoing Evolution of Language Education

From Pharaoh Psamtik’s questionable baby experiment to modern-day immersive conversation classes, we’ve always been chasing the best way to learn a language. In ancient times, reading and writing were crucial for anyone seeking power or higher status. By the mid-20th century, global connectivity demanded faster, more conversational approaches. And while intensive drills and high-stakes programs proved that rapid progress is possible, they also showed that real-life use, sustained motivation, and a broader skill set matter just as much.

Where Do We Go from Here?

• Balanced Methods: Modern educators strive to blend the systematic benefits of grammar instruction with engaging, real-world practice in speaking and listening.

• Personalized Goals: Not everyone needs to achieve soldier-level fluency in six months. Understanding your motivations—travel, career, cultural interest—helps tailor your study approach.

• Emerging Technologies: Tools like AI-driven apps, virtual reality language labs, and online conversation groups can bring together the best of both worlds: structured drills and natural interaction.

Despite centuries of experiments, including some ethically questionable ones, we still don’t have all the answers about how language arises or why children learn so naturally. But each historical era, from Psamtik’s hut in the desert to modern interactive classrooms, has contributed a piece to the puzzle. The ongoing challenge is to combine the insights gleaned from these methods—traditional and cutting-edge—to help learners worldwide master new languages more effectively and enjoyably.