<p>Hi! Here’s my UChicago supplement essay for the “pick any present you have ever received and invent a past for it” prompt.
Could someone look it over and give me some feedback before I submit it? My parents want me to submit this today but I really want to get an outside opinion on it first. Thanks so much! :)</p>
<p>Baby Sophia played on the marshmallow-textured carpet in their living room, toys sprawled everywhere. She was surrounded by her parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents who were all uttering cute baby sounds to her. Awwwww! …Oooh oooh ahh ahhhh! …So cute! Look at those bright blue eyes! And those tiny, smooth fingers! said Grandma Ann. I wonder what shell be like when she grows up… will she be more like her mom or her dad?
Out of nowhere, a cousin sitting nearby says, I wonder what those people in her head are doing? Are they teaching her how to talk yet? The room falls silent in astonishment and curiosity of the bizarre statement. Well, is this statement actually bizarre? What if there really were microscopic beings in our minds, angelic creatures who instruct newborn babies of the ways of human life when they enter the world? What if babies didnt learn speech, movements, and the meanings of words through mere observation? What if babies actually had helpers in their heads who in a sense, direct the traffic of sensations?</p>
<p>Back in Sophias head:
Broca and Wernicke are the two language fairies who are in charge of the whole operation.
Hey Broca, were getting a signal! It looks like someone is smiling at Sophia.
Yeah, we should have Sophia smile back. [Broca sends messages to Sophias brain coding for a smile]<br>
"And look, theyre showing her a rubber ducky and saying ducky. Wernicke, add ducky to the list of things we have to teach her next!
Okay, Im on it!
[When the language fairies have a moment to spare, they teach their disciple various words encountered throughout the day.]
[To teach, they use a special signal that is only used for babies. It presents a picture of an object or causes the baby to feel a certain way and sends a particular word sound to the babys brain. Next, a signal is sent which is responsible for associating the two, thus broadening the babys vocabulary.]</p>
<p>Incoming message from Broca and Wernicke: Add the following to todays list of words to teach: toy, finger, food, ball, play, paper, sister, ducky.</p>
<p>Flash forward several months later:
Mom gently leans in towards Sophia, looks her in the eyes with a patient grin beaming, and mouths Mama, trying to get her daughter to repeat.
Then Dad enters, feeling competitive and wanting to have a say on the babys first word, says Dada.
Mom and Dad repeat consecutively, Mama Dada Mama Dada Mama Dada, until the baby is overwhelmed by all the attention and starts sobbing. The language fairies are also confused over what to teach first, Mama or Dada. Broca suggests they teach the baby Mama and is about to send that signal, when Wernicke dashes around the corner saying Dada! Dada!
No! Dont most babies say Mama first? Broca replies, with a hint of hesitation in his voice.
Well, yes, but dads deserve something too. Dads take care of babies and deserve an equal voice as well.
After consulting with the rest of the language fairy team, Broca and Wernicke decide to first teach Sophia Dada.</p>
<p>Language is a gift, and is one of the many presents in life. It enables us to communicate our ideas, feelings, and thoughts with one another and provides a pathway to advancing science and technology. Without language, we would each be in our own isolated world, lacking communication with others.</p>
<p>Brocas area, located in the frontal lobe of the human brain is responsible for speech production, while Wernickes area is in the temporal lobe and responsible for speech comprehension. How exactly do babies acquire the complicated gift of language? Is it because of Brocas area, Wernickes area, or is it due to language fairies? I guess well never know for certain.</p>