Hearing Richard's serious declaration, Zhang Zian didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. He was wondering why Richard was so interested in this matter. It turned out that it was not just to help Guo Dongyue — Richard was very concerned about the word "parrot's tongue." It seemed that it wanted to use this opportunity to prove its own kind.
Its ambition was not a problem, and it deserved to be encouraged. The problem was, did they have enough time? Guo Dongyue's mother's condition was unpredictable, and it could get worse at any time.
Time waits for neither man nor bird.
Richard seemed to have seen through his doubt, and said confidently, "Do you know the relationship between language and memory?"
"I don't know. Is language related to memory?" Hearing the word "memory," Zhang Zian thought of Guo Dongyue's mother's condition.
"Of course it's related." Richard raised its head, and suddenly became sad, as if it was recalling something from a long time ago. "The brain is the most wonderful organ in the body of a living creature, and there are still many unsolved mysteries about it. Patients with Alzheimer's will first forget their short-term memory, then their long-term memory, but why can't they forget their language ability? "
Zhang Zian thought about it carefully, and said, "I think language is a skill, just like riding a bicycle. Once you learn it, you won't forget it."
"No, in essence, language is also a memory, but it's more profound than long-term memory," Richard denied his guess. "Every day, the number of times you speak, and the number of times you listen to, the number of times your language memory will be repeatedly strengthened, which makes your language memory stronger than any other memory. You won't forget it even when you die, unless you have aphasia. Aphasia doesn't mean that you forget language, but you forget how to extract language from your brain …"
Zhang Zian was getting more and more confused, "What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing, I just thought of the old lady who had dementia, and I was just thinking about it." Richard shook its head sadly, "Let's talk about what you need to do first."
"Okay, go ahead. I'm listening."
"The fastest way to train a bird to speak is to have two people cooperate with each other, for example, you and me." It pointed at him with its wing, and then pressed on its chest.
Zhang Zian wanted to say that it was a bird, not a human, but he swallowed it. There was no point in thinking about it.
"What exactly should I do?" he asked.
"To be more specific, I will teach them some of the most basic words, such as the pronunciation of Chinese characters such as grey, green, red, bowl, pot, rice, and so on. Once they have mastered a certain number, they will begin to freely combine them. At that time, they will observe our interactions. For example, when they see a red light, if they can correctly say it, they will get food as a reward. If not, they will give the food to me. After repeating this, we will swap our roles. This is called setting an example. "
Zhang Zian roughly understood. It was similar to training ordinary animals with conditioned reflexes, but it was also different.
After careful consideration, he made a request. "I understand that you are thinking a lot, but I don't think this training can be completed quickly. You have to promise me that if it takes too long, at least teach them that poem."
Richard agreed without a care in the world. "That's not a problem. Actually, it won't take long. Language learning was not linear. It was similar to an epiphany. If you taught an ordinary parrot to speak, you might teach it for one or two years, or even ten or twenty years, and it would still be like a mute. However, as long as it opened its mouth to speak the first word, the first sentence, the rest would follow naturally. Think about it. Isn't it the same for you humans? "
Zhang Zian thought about it. It seemed to be true. Some babies could speak before they were one year old, and some babies could only speak when they were nearly two years old. However, this did not mean that the former were necessarily smarter than the latter. It was just that the latter "understood" it a little later. When a baby learned to say "mother," it would soon be able to say "father," "grandfather," "grandmother," and other words.
Richard raised its wings and pointed at the birdcage. "They have learned the word 'grey,' and have been enlightened. It probably won't take long for them to master a lot of common words. By then, not only will they be able to recite the poem, but they will also be able to help the old woman in her daily life. "
Zhang Zian's mind stopped for a few seconds before he realized what it meant. After he came back from Guo Dongyue's place, he told Richard in detail what he had seen and heard. He also mentioned that Aunt Bai, who was responsible for taking care of Guo Dongyue's mother, was not very responsible, and Guo Dongyue's mother might be in danger at any time. Even if he was not satisfied with Aunt Bai, there was nothing he could do, because Guo Dongyue's mother only knew Aunt Bai. If it were any other nanny, Guo Dongyue's mother might do something out of suspicion and anxiety.
Zhang Zian was just telling the truth. He didn't have any special purpose. He just felt a little uncomfortable if he didn't say it out loud. Who said that Alzheimer's patients didn't suffer? He clearly felt the deep depression and confusion on her face, especially when she saw Guo Dongyue. It seemed that every pore on her face was filled with despair. She was like a person who was sinking into a bottomless abyss, desperately waving her hands, trying to catch something.
The speaker didn't mean it, but the listener meant it. Richard thought more about what Zhang Zian said. It also faced two options. One was to simply teach the two red-headed lovebirds the Hymn of a Traveler, and then complete the task, and everyone would be happy. The other option was to teach them how to speak, which would not only prove the parrots' ability to speak, but also help the poor old woman become her assistant.
In Guo Dongyue's mother's memory, she not only remembered Aunt Bai, but also Little Purple and Yellow Pea Cake. If Little Purple and Yellow Pea Cake, who had learned how to speak, were given to her, she would definitely not reject them.
After Zhang Zian figured it out, he couldn't hold back his excitement. Guo Dongyue's mother was so pitiful, and anyone would sympathize with her. If he could help her as much as he could, why not?
He picked up his phone, wanting to inform Guo Dongyue of the news as soon as possible, but then he put it down. There was no need to inform Guo Dongyue for now, because he wasn't sure whether it would work or not. Guo Dongyue had been disappointed too many times, and if he failed this time, it would be a heavy blow to him.
Richard looked at the red-headed lovebirds in the birdcage. At this moment, it seemed to see itself in them — the nervous and timid African grey parrot that was just brought into the lab. It felt the warmth from human beings, the warmth of family, and the warmth of love.
Therefore, this time, it not only wanted to return the warmth, but also wanted to make up for the regret and go further.
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