Gotera: Infants lack the motor ability required to voluntarily produce

EXPLANATION FROM Fox LSAT

Wait, what? Why would Gotera conclude that speech acquisition is “entirely motor control,” “rather than abstract or mental,” on the evidence she has provided? The evidence is: infants lack motor ability to voluntarily produce particular sounds, but can randomly babble. Most children are several years old before they can voluntarily produce most sounds. So what? Can’t they still be trying to ask for cookies? I say yes, Gotera seems to say no. Gotera has assumed that if you aren’t fully capable of producing the exact sound you want, then you can’t be using your brain at all when you attempt to produce a sound. This seems ridiculous.

A) I don’t really like this answer, but it could be the best of a bad lot. If A isn’t true, it becomes “speech acquisition is a function not only of one’s ability to produce the sounds of spoken language.” This would tend to undermine the conclusion that speech acquisition must be purely a motor control issue. I don’t love it, but if there’s nothing else decent we’ll have to choose A.

B) This seems way too specific. Did Gotera really assume this? I don’t think so.

C) No, the initial babbling stage might extend into early childhood without hurting Gotera’s logic at all. This can’t be it.

D) Can’t there be a prior stage? Gotera wouldn’t seem to care. So I doubt she assumed this.

E) Gotera doesn’t say that infants and children can’t control their tongues or mouths, and furthermore doesn’t say that they don’t have sophisticated mental development. This can’t be it.

The answer must be A, because it’s the only one we could really make a case for. Best of a bad lot.

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