In linguistics, animal language acquisition (ALA) refers to controversial claims and experiments which assert, or are otherwised based in a view that non-human animals hold abilities for generating and communicating the human symbols of abstract language. ALA should be distinguished from animal communication.

The field of cognitive linguistics generally holds that language is innate to each species as developed by a long processes of natural selection (ie. evolution) for the purpose of survival. Hence cognitive linguists believe that an animal does not have the capacity for abstract language if it has not already developed and manifest such an ability.

Where research into understanding native animal language may be slow and hard to translate and interpret, experiments in ALA typically propose that animals can (to some degree or other) acquire aspects of human communication or signing which will quickly reveal (or jumpstart) an ability to communicate symbolically with humans.

See also

• Animal communication
• Rico (Border Collie)
• Washoe (chimpanzee)
• Nim Chimpsky