Sonakshi Mutreja

Hello! I'm an aspiring linguistics expert, logophile, and Indian American from Chicago. When I'm not cheering on the Bulls, you can find me photographing local fauna or examining the role that language plays in our daily lives. I’m especially interested in animal languages, from the calls of Dark-eyed Junco birds to the squeaks of rats. 

Have you ever wondered how animals talk to each other? What, for example, is your dog communicating when he barks at the mailman? What’s the purpose of a dolphin’s click? We often think of language as the exclusive purview of humans, yet animals clearly employ communication techniques to get what they want. However, is it fair to categorize these techniques as language? Based on my research, I say absolutely yes. But this is a hotly debated question and one that keeps me up at night.

The thing is, whether we can detect them or not, animal sounds are all around us. Once we’re cued into these pathways of communication, we can begin to decode a key dimension of the natural world’s vibrant discourse. My research focuses on the internal thoughts and messages of animals through language, and how we can understand, support, and help preserve wildlife in the process. Through data collection, lab work, field studies, and wildlife photography, I'm hoping to offer new revelations grounded in the framework of linguistics.

So welcome to my blog, Decoding Nature’s Discourse! These posts are a jumping-off point for discussion, and I'm hoping you'll find a safe, respectful space here to grapple with ideas surrounding animal languages. Together we can work through these challenging topics and hopefully learn how to better serve as allies to the non-humans among us. By doing so, we can also develop the skills we’ll need to be true stewards of our planet.