The following training suggestions are from the members of the
Budgie Research Group. They don't guarantee that your budgie will learn
speech, but with some practice, you may get some good results.
Training Tip #1
By Ryan Reynolds
For new members teaching budgies,
it's important to remember that you haven't
been through the many recordings and
things that have been happening on the site for the
last couple of years, so it may seem overywhelming.
One thing we have found out for sure, is that
budgies can learn our language fluently in
a matter of a couple of months. They learn at least ten
times faster than humans, if they are in the right
conditions.
They mimic because they are trying to practice
pronunciation. It takes a budgie much longer to
learn how to make itself be understood, by
reproducing our vocal patterns, than it
does for them to learn our language.
It takes a lot of dedication on the
budgies part to want to be come a good talker,
before it happens.
Some are just content to understand it and
make like they don't. Therefore, they may never
attempt to talk, bond or communicate with us.
Usually, it is much more difficult to train more than
one budgie at a time to talk, as well.
The best advice we can give, is to let the budgies
be around the family and interact with them. Let them watch
children's programs ... listen to the radio, etc. and
everything else that a human child would do. The more you
expose them to these things the faster they learn.
Then, try to teach them mimicries, so they can learn how to
vocalize to be understood by people.
Also, try teaching pronunciation through song. This is an excellent way
for them to learn how to practice as they have to often slow down their words to
keep in rhythm. I spent many hours too singing to Victor.
A very good way to teach them to use context, is using puppets or
small stuffed animals and put on a puppet show once a day for them.
This is how I taught Victor to tell stories and use stories to get
his point accross. I think it was Cheri who mentioned a while back
that they love it when you put their name in and make them part of
the story. This is very true. With a puppet show after a while they
will even get involved and start attaching the puppets, but you have
to start out slowly with them. They will surely love every minute of
it after a while if you do.
Here is some info that you should read that will also help you.
Lastly, don't get caught up in the predictions at this point as we are not 100%
sure what is happening in that area. It is like we know budgies are having them,
but we need a lot more proof before it becomes a fact.
Training Tip #2
By Terri Crane
Create a bond of friendship and love.
This enables the Budgie to focus on
what you want to teach. Your Budgie
will want to please you. This is done with
patience and calm. Do not force this, it will
come in time.
Note: There are budgies that speak whether they
are hand tamed or not. Some perch on fingers,
shoulders, etc. Others prefer to sit in their cage or
play area.
Training Tip #3
This training tip comes to you, courtesy of
Joey the budgie!
He asks that you talk to your budgie as you
would a human. The more context they hear
at an early age, the more they learn to talk in
that form.
Don't talk baby talk to us. We are smarter than that.
Keep your words simple and talk plainly.
Joey also reminds you do not force your budgie.
When we are ready, we will say what we have to say.
Carol, Joey's guardian added this ...
Watch your own words as they pick up swear
words very easy, as they are the simplest to learn.
Remember, the budgies reflect the guardians --
what you say will be with them forever. So,
watch your language, it may come back to haunt
you when your budgie talks in public.
Training Tip #4
By Diana Rogers
I noticed when Abbey wanted to talk he wanted
to be very close to my
mouth.
I have read that they learn through vibrations.
When I have my training
sessions with Abey, I put him on my finger and
keep him very close to my
mouth.
HAVE INTIMATE MOMENTS
Also, when Abbey watches me do things around
the house, I explain to him what I am doing.
For example, he likes to watch me curl my
hair.
I take advantage of this as a training session.
I repeat, mommy curls her hair so she will
look pretty see!
TALK TO THEM. NOT ONLY DURING SMALL TRAINING
SESSIONS
When you hear them say something, make sure
they know it. When abbey says,
"Did you hear me?" I always make sure he knows,
repeat what he has said to me, and PRAISE
If there is another amimal in the house have
some ALONE TIME, where your
interaction is with you and the budgie
alone. They know when they have
your full attention.
NOTE
We have some budgies in the group that speak in excellent context, but
are basically chirping their words out and
are working on their "human speak" pronunciation skills. Unless a
guardian has an incredible ability themselves
to speak in a very clear, enunciated way, teaching mimicries for
pronunciation will help all budgies.
Budgies, as you all know, can speak at an incredibly fast rate, so even
those budgies that are relatively clear speakers,
when they get overly excited, can talk so fast, they border on being
impossible to understand.
We simply take advantage of the parrots/budgies abilities to mimic, to
begin down the long road of discovering their incredible
intelligence and skills. Just like a very young child watches others
wave goodbye to someone, they will automatically start waving
goodbye to people, with little coaxing. Humans are, of course, the
biggest mimickers of all (or we'd all be our own songwriters,
for one thing!)
