"Baby" Clark could understand English

[Calhoun07]

Tho he never spoke until we saw him as a "teenager," the very first scene with young Clark Kent in Smallville seems to indicate he has an education of the English language already. When Martha is discussing keeping him with Jonathan, it's pretty clear by the looks in young Clark's eyes that he understands what is being said when he looks up expectantly at Jonathan to await his answer of whether or not they can adopt him. So I guess there were more than Hooked on Kryptonphonics tapes in that little rocket ship of his!

[Bruce Wayne]

That, or he just happen to look at Johnathan. It just happens in real life sometimes. Also, that baby actor couldve looked anywhere else and the director wouldnt give a crap.

[Calhoun07]

He just didn't look at him, he looked up with an expectation for an answer. There was a look of understanding there. Of course, the kid did understand (he was no baby!) but I was just wondering if they meant to show the kid understanding what was being said.

If young Clark didn't learn any thing on his journey, then maybe he really is a 24 year old in high school!

[Bruce Wayne]

Hmm.. well maybe... but I don't think a lot of other people caught on that..

[TerryMcGuiness]

Babys like staring at peoples faces because to them its all still fascinating and new.

Also, they may have just had Clark look up at them like that because well...it was adorable dammit! ^_^

[Nightflower]

Originally posted by calhoun07
Tho he never spoke until we saw him as a "teenager," the very first scene with young Clark Kent in Smallville seems to indicate he has an education of the English language already. When Martha is discussing keeping him with Jonathan, it's pretty clear by the looks in young Clark's eyes that he understands what is being said when he looks up expectantly at Jonathan to await his answer of whether or not they can adopt him. So I guess there were more than Hooked on Kryptonphonics tapes in that little rocket ship of his!

Well....they couldn't exactly tell the little tyke who PLAYED Baby Clark "Look up at Jonathan when he catches your attention with the sound of his voice, but try not to let the fact that you understand English reflect within your eyes!" :p

[Calhoun07]

I don't think we will really know what level of knowlege Clark had when he first reached Earth until we get to see him explore that rocket more and perhaps we get some flashback scenes.

Let's just say he did learn the Kryptonite language. If he knows it and heard it spoken to him on these hooked on phonics tapes during his journey thru space, he learned the dialect and all that good stuff of his native people. So why doesn't the alien Clark Kent speak with a strange accent?

I know, I know, that would be too much! It's just something I wondered about from time to time tho. I really don't want him to have a strange alien accent like, oh, say Jar Jar Binks all of a sudden!

[TerryMcGuiness]

He was just a baby. A really cute baby looking up at the faces of the people who'd just found him.

He didnt understand *any* laguage at that point. If you'll remember what lines he did have were those adorable "googoogyuheehee" baby sounds. :p

I'd like to take this time to place my vote for Kal-El playing ball with Krypto in that one scene as the all time cutest moment in the history of animation. :D

[Bruce Wayne]

Well, about that alien ccent thing, I don't think he'd have an accent. Would an American who lived in austrailia have an American or an Aussie accent if they lived there after a year they were born? Aussie's teh answer. The influence is an effect on accents.

Now, I don't think Clark knew english from the start. Let's assume that the Kryptonians don't speack English! Duh!
But they did in the Cartoon! So what? The writers had to make them speak English for us to understand. So Clark speaks Krypton and not english.

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by TerryMcGuiness
He was just a baby. A really cute baby looking up at the faces of the people who'd just found him.

He didnt understand *any* laguage at that point. If you'll remember what lines he did have were those adorable "googoogyuheehee" baby sounds. :p

I'd like to take this time to place my vote for Kal-El playing ball with Krypto in that one scene as the all time cutest moment in the history of animation. :D

Well, I am not talking about the cartoon here, but now you make me want to go back to watch the Last Son of Krypton to see how they handled it! I remember in Superman the Movie, baby Superman had all those crystals in his ship that taught him about not only Krypton but undoubtedly a certain understanding of the native language. Of course, it was English in the movie, but we all know that it was just Kryptonian translated!

So the question is remaining in Smallville, did he get sent off from Krypton with just the book? I suspect he had to have had some of those crystals or SOMETHING in the ship with him that allowed him to learn his native language. He's gotta read the book some how. He may have forgotten, but I am thinking it's got to be in his memory somewhere and will surface before long.

[TerryMcGuiness]

Ugh. This is embarassing. -_-

Okay, this one is totally my bad here.

I went from the name of the topic to the latest response. I assumed we were talking about TAS Superman here. I havent seen Smallville (WB doesnt play here anymore, theres whole chunks of Superman and Batman Beyond I've sadly yet to see) so I wont argue the point there.

In Last Son of Krypton he was basically a normal baby but there was a module in the ship with a holographic message from Jor-El. Also though this was never explained, it apparently links itself up with the orb of Kryptons knowledge from Brainiacs ship.

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by TerryMcGuiness
Ugh. This is embarassing. -_-

Okay, this one is totally my bad here.

I went from the name of the topic to the latest response. I assumed we were talking about TAS Superman here. I havent seen Smallville (WB doesnt play here anymore, theres whole chunks of Superman and Batman Beyond I've sadly yet to see) so I wont argue the point there.

In Last Son of Krypton he was basically a normal baby but there was a module in the ship with a holographic message from Jor-El. Also though this was never explained, it apparently links itself up with the orb of Kryptons knowledge from Brainiacs ship.

Well, don't be embarassed! I hadn't considered other cannons of Superman lore when posting my question and you made me think about them so that isn't so bad!