Final answer:
Alex the gray African Parrot learned English labels by forming associations between words and their meanings through repetitive training and reinforcement, demonstrating processes similar to child language acquisition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alex the gray African Parrot was able to learn English labels through a process similar to how children learn language. Parrots like Alex are highly intelligent and capable of associative learning, which means that they can connect words with their meanings or the objects they represent. Alex's learning was a result of extensive and repetitive training by researchers, who would introduce objects along with their verbal labels, reinforcing these associations over time. For example, when shown an object such as a key, Alex would learn to associate the word "key" with the physical object through repetition and positive reinforcement, much like a child learns a language.
Through consistent interaction and training, Alex was capable of understanding and verbally articulating a remarkable number of English words and phrases, showcasing the sophisticated cognitive abilities of African Gray Parrots in language comprehension and production. The process of Alex learning English labels underscores not only the plasticity of animal cognition but also the intricacies involved in language learning across species.