Ummm. I can already do both: I assume the author means be able to understand and be understood by ___.
jonnyt_
I guess it should have bee able to speak WITH instead of TO
revegelance
Anyone can speak with babies if you just wait long enough. I guess they won't be babies anymore, but whatever.
bryan.derksen
I assume the animals understand you and can respond intelligibly, otherwise you're just that crazy guy in the park who yells at pigeons
sojikari
Well, I can speak to both of them. And I'm relatively certain neither especially understand. But babies don't eat people, and bears do. End of argument.