The Acquisition of Language: Genie -A Feral child

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The tragic case of feral child Genie provides a unique perspective on the roles of socialization and physiology in language acquisition during the critical period. After 11 years of isolation and abuse Genie was discovered possessing no known language, having already passed what was theorized to be the critical period. Through examining Genie’s diagnosed mental retardation and dichotic testing, we can draw conclusions from her physical abuse and social isolation as it pertains to language development during the critical period. Using the example of Genie’s stalled linguistic development, her language acquisition compared to both normal children and late learners of American sign language (ASL), the role of exposure and socialization and brain lateralization, this paper will demonstrate support of the theory of critical period for language Eric Lenneberg was the first to propose there existed a critical period to learn a first or native language that was between that began around two and ended with the onset of puberty around thirteen years old. Lenneberg theorized that language acquisition was not possible before age two because of a lack of maturation, while post-puberty acquisition is inhibited by a loss of cerebral placicity occuring when the cerebral dominance of the language function is complete, happening around the time of puberty (Kraschen). “Children deprived of language during this critical period show atypical patterns of brain lateralization” (intro to language) Lenneberg argued that lateralization of the brain during this critical period is key to language acquisition. “The human brain is primed to develop language in specific areas of the left hemisphere but the normal process of brain specialization depends on ear... ... middle of paper ... ...d, lateralization may be involved in a different way, the left hemisphere needs to be stimulated during the critical period, if this doesn’t occur then language acquisition becomes dependent on other cortical areas, namely the right hemisphere and as a result will produce less effective results never achieving the full language acquisition that would be possible prior to lateralization. (Krashen) Genie’s case demonstrates that although it is possible with extensive training to acquire some language after the critical period, a mastery of language after this period is not possible. Aspects such as vocabulary and certain conversational skills (textbook) are possible but the underlying grammar Genie’s lack of lateralization highlights the relationship between language and lateralization although it is unclear language input is a prerequisite for language acquisition.

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