What Is The Language In Secrets Of The Wild Child
The film “Secrets of the Wild Child” though very sad, was very educational and informative. After watching the film, it made me question a lot about language and how it is formed. Before watching the film I was curious as to how people acquired language. I know that the textbooks tell us that language is an innate trait, but how does one know that for sure? With the case of Genie, you really get a pure representation of someone who has been withheld from interactions with other humans and has had little to no communication. There are a couple of theories on this, one made by a man named Chomsky. Chomsky states that we acquire language genetically and it is an innate characteristic. On the other hand, Lenenberg states, humans are born with the
…show more content…
Tests showed Genie was mentally challenged when she was found. It is difficult to tell whether it was a cause of her isolation, or if she was born with it. Some evidence to support that her mental capabilities were due to her isolation were, year after year, following her rescue, she gained mental capacity. Genie’s language developed in many ways. Through repetition, Genie was able to widely expand her vocabulary and understanding of words. For example, when the teacher would show her the word jump, she would say jump, and start jumping up and down. I am sure this is not a word she had pervious to her rescue yet she could fully comprehend the word and its meaning. Genie was also able to pick up some sign language, which was very impressive. She was also able to use words to talk about her life before her rescue and put together sentences with meanings. For example, when asked where she sat, ate, and lived she said “potty chair”. Another example is she would say, “apple bought store” instead of “bought an apple at the store”. Though she was very competent in putting together sentences that got her message across, it was a challenge to use correct grammar and syntax. Also, if after many tries, she could not say a word she would just make up her own word for that object or action. Also, she regressed after a major abuse from a foster parent, did not want to open her mouth anymore after being harshly punished for throwing
Tests showed Genie was mentally challenged when she was found. It is difficult to tell whether it was a cause of her isolation, or if she was born with it. Some evidence to support that her mental capabilities were due to her isolation were, year after year, following her rescue, she gained mental capacity. Genie’s language developed in many ways. Through repetition, Genie was able to widely expand her vocabulary and understanding of words. For example, when the teacher would show her the word jump, she would say jump, and start jumping up and down. I am sure this is not a word she had pervious to her rescue yet she could fully comprehend the word and its meaning. Genie was also able to pick up some sign language, which was very impressive. She was also able to use words to talk about her life before her rescue and put together sentences with meanings. For example, when asked where she sat, ate, and lived she said “potty chair”. Another example is she would say, “apple bought store” instead of “bought an apple at the store”. Though she was very competent in putting together sentences that got her message across, it was a challenge to use correct grammar and syntax. Also, if after many tries, she could not say a word she would just make up her own word for that object or action. Also, she regressed after a major abuse from a foster parent, did not want to open her mouth anymore after being harshly punished for throwing