Ekunode 1.
Student: Olufunmilayo Ekunode
Professor: Maria Pagano
Section: 6903
Course: 2301
Due Date: 5/17/12.
Ekunode 2.
Based on understanding of what researchers define as “true” human language at what level of language do you believe Genie had achieved when she was found?
ANSWER: Based on understanding on what researcher define as true human language, if any child does not learn language within a certain period time, especially before puberty stage, such child will have find it very difficult in acquiring language, and may never master language at all. Genie is such an example of children with no language and who never master language. When was discovered she was 13-year-old with no form of language, she could not say any single word, neither was she able to express herself in any way possible. I doubt if she would never be able to talk or speak properly.
From your reading and from the video, you should know that Chomsky believed that language was innate. However, Lenneburg took that idea one step further and proposed what hypothesis? Why was Genie a good candidate for testing Lenneburg’s hypothesis?
ANSWER: Lenneburg took one step further by proposing the critical period hypothesis theory, and the critical period hypothesis theory says that the first few years of any child’s brain is receptive to language more quickly, however, once the child reach the stage of puberty acquiring language becomes very difficult. This means the critical period hypothesis theory denote that acquiring language last from birth to puberty.
According to Susan Harris Genie eventually acquired a vocabulary. What conclusions would you draw about Genie’s use of vocabulary? For example do you believe that it was appropriate for her age? What would you conclude about Genie’s use of grammar? Based on your conclusions, do you believe that Genie had truly acquired language? Why or why not?
ANSWER: Well, according to Susan Harris, Genie was able to have language; however, her language is similar to the level of that of an infant between 18 and 20 month old. Genie was able to use words for emotion, for objects, for people and that is all the language she have. At her age level, she is unable to form full sentence, neither does she have the ability to command any grammar. My conclusion is in agreement with Lenneburg’s critical period hypothesis theory which states that the first few years of any child’s brain is receptive to language more quickly but when the child reach the stage of puberty, acquiring language becomes very difficult. This statement is absolutely true in the case of Genie, because she was not exposed to language at an earlier stage in her life until puberty stage and this made it difficult for her to form sentence in language.
Ekunode 3.
What was the bombshell? What are your thoughts regarding this turn of events?
ANSWER: The bombshell was the lawsuit filed by Genie’s mother. Genie’s mother filed a lawsuit against the researchers that they were just exploiting her daughter Genie for the money, instead of giving priority to Genie’s overall well-being. My thought regarding this matter is absolutely in support of Genie’s mother filling lawsuit against the researchers. First and foremost, Genie’s mother was jailed for child abuse even though she has only limited power to act on behalf of her daughter when her abusive husband was mistreating their child. But she could not because she was partially blind, however, despite her limitation and disability she was sent to serve some term in jail. I do agree that Genie’s mother file against the researchers, because researchers do not consider Genie’s welfare as to whether she is happy or not, whether she is emotionally in need or not, or whether she needed to take some few days off from being experimented on. But this was not the case, all what they focus on was whether or not she will speak instead of focusing on other aspect of Genie’s life.
