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  • Psycholinguistics: Wild Children and Their Stories

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    This document summarizes the stories of three wild children - Chelsea, Isabelle, and Helen - and what their cases proved about language learning. It discusses that early language exposure is crucial, as both Isabelle and Helen, who were exposed to language during the critical period of the first few years of life, successfully acquired language through rehabilitation efforts. However, Chelsea, who was not exposed to language until much older, failed to develop full grammatical abilities despite rehabilitation. The document also outlines major factors like the age of initial exposure and absence of prior trauma that influence successful language learning.

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    This document summarizes the stories of three wild children - Chelsea, Isabelle, and Helen - and what their cases proved about language learning. It discusses that early language exposure is crucial, as both Isabelle and Helen, who were exposed to language during the critical period of the first few years of life, successfully acquired language through rehabilitation efforts. However, Chelsea, who was not exposed to language until much older, failed to develop full grammatical abilities despite rehabilitation. The document also outlines major factors like the age of initial exposure and absence of prior trauma that influence successful language learning.

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    39 views15 pages

    Psycholinguistics: Wild Children and Their Stories

    Uploaded by

    williamngongo
    This document summarizes the stories of three wild children - Chelsea, Isabelle, and Helen - and what their cases proved about language learning. It discusses that early language exposure is crucial, as both Isabelle and Helen, who were exposed to language during the critical period of the first few years of life, successfully acquired language through rehabilitation efforts. However, Chelsea, who was not exposed to language until much older, failed to develop full grammatical abilities despite rehabilitation. The document also outlines major factors like the age of initial exposure and absence of prior trauma that influence successful language learning.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 15

    Psycholinguistics

    Wild Children and their stories


    Introduction
    Isolated Children
    Chelsea
    Isabelle
    Helen

    What Isabelle and Helen proved
    Major factors governing language learning
    Is there a critical age for first language
    learning?

    Chelsea
    Aged 32 when discovered (Now 57)
    Not deaf, only partially hearing-impaired
    With hearing aid and language instruction
    Developed extensive vocabulary
    Unable to make grammatically correct
    utterances (Lack word order)
    Combing hair the boy
    Banana the eat
    FAILED REHABILITATION

    Isabelle
    Aged 6.5 when discovered
    Confinement with mute mother
    Mute mother:
    Brain-damaged since 2
    Never developed speech
    Mother and Isabelle both locked in a room
    Isabelle
    1 week after rehabilitation:
    First attempt of vocalization
    3 months:
    Producing sentence utterances
    Thats my baby.
    I dont want.
    Close your eyes.
    1 year:
    Retell a story in own words
    Isabelle
    1.5 Year:
    Complex structure of questions
    Why does the paste come out if one upsets the jar?
    2 Years:
    Produce full length sentences, intelligent
    questioning

    SUCCESSFUL REHABILITATION

    Helen
    Aged 7 when discovered
    Born normal
    Became deaf and blind
    when 19 months old
    (Illness)
    Had some degree of
    language exposure
    before illness
    Helen
    Bell (Inventor of telephone) and Macy help
    her with rehabilitation
    Helen
    Hand signals with Bell
    Touch lips & vocal cords with Macy

    Though unable to hear, able to produce
    speech
    Strange, high pitched monotone
    Helen
    Graduated from
    Harvard University

    Became a famous
    lecturer and writer
    around the world

    SUCCESSFUL
    REHABILITATION

    Isabelle and Helen proved:
    Language exposure ASAP
    Without exposure, children will not aquire
    language
    Can be in form of
    Speech
    Signs
    Writing
    Touch
    Major factors governing language learning
    The age exposure to language begins
    Helen exposed during first 19 months
    Isabelle: Special case (No exposure until 6.5
    years old)

    Extend of trauma prior to exposure
    (Psychological, physical, social)
    Both Helen & Isabelle did not have trauma
    Helen: Lovely family
    Isabelle: Affection of mother
    Critical age for first language learning
    Critical Age Hypothesis:
    first few years of life is the crucial time to
    acquire first language (~6-7 years)
    If presented with adequate stimuli
    Otherwise never full command of language
    especially grammatical systems
    Critical age for first language learning
    Helen and Isabelle learned language
    during critical period
    Succeeded

    Victor, Genie, Chelsea, Oxana not
    Failed
    End
    Thank You

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