Child Psychology - Critical Stage for Language Development

Running head: CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

CHILD PSYCHOLOGY1
Activity 3
The critical stage for language development
There is indeed a crucial period for language development in infants, after which they
are unable to learn and grasp thins around them. Even Lenneberg's theory of 1967 supports
the above view. According to the theory, it is stated that a child cannot learn the language
after they have attained the age of puberty (Diaz, 2016). Children, when they are young, can
grasp things. Genie had passed this critical period and was never able to master the
grammatical speech as her mental health had retarded due to a lack of exposure. Genie’s
father confined her to a locked room due to which she was never able to speak and
communicate. Even when a deaf infant is exposed to sign language, he/she begins showing
gestures like audible babies. Therefore, this suggests that early experience shapes the
language of the child and his/her behavior.
Factors affecting the lack of language skills
Genie, from a very young age, was separated from her mother and brother. When she
needed care and love, she was confined to a room and tortured by her father. This torture
became a trauma for her and she went quiet. She had no exposure to the outside world and
people and she only encountered her father’s growls and scolding which she did not
understand as it was not a language. She even crossed the age of puberty after which her
mental and speech growth stopped. Also, while she was recovering from her trauma in foster
care, she was a victim of abuse. She was still being abandoned after all the efforts were made
to civilize her which further deteriorated her health. These were the factors that led to Genie’s
lack of language skills.