Genie

[María José]

The other day I was looking through a David Crystal book and I came across this box dedicated to a 'contemporary wild child'. I found the topic and its implications in the worlds of psychology and language learning fascinating. I wanted to share it with you, but I haven't had the time. I guess many of you have already heard about her and about lots of other similar examples. Horrifying if you think of the human side of the story, but also helpful and tinged with hope towars the end of the story.
Have a look at this (an extract from Feral children.com... hope I'm not commiting any kind of internet crime; despite Sosia's explanations I'm never totally sure).

Genie (not Jeanie, Geanie, Jeannie or Geannie and, in any case, not her real name) is a modern-day "wild child" who, until discovery at the age of 13, had lived in a state of severe sensory and social deprivation. Strapped to a potty-chair in her home in Temple City, Los Angeles, California, Genie wasn't taught to speak, and was denied normal human interaction.
Read the full story of Genie

Scroll down for The Story of Genie. You can also read more about Genie online in The Civilizing of Genie by Maya Pines, a chapter from Teaching English through the Disciplines: Psychology. You can also read this transcript from the NOVA documentary on Genie.


'Every song has a happy ending' (not quoting any of the greats, just a character in 'One Tree Hill'

[Tomisimo]

Genie is actually well-studied in the linguistics field, because to some extent supports the hypothesis that there is a window for learning language, and once that passes, the human brain is no longer adapted to learning a language. Wikipedia has a good page on Genie.

[María José]

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

Genie is actually well-studied in the linguistics field, because to some extent supports the hypothesis that there is a window for learning language, and once that passes, the human brain is no longer adapted to learning a language. Wikipedia has a good page on Genie.

Thanks. That's the one I wanted to find, and now you've done all the 'dirty work' for me.
You're the best, boss. I'll read it later.

[poli]

These articles started me thinking. I believe that language permits us to have intellectual skills that are unique to humans. When I think, I generally
think in words. Part of the way we learn and solve problems involves categorizing, and words help us categorize complicated things that may be impossible to categorize without them.
I often wonder how other animals think and analyse without words. I wonder if Genie, who missed the language learning window, thinks in patterns that are more similar to that of other animals.

[Marsopa]

This has always been one of my pet peeves in that they only start teaching languages in high school unless you can afford some sort of private instruction.

Marsopa

[María José]

Originally Posted by Marsopa

This has always been one of my pet peeves in that they only start teaching languages in high school unless you can afford some sort of private instruction.

Marsopa

In Spain kids start studying English in both state school and private schools at the age of three and sometimes even in kindergarten, but the end result is not that great. I suppose the teaching methods are not very good in general. Quite old-fashioned and too reliant on grammar in my opinion. I'm for more natural methods that take England and the States... into the classroom, so to speak.

[CrOtALiTo]

Yes I agree with you Mary, I think that the better way of learn it, it's only speaking with them in the language in this case English right, then here in Mexico also the kindergartens teach English but the teacher isn't very ables in the language then I feel that they teaches of a way very poor and so the children's never won't learn nothing about the language.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

Yes I agree with you Mary, I think that the better way of learn English, it's only speaking with them in the language in this case English right, then here in Mexico also the kindergartens teach English but the teacher isn't very ables in the language then I feel that they teaches of a way very poor and so the children's never won't learn nothing about the language.

I have a mistake.

I mean to say:
I think that the better way of learn English

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

Yes I agree with you Mary, I think that the better way of learn it, it's only speaking with them in the language in this case English right, then here in Mexico also the kindergartens teach English but the teacher isn't very ables in the language then I feel that they teaches of a way very poor and so the children's never won't learn nothing about the language.

Corrections below:

I think the better way to learn English is by speaking it in class.
Here in Mexico, the kindergartens also teach English, but the teachers aren't able to speak the language very well.
I feel that they teach it so poorly that the children won't ever learn anything about the language.

[CrOtALiTo]

Okis, thanks Rusty, but in really I believe it, because in Mexico the schools are very poorly in the thread of the education.