The Effects of Isolation on Language and Speech Development

The Effects of Isolation on Language and Speech Development

In the video titled ‘Genie Wiley – TLC Documentary (2003)’ the speaker makes three claims related to child and language development. The first claim is that nurture often overrules nature, neglect of a child’s speech learning capability affects language development, and lastly, through social interaction, a child can still develop and learn a language

The first claim is that while there is always a conflict between nature versus nurture and nurture overrides nature in child development, as evidenced in Genie’s case. Nature here, as the video defines, is that Genie was born a healthy baby with normal brain functioning but after 13 years of isolation, which can plausibly be argued as nurture, sees that she is still cognitively deficient. Studies show that multiple years of environmental abuse often result in behavior changes (Sousa et al. 2). This explains Genie’s behaviour as she is moved from one foster home to another..

Another claim that the video makes through Dr Curtis is that extreme neglect of a child’s stimuli in language development is likely to cause mental retardation. The video narrates how Genie’s father loved his silence, and for that, Genie would be locked in her room while strapped to a potty chair and was not allowed to talk.

Evidence points out that a decrease in cerebral brain tissue may cause difficulty in speech and language development (Salman et al. 2). Genie who only knew two words; her name and the word ‘sorry’. In any event, as the speaker points out, it is clear that Genies neglect upset her language learning capabilities.

Lastly, the video states that despite the years of isolation, hope is not lost as Genie can still interact and mix with the more significant population. Genie has been able to make sentences as her speech shows improvement. In step with this, Albert Bandura’s social learning theory posits that a person learns and deduces information from their environment (Kalkstein et al. 2). As such, I concur with the speaker that speech, as seen with Genie, is part of the social learning process that over time can be mustered.

I therefore agree with the speaker’s three claims which state that nurture often overrules nature, neglect of a child’s speech learning capability affects language development and lastly that through social interaction a child can still develop and learn a language. Children should, therefore, be given the necessary attention while young that will be essential in their growth and cognitive development.

Works Cited

Genie Wiley – TLC Documentary” YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjZolHCrC8E. Accessed 2020.

Kalkstein, D. A., Kleiman, T., Wakslak, C. J., Liberman, N., & Trope, Y. “Social learning across psychological distance.” Journal of personality and social psychology 110.1 (2016): 1.

Orleck, Kelsey. “Genie: Feral Child.” YouTube, 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQNBSPY4QUc. Accessed 2020.

Salman, Michael S., and Peter Tsai. “The role of the pediatric cerebellum in motor functions, cognition and behavior: a clinical perspective.” Neuroimaging Clinics of North America 26.3 (2016): 317.

Sousa, C., Mason, W. A., Herrenkohl, T. I., Prince, D., Herrenkohl, R. C., & Russo, M. J. “Direct and Indirect Effects of Child abuse and Environmental Stress: A Lifecourse Perspective on Adversity and Depressive symptoms.” American journal of orthopsychiatry 88.2 (2018): 180.