Question

describe why Genie did not acquire language. Please include these 4 concepts in your answer: critical period, language acquisition device, productive language, and the onset age of language acquisition. Please limit your answer to 4-5 sentences.

Answer 1

Genie was severely neglected and abused for the first twelve years of her life. During the critical period of language learning, which is around first five years of life, she was not exposed to language and could not acquire it later on. The language acquisition device, which is active in the first few years is responsible for innate mechanism of language learning and onset of language acquisition happens at this time, she was neglected due to which she could not later of acquire productive language during her teen years.