American Journal Of Philological Sciences
52
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue02 2025
PAGE NO.
52-54
10.37547/ajps/Volume05Issue02-15
Sociolinguistics comparison of language acquisition
between healthy and feral children
Zulfiya Nig’monova Raufovna
High-school Teacher at Iftixor Private School, Uzbekistan
Received:
11 December 2024;
Accepted:
13 January 2025;
Published:
15 February 2025
Abstract:
It is a common fact that sociolinguistics is one of the most interesting branches of linguistics which takes
a language as an aspect of a society or even a tool which expresses and showcases the societies’ beliefs, traditions,
lifestyle and values. The process of language acquisition is a complex issue which requires several years or even
dozens of years of deep research and variety of social experiments. Many linguists take a detailed look at facts
and at researches that are done in previous generations and make an attempt to compare and find out what has
changed and are there any alterations in habits, language and beliefs of societies. The tool, undoubtedly, is a
language that people utilize and change. And this change can be clearly seen between young children who are still
in process of language acquisition. This article will explore the comparison of healthy children’s language
capabilities and capabilities of feral children who were isolated from the society thus their language learning
process changed irretrievably.
Keywords:
Sociology, feral children, language acquisition, healthy children, development, sociolinguistics,
comparison.
Introduction:
Sociolinguistic process of language
acquisition
When we talk about the process of language
acquisition in social context, it is inevitable not to
discuss what sociolinguistics really means. Generally
speaking, most linguists agree on the idea that
sociolinguistics deals with language in social context,
and they can’t be separated from each other. For
example, one of the most successful linguists, Ronald
Wardhaugh [5], is Professor Emeritus in the
Department of Linguistics at the University of Toronto.
He is the author of a number of books, including Proper
English (Wiley-Blackwell, 1998), Introduction to
Sociolinguistics (Wardhaugh & Fuller, 2014) [6], and
many more. Wardhaugh and Fuller (2014) claim that
sociolinguistics is the study of language in our daily
lives, including how it functions in informal
interactions, the media we consume, and the existence
of language-related laws, regulations, and social
conventions. Sociolinguistics also explores how
language is used to express social identity, power
dynamics, and cultural norms within a society. This field
of study helps us understand the complex relationship
between language and society. Personally, it seemed to
me to be one of the briefest and clearly expressed
statements among all others. By saying “language in
everyday lives,” Wardhaugh and Fuller emphasize the
importance of ordinary people who are the main
language carriers with their everyday lifestyle, habits,
values, and attitudes. Human beings make the
language alive by changing it and utilizing it in different
social contexts. These contexts are the main factors
that utterly impact language acquisition and the
learning process. The dynamic nature of language
allows for constant evolution and adaptation to new
environments and situations. This highlights the crucial
role that social interactions play in shaping language
development and usage. Another linguist, according to
Danesi (2000: 214) [2], states that sociolinguistics is a
branch of linguistics that studies how language is used
in society. Sociolinguists examine how language usage
varies based on age, class, gender, and other social
variables. By stating all of that, it is meant that society
plays an immense role in emergencies, forming and
developing the language starting from the first days of
the birth of a physically healthy child. Society acts as a
role model for a child on how to speak, how to
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
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articulate, and when to say what we say in particular
situations. Therefore, sociolinguistics is crucial in
understanding the intricate relationship between
language and society, as it sheds light on the social
factors that influence language development and
usage. It also highlights the importance of societal
norms and values in shaping linguistic behavior.
Language acquisition of physically healthy children
Language acquisition in healthy children usually begins
around the age of one, when they start to chatter and
mimic sounds they hear. By the age of three, most
youngsters can make short phrases and hold basic
discussions with others. This period is critical for further
development of speech and linguistic abilities of
children. It is assumed by many scholars that there is a
critical period of language acquisition, which is called
the “critical period hypothesis” by Noam Chomsky.
Being called a father of linguistics, Noam Chomsky
made enormous contributions to the science of
language and language development. He claimed that
there is a precise period in early development when
language acquisition is most successful. This theory has
been extensively researched and contested in the field
of linguistics. Chomsky believed and assumed that
children's linguistic agility is supported by what he
refers to as the Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
(Wen, 2013, p.151) [7]. Chomsky's theory suggests that
there is a biological basis for language acquisition, with
the LAD being a key component in children's ability to
learn language effortlessly during the critical period.
Research continues to explore the implications of
Chomsky's hypothesis on language development and
education. Language acquisition is a slow-going process
which requires detailed observation of a child in the
first place and people around one in the second place.
How parents express their thoughts to the child, how
they communicate their ideas and the amount of time
of such kind of interaction and even whether this
interaction was of high quality or not are all impacting
aspect
s to the child’s first language acquisition. By
saying interaction quality, it is basically what language
parents use while communicating with a child. It is a
common behavior of parents and any adult speaker to
baby talk with a child. In the research which was carried
out recently by NPR online website article (2022) by
Michel Martin [4], Gabriel J. Sánchez, it was found out
that baby talk is a global phenomenon. As stated in the
article: “… it turns out, the features of baby talk —
softer tone, higher pitch, almost unintelligible
vocabulary
—
are global”. Whereas, this kind of speech
might seem more child-friendly, the majority of
scientists assume that baby talk or babbling, indeed,
might have side-effects too. Instead, the term of
‘parentese’ is included
into research vocabulary which
means parents’ speech which is grammatically
structured, well organized but simplified, with slower
pace and more melodious, clear. This kind of speech is
intended to develop cognitive and linguistic abilities
and to enhance communication skills as well.
All in all, the acquisition process of physically healthy
children might process its own intricacies and small but
vital details which influence language acquisition
process. More or less, these children start having
mutually understandable conversations with adults at
around the age of 3.
Language acquisition of feral children
The term ‘feral children’ describes a child who was fully
socially isolated since birth with the following disorders
in linguistic ability, communication skills, and
deprivation of social interactions. In brief, these
children are neglected, mostly both socially and
physically as well. Due to the restrictions in
interactions, deprived children fully or partially miss
critical learning periods. This lack of exposure to
language and social interactions can severely impact
their ability to develop communication skills and
acquire language. Studies have shown that without
proper intervention and support, feral children may
struggle to catch up with their peers in terms of
language development and social integration. The story
of Genie (real name: Susan M. Wiley), who was rescued
at 13 years 7 months after being isolated since 20
months of age, is the most well-researched example of
a child who is fully linguistically isolated. She was
confined to a Los Angeles bedroom, strapped to a
child's toilet during the day, and, on the majority of
nights, bound inside a crib with her arms and legs
immobilized (Curtiss 1977 [2], Rymer 1993 [5]). Since
there was no TV or radio in the house, she was not
permitted to speak, was not addressed, and could not
hear family conversations or any other language being
used in the house besides profanity. With the exception
of a few isolated words, Genie had not learnt to speak
or comprehend any language when she emerged from
isolation. Following her rescue, Genie received intense
language training. This training helped her develop
some language skills, but she never fully caught up to
the linguistic abilities of a typical adult. Despite this,
Genie's case has provided valuable insights into the
critical period hypothesis and the importance of early
language exposure for development.
Another famous individual and subject of immense
case study was found a long time before Genie’s cas
e,
who was named as Victor of Aveyron from French in
19th century . Most of the research is based on case
studies such as [3] Gabriel, Yiannis. (2017). Victory
whose real name is still unknown was a boy abandoned
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
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https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
in the wild and presumably lived away from civilization
and social interactions. His case was the first of a kind
which was observed and recorder in details over a long
period of time. It is stated that Victor of Aveyron lived
in wild until the age of 9 when he was found by hunters
after which he escaped eight times back to the wildlife.
Eventually, he returned by his own will and A young
doctor named Jean Marc Gaspard Itard took up the
boy's case; he worked with him for five years and gave
him the name Victor. Itard was curious to see what
Victor could discover. He recorded the boy's progress
and came up with methods to teach him words. Itard
made groundbreaking contributions to the teaching of
individuals with developmental delays, based on his
experience with Victor. His work with Victor paved the
way for modern special education practices and
highlighted the importance of early intervention for
children with language delays. Itard's dedication to
Victor's progress continues to inspire educators and
researchers in the field of developmental psychology.
Despite all the effort and time spent in an attempt to
educate and civilize Victor, Jean Marc Gaspard Itard
was quite unsuccessful in developing linguistic abilities
of Victor. More than that, it was almost impossible for
Victor to be integrated back into society and implement
human behavior in daily life.
CONCLUSION
Scientific research in the field of sociolinguistics is vast
and varied as much as the viewpoints of linguists and
scientists who devote themselves in widening the
horizons and deepening of sociolinguistic knowledge. It
is utterly important to have a brilliant eye on details
and hidden connections which, most of the time, make
the change and determine the outcome.
In terms of linguistic development, healthy children
make use of their language in gradually increasing
manner. It can be undoubtedly said that socio-
conditions influence greatly to the point that if the child
is isolated from it for several years especially in the
critical period of development, they might never be
able to keep up with their peers at the same level
anymore.
To summarize, the process of language acquisition is
heavily influenced by both biological and social
variables, with sociolinguistics providing vital insights
into how language changes in various social settings.
Healthy children who participate in frequent social
interactions develop language abilities with the
supervision and assistance of their caregivers and
community. The crucial period concept emphasizes the
significance of early exposure to language for optimal
development. Feral children, on the other hand,
experience considerable difficulty in acquiring language
and integrating into society due to a lack of social
connection, illustrating the importance of socializing in
language learning. The contrasting experiences of
healthy and feral children highlight the tremendous
importance of societal influence on linguistic
development, reaffirming the notion that language
acquisition is both a biological and a social process that
requires rich, meaningful connections in order to
thrive. Overall, the case of feral children underscores
the critical role of social interaction in language
acquisition, emphasizing that language is not solely a
product of biological predisposition but also heavily
influenced by environmental factors. This highlights the
need for early and consistent exposure to language in
order to foster optimal linguistic development in
children.
REFERENCE
Curtis (1977) Genie: A Psycholinguistic Study of a
Modern-Day "Wild Child". Academic Press.
Danesi.M, (2000) Language, Society and New Media:
Sociolinguistics Today. University of Toronto
Gabriel, Yiannis. (2017). Case Studies as Narratives:
Reflections Prompted by the Case of Victor, the Wild
Child of Aveyron. Journal of Management Inquiry. 28.
105649261771552. 10.1177/1056492617715522.
Michel Martin, Gabriel J. Sánchez (2022) The science is
in: Everyone recognizes and uses baby talk with infants.
NPR
website.
https://www.npr.org/2022/07/23/1113206642/baby-
talk-parenting-language-research
Rymer (1993) Genie: A scientific tragedy. Harper
Perennial.
Wardhaugh, R., & Fuller, J. M. (2014). An introduction
to sociolinguistics. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
Wen,
Huachuan
(2013),
Chomsky’s
Language
Development Theories: Rescuing Parents out of
Dilemma. International Journal of Learning and
Development, 3 (3), 148-153.
