Theorists

• Mehler - 1988


  Found French newborn babies are able to distinguish French from other languages

  • Found that babies as young as 4 days old sucked harder on dummies listening to French than English or Italian
• Jean Berko & Roger Brown - 1960


  • Fis/Fish study
  • Child who refers to a plastic inflatable fish as 'fis'
  • Child substitute 's' sound for 'sh'
  • Child couldn't distinguish meaning of 'fis' from 'fish'

  Child: fis

  Adult: This is your fis?

  Child: no my fis

  Adult: Oh, this is your fish?

  Child: yes, my fis
• Genie - 1970


  • 10 year old girl locked up in room for decade - extreme case of solitary confinement
  • No communication for 10 years
  • Actively discouraged from making sound
  • Developed brain damage - dead brain matter found during MRI scans
  • No signs of neurological issues - autism, etc.
• Oxana Malaya- 


  • Ukrainian girl
  • Abandoned by family at 3 years and raised by pack of wolves until found at age 8
  • Raised by pack of wolves
  • Acquired ability to speak - theorists believe this may be because 3 years of life was spent with human interaction