

Life without language - AngryParsley
http://neuroanthropology.net/2010/07/21/life-without-language/

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yannis
A photo can say 1000 words - even in silence
[http://coutequecoute.blogspot.com/2009/04/harold-whittles-
he...](http://coutequecoute.blogspot.com/2009/04/harold-whittles-hears-for-
very-first.html)

I remembered this picture from a Life Magazine year book. Did a bit of a
search and found it. Priceless!

The boy's face says it all.

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chroma
That was a very good article, both interesting and emotionally satisfying. I
didn't know it was possible for people to acquire language as late as their
20's.

~~~
metellus
In my (admittedly low level) psychology class, I was taught that it's
impossible to acquire language after a certain age. The case study of Genie (
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genie_(feral_child)> ) was used and the
conclusion was that if a person does not learn some form of language during a
critical period early in life, they never will.

~~~
drunkpotato
I wouldn't be too hasty about using Genie's case study to generalize about
language acquisition. Genie was also horribly abused and neglected, without
adequate access to sunlight or nutrition, for the formative years of her life.

In other words, lack of access to language was not the only variable in her
case. Of course, a controlled study of this would be unethical, so case
studies are all we have, and we can't be picky about them. But neither should
we make assumptions about what variables are actually being measured in a case
study. That requires a controlled experiment.

~~~
loewenskind
>Of course, a controlled study of this would be unethical,

We can't do as the Pharaoh did for testing purposes, of course, but if the
estimates are right about how many people make it at least to late adolescence
without language I think there are probably enough cases out there to learn a
great deal.

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danbmil99
Nice until she goes off on implants. Fuck that. Google some videos of kids
with their implants. This fetish for signing society is just absurd. We've
figured out how to cure deafness in most cases; get used to it.

~~~
chroma
I find your comment both uncivil and insubstantial (to use terms from the HN
rules). You found one tangential thing in the article and disagreed with it.
You didn't explain _why_ you disagreed with it, you simply crudely expressed
your opinion. Cochlear implants were discussed to death recently
(<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1505365>). It's a loud, polarizing topic
and further discussion is unproductive.

Yet your comment is voted higher than any other in this thread.

(sigh)

~~~
danbmil99
(sigh) I wish calmly and rationally stating your opinion got people's
attention, but it doesn't.

Fact is, cochlear implants are very obviously a good thing, and the arguments
against them are stupid. There are many issues that are polarizing, but where
the right answer is completely obvious to anyone who is thinking clearly and
doesn't have a hidden agenda. This is one of them.

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RiderOfGiraffes
Related article with much discussion:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1505365>

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loewenskind
Fantastic article. I've always believed the "language first" crowd, but it
looks like (as always) it is more complex than that.

Though I wonder why Ildefonso wont talk about his experiences before he knew
language? Could it be that he has no way (no frame of reference with which) to
articulate it?

