Question

Based on Susan Curtiss's essay "What happens if you are raised without language?," which of the following can be inferred, correctly, about the unusual case of Genie?

A. Genie's case provides important insights into why deaf people are not able to acquire grammar to the same extent as hearing people, and why sign languages such as American Sign Language are grammatically deficient compared to spoken languages such as English.

B. The fact that Genie had normal intelligence, yet was never able to acquire and use language normally after escaping the abusive isolation of her early childhood, suggests that she probably had an undiagnosed hearing impairment.

C. If Genie, who had normal hearing and normal intelligence, had had normal exposure to American Sign Language during her early childhood, she would have acquired ASL normally and would have been a fully proficient signer.

D. If, after escaping the abusive isolation of her early childhood at the age of 13, Genie had had the opportunity to live among children her own age in Nicaragua's newly forming Deaf community, she would have fully and successfully acquired the rapidly developing sign language of that community.

Answer 1

The correct answer is Option C.  If Genie, who had normal hearing and normal intelligence, had had normal exposure to American Sign Language during her early childhood, she would have acquired ASL normally and would have been a fully proficient signer.