When Renee was 11 months old, she was injured in a car crash. She was in a coma for almost a year and then spent many months of recovery from a brain injury. By her third birthday, although she is making good process, she has not yet spoken, and her parents are fearful that she will never speak. The doctors, however, feel confident that Renee will learn to speak. This is because language learning in the first four years is NOT a _____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best choice is B, critical period. A critical period is a specific period in development during which an organism is most vulnerable to the effects of a particular experience or environmental influence. Language learning is considered a critical period because it is easier for children to learn language during the first few years of life. While there is some flexibility in language learning during this time, if language acquisition is significantly delayed or impaired, it may become more difficult or even impossible later in life. Therefore, the doctors' confidence that Renee will eventually learn to speak suggests that they believe she is still within the critical period for language acquisition.

When Renee Was 11 Months Old, She Was Injured in a Car