As I watched this movie, I realized I had seen it before. This time though, I was able to watch it through a new lens. The questions that really got me thinking were the questions "do you think the video is evidence of a critical period?" and "how do people treat Victor?"
Critical Period Evidence?
My answer for this is undecided. I think that in some respects, it does, but in others, it doesn't. Some people may say that it does because Victor didn't learn to speak a language. However, in the beginning of the movie, one of the characters said that it takes 18 months for an infant to learn a few words. In Victor's case, he was only with the doctor for half that. And, I'd like to point out, even if he couldn't carry on a conversation like other 10-12 year old boys, he still understood and could react appropriately to many of the complex commands and utterances made by the doctor. I think that people were too quick to judge Victor and expected too much of him too soon. The doctor had just about given up on Victor at 7 months of work. If we gave up on babies at 7 months, no one would learn to speak at all. What this movie does seem to provide evidence for is that learning a language is difficult - even if it seems easy at times.
As I watched, I was appalled by the reactions of the people who saw Victor. He was like a circus animal - only there for people to gawk at and wonder over. I wonder if people today ever feel this way. I have friends and relatives that will talk about immigrants and their "need" to learn English. They may say something like "This is America, learn our language." It strikes me much differently now. I wonder if this attitude isn't the same as the staring at Victor. People wonder, question, and fear what they don't understand. There must be another more tolerant and understanding way to react, but I think people forget that these people are people too. Not to mention, it's hard to learn another language!
No comments:
Post a Comment