This document discusses feral children and the critical period hypothesis of language acquisition. It defines feral children as those who have lived in isolation from human contact and language from a very young age. It presents several cases of feral children who were isolated, confined, or raised by animals. These cases provide mixed evidence for the critical period hypothesis, which proposes a sensitive period for language acquisition between ages 2-12. Some feral children acquired language abilities after being found, while others did not.

1. Feral children Universität des Saarlandes Fachrichtung 4.3 – Anglistik, Amerikanistik und anglophone Kulturen Seminar: First Language Acquisition Seminarleitung: Prof. Dr. Neal R. Norrick Referentin: Lydia Schulz WS 2006 / 2007 11.12.2006

7. Some cases of feral children

9. 1. Isolated children  who have survived on their own in the wild, without human or animal assistance

17. 3. Children raised by animals  are raised by animals like wolves, dogs, monkeys, etc.

20. Timetable of cases dog child 8 1991 Novaya Blagoveshchenka, Ukraine female Oxana Malaya confined child 13 1970 California, USA female Genie confined child 6 1938 Ohio, USA female Isabelle wolf children 8 and 2 1920 Midnapore, India female Kamala & Amala confined child 17 1828 Nuremberg, Germany male Kaspar Hauser isolated child 11 1799 Aveyron, France male Viktor isolated child 13 1724 Hameln, Germany male Wild Peter Classification Age Date Location Sex Name

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