The Tragic Case of the Wild Child Genie offers a unique perspective on the roles of socialization and physiology in language acquisition during the critical period. After 11 years of isolation and abuse, Genie was discovered to have no known language, having already passed what was theoretically the critical period. By examining Genie's diagnosed mental retardation and dichotic testing, we can draw conclusions about her physical abuse and social isolation as it relates to language development during the critical period. Using the example of Genie's blocked language development, his language acquisition compared to normal children and late learners of American Sign Language (ASL), the role of exposure and socialization, and lateralization cerebral, this article will demonstrate support for the critical period theory for languageEric Lenneberg was the first to propose that there was a critical period for learning a first or native language that began around age two and ended with the beginning of puberty around thirteen years old. Lenneberg hypothesized that language acquisition was not possible before the age of two due to a lack of maturation, while post-puberty acquisition is inhibited by a loss of cerebral placity occurring when cerebral domination of language function is complete, occurring at the time of puberty (Kraschen). “Children deprived of language during this critical period show atypical patterns of brain lateralization” (introduction to language) Lenneberg argued that lateralization of the brain during this critical period is key to language acquisition. "The human brain is primed to develop language in specific areas of the left hemisphere, but the normal process of brain specialization depends on the ear... middle of article ......d, lateralization may be involved in a different process. In this way, the left hemisphere must be stimulated during the critical period. If this does not happen, language acquisition becomes dependent on other cortical areas, namely the right hemisphere. , and will therefore produce less effective results, without ever achieving full language acquisition would be possible before lateralization The case of (Krashen)Genie demonstrates that although it is possible, through extensive training, d. 'acquiring a certain language after the critical period, mastery of the language after this period is not possible. Aspects such as vocabulary and some conversational skills (textbook) are possible but the underlying grammar. Genie's lack of lateralization highlights the relationship between language and lateralization although it is unclear whether language input is a prerequisite for language acquisition..