L’enfant sauvage

In 1798, a wolf child was found in the forests of the French department of Aveyron. He is ten years old and grew up in the wild, so he cannot speak, read or write and is completely maladapted to society. The young doctor Jean Itard takes care of him by trying to educate him

This classic by François Truffaut is based on a true story and raises interesting questions about the enormous importance of language and communication in relating to the world.

For some children it is very difficult to learn how to speak. Whether this is because of neglection or because of a development disorder: children can differ a lot in the ease with which they learn their native tongue. But how do we even learn languages in the first place? How is it possible that a child who can’t even tie its own shoes, masters a system as complex as a language? Together with language experts Imme Lammertink (Radboud Universiteit) and Simon Fisher (Max Plank Institute) we will dive into the brain and learning skills of a toddler to answer these questions.   

This program is a collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. Language: English.