AGE OF ONSET AND NATIVELIKE L2 ULTIMATE ATTAINMENT OF MORPHOSYNTACTIC AND PHONETIC INTUITION

2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niclas Abrahamsson
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Critical Period Hypothesis ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ultimate Attainment ◽  
The Relationship

Research has consistently shown there is a negative correlation between age of onset (AO) of acquisition and ultimate attainment (UA) of either pronunciation or grammar in a second language (L2). A few studies have indeed reported nativelike behavior in some postpuberty learners with respect to either phonetics/phonology or morphosyntax, a result that has sometimes been taken as evidence against the critical period hypothesis (CPH). However, in the few studies that have employed a wide range of linguistic tests and tasks, adult learners have not exhibited nativelike L2 proficiency across the board of measures, which, according to some, suggests that the hypothesis still holds. The present study investigated the relationship between AO and UA and the incidence of nativelikeness when measures of phonetic and grammatical intuition are combined. An additional aim was to investigate whether children and adults develop the L2 through fundamentally different brain mechanisms—namely, whether children acquire the language (more) implicitly as an interdependent whole, whereas adults learn it (more) explicitly as independent parts of a whole.

scholarly journals Effect of Age in Second Language Acquisition: A Critical Review from the Perspective of Critical Period Hypothesis and Ultimate Attainment

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mosiur Rahman ◽  
Ambigapathy Pandian ◽  
Abdul Karim ◽  
Faheem Hasan Shahed
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Critical Period Hypothesis ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ultimate Attainment ◽  
Effect Of Age

This article addresses the effect of age in Second Language Acquisition (SLA), posing the relative question that whether the Critical Period hypothesis (CPH) exists in Second Language (SL), and if existing, how it is associated duly with SLA. The justification of comparing the achievement of L1 and L2 learners on the basis of Ultimate Attainment (UA) in the establishment of Critical Period Hypothesis, is also discussed. In the methodology, secondary data analysis was used to answer of research questions. To achieve a reliable result from the wide range of secondary data primarily from journal articles, a systemic search has been adopted. In conclusion, compare and contrast was made with earlier studies to show the findings of the study and to scope future research. 

scholarly journals The effects of Age of Acquisition on an L2 learner’s Ultimate Attainment

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinlu Li
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Previous Analysis ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Controversial Topic ◽  
Ultimate Attainment

This paper focuses on generalizing different theories towards the age effect on the ultimate attainment of second language learners since it has long been a controversial topic in researchers’ mind. In this paper, it gives evidences on cases in favor of the Critical Period Hypothesis, which claimed the loss of language learning ability after puberty and presents counter-evidences on the successful acquisition of second language in adult learners. It has reached into a conclusion that consists the viewpoint drawn on previous analysis and confirmed the possibility in ultimate second language attainment for late learners.

scholarly journals The Reliability of Critical Period Hypothesis

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Zakaria Bziker
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learners ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Social Construct ◽  
Critical Period Hypothesis ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Ultimate Attainment

This article is an attempt to examine the reliability of the Critical Period Hypothesis (Note 1) in light of subsequent studies. The high improbability of successful L2 acquisition among adults is the main point of strength that CPH enjoys. However, we have incidents of nativelikeness with individuals that began L2 acquisition years past the critical period (Note 2) in addition to supporting studies that show ultimate attainment among L2 learners is still possible. In this case do we still talk about a reliable hypothesis? This opens us to ponder whether CPH is purely biological or there are other social construct factors at play that help some L2 adult learners to attain nativelikness despite the high unlikelihood of its occurrence.

THE ROBUSTNESS OF APTITUDE EFFECTS IN NEAR-NATIVE SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niclas Abrahamsson ◽  
Kenneth Hyltenstam
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Language Aptitude ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
High Degree

Results from a number of recent studies suggest that nativelike adult second language (L2) learners possess a high degree of language learning aptitude, the positive effects of which may have compensated for the negative effects of a critical period in these learners. According to the same studies, child learners seem to attain a nativelike command of the L2 regardless of high or low aptitude, which has led researchers to conclude that this factor plays no role in early acquisition. The present study investigates the L2 proficiency and language aptitude of 42 near-native L2 speakers of Swedish (i.e., individuals whom actual mother-tongue speakers of Swedish believe are native speakers). The results confirm previous research suggesting that a high degree of language aptitude is required if adult learners are to reach a L2 proficiency that is indistinguishable from that of native speakers. However, in contrast to previous studies, the present results also identify small yet significant aptitude effects in child SLA. Our findings lead us to the conclusions that the rare nativelike adult learners sometimes observed would all turn out to be exceptionally talented language learners with an unusual ability to compensate for maturational effects and, consequently, that their nativelikeness per se does not constitute a reason to reject the critical period hypothesis.

scholarly journals Association between Inflammatory Conditions and Alzheimer’s Disease Age of Onset in Down Syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. 3116
Author(s):  
Florence Lai ◽  
Nathaniel Mercaldo ◽  
Cassandra M. Wang ◽  
Giovi G. Hersch ◽  
Herminia Diana Rosas
Keyword(s):  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Vitamin B12 Deficiency ◽  
Inflammatory Conditions ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Autoimmune Conditions ◽  
B12 Deficiency ◽  
The Relationship

Adults with Down syndrome (DS) have an exceptionally high prevalence of Alzheimer disease (AD), with an earlier age of onset compared with the neurotypical population. In addition to beta amyloid, immunological processes involved in neuroinflammation and in peripheral inflammatory/autoimmune conditions are thought to play important roles in the pathophysiology of AD. Individuals with DS also have a high prevalence of autoimmune/inflammatory conditions which may contribute to an increased risk of early AD onset, but this has not been studied. Given the wide range in the age of AD onset in those with DS, we sought to evaluate the relationship between the presence of inflammatory conditions and the age of AD onset. We performed a retrospective study on 339 adults with DS, 125 who were cognitively stable (CS) and 214 with a diagnosis of AD. Data were available for six autoimmune conditions (alopecia, celiac disease, hypothyroidism, psoriasis, diabetes and vitamin B12 deficiency) and for one inflammatory condition, gout. Gout was associated with a significant delay in the age of AD onset by more than 2.5 years. Our data suggests that inflammatory conditions may play a role in the age of AD onset in DS. Further studies are warranted.

scholarly journals Age and Second Language Acquisition in Adulthood: The Learning Experiences and Perceptions of Women Immigrants

1999 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Wang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Language Curriculum ◽  
The Social

Although considerable evidence indicates that age of onset for second language acquisition is related to second-language proficiency outcomes among adult learners Jew studies have actually looked at how adult learners of different ages experience and perceive second language acquisition. This study presents 30 women immigrant learners' accounts of their experiences and perceptions of learning English as a second language in the Canadian context. Findings from this study reveal the complexity of adult L2 acquisition, which involves factors pertaining not only to the learners themselves, but also to the social context in which the second language is learned. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the second language curriculum development and classroom practice.

scholarly journals Rethinking the critical period for language: New insights into an old question from American Sign Language

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 886-905 ◽  
Author(s):  
RACHEL I. MAYBERRY ◽  
ROBERT KLUENDER
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
American Sign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Second Language Proficiency ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Language Outcome ◽  
L1 Acquisition ◽  
Ultimate Attainment

The hypothesis that children surpass adults in long-term second-language proficiency is accepted as evidence for a critical period for language. However, the scope and nature of a critical period for language has been the subject of considerable debate. The controversy centers on whether the age-related decline in ultimate second-language proficiency is evidence for a critical period or something else. Here we argue that age-onset effects for first vs. second language outcome are largely different. We show this by examining psycholinguistic studies of ultimate attainment in L2 vs. L1 learners, longitudinal studies of adolescent L1 acquisition, and neurolinguistic studies of late L2 and L1 learners. This research indicates that L1 acquisition arises from post-natal brain development interacting with environmental linguistic experience. By contrast, L2 learning after early childhood is scaffolded by prior childhood L1 acquisition, both linguistically and neurally, making it a less clear test of the critical period for language.

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