Age constraints on first versus second language acquisition: Evidence for linguistic plasticity and epigenesis

Abstract

Does age constrain the outcome of all language acquisition equally regardless of whether the language is a first or second one? To test this hypothesis, the English grammatical abilities of deaf and hearing adults who either did or did not have linguistic experience (spoken or signed) during early childhood were investigated with two tasks, timed grammatical judgement and untimed sentence to picture matching. Findings showed that adults who acquired a language in early life performed at near-native levels on a second language regardless of whether they were hearing or deaf or whether the early language was spoken or signed. By contrast, deaf adults who experienced little or no accessible language in early life performed poorly. These results indicate that the onset of language acquisition in early human development dramatically alters the capacity to learn language throughout life, independent of the sensory-motor form of the early experience.

Early Language Learning and the Social Brain

“…Scientists are in agreement that this curve represents data across a wide variety of language-learning studies (Johnson and Newport 1989;Bialystok and Hakuta 1994;Neville et al 1997;Flege et al 1999;Weber-Fox and Neville 1999;Yeni-Komshian et al 2000;Birdsong and Molis 2001;Mayberry and Lock 2003;Kuhl et al 2005Kuhl et al , 2008EL Newport and T Supalla, unpubl.). The learning function describes our current understanding of second language learning, and reflects many individual sensitive periods for phonological, semantic, and grammatical learning, over time.…”

Intergenerational Transmission of Language Capital and Economic Outcomes

“…2 2 In the neurolinguistic literature, Penfield and Roberts (1959) proposed the biologically based "critical period" hypothesis for second language acquisition. Later studies (Newport and Johnson 1989, Birdsong and Molis 2001, Mayberry and Lock 2003 confirm the hypothesis that there exists a strong relationship between age at exposure to second language and later proficiency in it. Newport (2002) states that decline in average proficiency in second language acquisition can begin as early as ages 4-6.…”

Τα οφέλη των νηπιαγωγών από την συμμετοχή τους σε πρόγραμμα peer e-mentoring με στόχο την διδασκαλία αγγλικών στο νηπιαγωγείο.

“…291), ο οποίος θα παρακινεί, θα παρατηρεί, θα συμβουλεύει, θα εκπαιδεύει και θα ηγείται της ομάδας. Όσον αφορά τη διδασκαλία των αγγλικών, παρόλο που οι έρευνες έδειξαν ότι πρέπει να αρχίζει από την προσχολική ηλικία (Mayberry & Lock, 2003), δεν συνηθίζεται στα δημόσια νηπιαγωγεία, ενώ στα ιδιωτικά εφαρμόζεται ως μια καινοτόμα δράση. Η χρήση του διαδικτύου στην διδασκαλία της ξένης γλώσσας, παρέχει ένα νέο μαθησιακό περιβάλλον πλούσιο σε ψηφιακά κείμενα, γραφικά, εικόνα και ήχο, αλληλεπιδραστικά χαρακτηριστικά και πληροφορίες για την πολιτισμό και την κουλτούρα (Friedman et.al, 2004.Young, 2003.…”