Language Development and Age

Julia Herschensohn

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511486487

The anecdotal view of language acquisition is that children learn language with apparent ease, no instruction and in very little time, while adults find learning a new language to be cognitively challenging, labour intensive and time-consuming. In this book Herschensohn examines whether early childhood is a critical period for language acquisition after which individuals cannot learn a language as native speakers. She argues that a first language is largely susceptible to age constraints, showing major deficits past the age of twelve. Second-language acquisition also shows age effects, but with a range of individual differences. The competence of expert adult learners, the unequal achievements of child learners of second languages, and the lack of consistent evidence for a maturational cut-off, all cast doubt on a critical period for second-language acquisition.

'… will most certainly function as a rich resource for scholars interested in age effects in language acquisition for many years to come.'

Source: Journal of Linguistics

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Language Development and Age

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-vi

Contents
pp vii-viii

List of figures
pp ix-ix

List of tables
pp x-x

Preface
pp xi-xii

Acknowledgments
pp xiii-xiii

List of abbreviations
pp xiv-xiv

1 - Just in time: is there a critical period for language acquisition?
pp 1-26

2 - Right on time: process and schedule of first language acquisition
pp 27-64

3 - All in good time: a window of opportunity for first language acquisition
pp 65-99

4 - Behind time: process and schedule of second language acquisition
pp 100-133

5 - Pressed for time: age constraints in second language acquisition
pp 134-171

6 - Biding time: further consideration of age and acquisition
pp 172-210

7 - It's about time: evaluation of age sensitivity in language acquisition
pp 211-241

Bibliography
pp 242-285

Index
pp 286-289

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Language Development and Age

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