Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: he role that age plays in second language learning/acquisition (SLA) has been the central topic of many studies in SLA for the last four or five decades.The notion of a critical age for learning was brought to this field by Penfield and Robert in 1959 when they claimed that the age of nine was a limit in terms of successful language learning because of physiological constraints such as progressive loss of brain plasticity (BEEBE, 1988;SINGLETON, 2005).However, it was Lenneberg, in 1967, who proposed an onset for learning at the age of two when lateralization should start; thus, it was suggested a critical period (CP) for language learning beginning at two and ending with the beginning of puberty, which was believed to mark the end of lateralization (ELLIS, 1994;SINGLETON, 2005).Research comparing children and adult language learners identified both advantages and disadvantages for learners within the CP.It was found that concerning speed of learning adults were faster and concerning ultimate attainment 68 LÍNGUA
Author: Melissa Bettoni-techio
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W1500512052