Does age play a role in second language acquisition?
In recent years, more and more parents have decided to introduce their children to one, or even several foreign languages in order to increase their opportunities in professional life. Parents are often uncertain whether or not their children could actually benefit from multilingualism and if an early acquisition of a foreign language could interfere with their child’s ability to fluently speak the mother tongue. To optimally prepare the little ones for their multilingual future, parents and educators increasingly hold the opinion that, when it comes to foreign language acquisition, it is beneficial to begin at a young age. Generally speaking, does that mean that that young children learn foreign languages better than adolescents …show more content…
96). A research study by Johnson and Newport (1989) illustrates that, once a child has reached the onset of puberty, a decline in performance can be detected, which makes it unlikely for the child to fluently master a newly learned language. Johnson explains that this decline in performance is triggered by an ongoing process of maturation. This process is accompanied by an increase in cognitive abilities, which might be the reason why adults often experience difficulties in language learning (Johnson & Newport, p. 97).
Nonetheless, it is debatable whether this so-called "critical period" for the acquisition of a second language exists at all as there is mehr als genug research evidence appearing to, at least partially, disprove it. Many researchers prefer to nor overgeneralize this theory, but rather apply it to syntax, phonology, and vocabulary
In recent years, more and more parents have decided to introduce their children to one, or even several foreign languages in order to increase their opportunities in professional life. Parents are often uncertain whether or not their children could actually benefit from multilingualism and if an early acquisition of a foreign language could interfere with their child’s ability to fluently speak the mother tongue. To optimally prepare the little ones for their multilingual future, parents and educators increasingly hold the opinion that, when it comes to foreign language acquisition, it is beneficial to begin at a young age. Generally speaking, does that mean that that young children learn foreign languages better than adolescents …show more content…
96). A research study by Johnson and Newport (1989) illustrates that, once a child has reached the onset of puberty, a decline in performance can be detected, which makes it unlikely for the child to fluently master a newly learned language. Johnson explains that this decline in performance is triggered by an ongoing process of maturation. This process is accompanied by an increase in cognitive abilities, which might be the reason why adults often experience difficulties in language learning (Johnson & Newport, p. 97).
Nonetheless, it is debatable whether this so-called "critical period" for the acquisition of a second language exists at all as there is mehr als genug research evidence appearing to, at least partially, disprove it. Many researchers prefer to nor overgeneralize this theory, but rather apply it to syntax, phonology, and vocabulary