Abstract
The Critical Period Hypothesis aims to investigate the reason for significant difference between first language acquisition and second language acquisition. Over the past few decades, researchers carried out a series of studies to test the validity of the hypothesis. Although there were certain limitations in these studies, most of their results supported the hypothesis.
Highlights
The ultimate attainment level of Second Language Acquisition (L2A) contrasts sharply with that of First Language Acquisition (L1A) (Birdsong, 1999, p.1)
That is: various success versus universal success (Gleitman & Newport, 1995, p.1). This significant difference between L1A and L2A is explained by the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH)
The CPH states that for language acquisition, either first language (L1) or second language (L2), there is a critical period during which it is possible to achieve the same level as natives (Birdsong, 1999, p.1)
Summary
The ultimate attainment level of Second Language Acquisition (L2A) contrasts sharply with that of First Language Acquisition (L1A) (Birdsong, 1999, p.1). That is: various success versus universal success (Gleitman & Newport, 1995, p.1) This significant difference between L1A and L2A is explained by the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH). The CPH states that for language acquisition, either first language (L1) or second language (L2), there is a critical period during which it is possible to achieve the same level as natives (Birdsong, 1999, p.1). Once this period is over, the ability to learn language declines (Johnson & Newport, 1989, p.61). Part of these theories and studies are first reviewed and compared, afterwards the CPH is evaluated
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