Abstract
This research paper is a review of the previous literature that focuses on whether or not there is an influence of second language acquisition during 'critical period'. Critical period refers to acquiring a second language before the age of adulthood. Although there is no consensus among linguists on the impact of the critical period, numerous scholars in the field of second language acquisition agree that language learners gain more benefits during the critical period including mastering the phonological system of the target language. In addition, this paper compares between the potential linguistic benefits between young learners who acquire language at an early age of their lives and their older counterparts who begin learning a language after the age of maturation. Interestingly, those who start studying a second language during the critical period usually outperform their older counterparts due to their exceptional memory traits and fresh speech organs ultimately, it displays the appropriate teaching approaches based on age benefiting from the idea of critical period hypothesis.
Highlights
Many researchers have devoted papers to studying the critical period hypothesis (CPH) of second language (L2) acquisition
There is no consensus among linguists on the impact of the critical period, numerous scholars in the field of second language acquisition agree that language learners gain more benefits during the critical period including mastering the phonological system of the target language
A large number of studies support the existence of the CPH, but researchers such as Ellis (2014) disagree with the CPH, stating that the CP does not affect L2 acquisition as much as the CPH proposes
Summary
Many researchers have devoted papers to studying the critical period hypothesis (CPH) of second language (L2) acquisition. Scovel (2000) stated that infants are linguistically precocious to developmental neurology; that is, younger children improve their capabilities very quickly relative to language learning. This is underpinned by Lamendella (1977), who suggested that the immature neurolinguistic system makes L2 learning easier for children. During the CP, acquiring linguistic capabilities, e.g., pronunciation mastery is more likely to be successful After this period, language acquisition is seen as being more difficult, and learners are more limited in achieving proficiency. It has been demonstrated that there is a CPH, but there is no consensus among researchers about a single definition or description of the CP
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