Critical Period Hypothesis - 859 Words

Lenneberg formed the Critical Period Hypothesis theory which contends that language is innate but has to be attained before the age of puberty or else the ability to learn language ebbs (as a result of the lateralization of the brain). 1 At present, the Critical Period Hypothesis theory is widely accepted by numerous linguists. Evidence has been presented that there is a limited time when the brain is malleable (in terms of language). Studies such as, linguistically isolated children (a.k.a. feral children) support Lenneberg s theory of the critical period because they are unable to fully acquire language. 2 Moreover, there is a non-uniform success rate in adults who try to attain a second language yet children can obtain a new language a†¦show more content†¦Other cases of feral children include: Victor, the wild boy of Aveyron (who was found at age 11) and Kamala of Midnapore (who was found at age 8), both never learned language correctly either.11 Therefore, although Lenn eberg s hypothesis is not proven, feral children forcefully support it. The Critical Period Hypothesis is further supported by experiments about second language acquisition. Lenneberg believed that the language acquisition device, like otherShow MoreRelatedThe Critical Period Hypothesis : Is It Valid?1354 Words   |  6 PagesThe Critical Period Hypothesis: Is it Valid? Is it Relevant? The adage that â€Å"You can’t teach an old dog new tricks† has been around in one form or another since the 1500s. There is no realm in which this idea is more prevalent than in second language learning even today. In â€Å"Three Misconceptions About L2 Learning†, Marinova-Todd, Marshall, and Snow said it well: Age has often been considered a major, if not the primary, factor determining success in learning a second or foreign language. ChildrenRead MoreThe Critical Period Hypothesis For Language Acquisition2050 Words   |  9 PagesThe Critical Period Hypothesis for language acquisition was popularised by Eric Lenneberg (1967) upon the foundations laid by neurologist Wilder Penfield and colleague and Lamar Roberts (1959). It is the subject of a linguistic debate over the extent to which language acquisition is biologically linked to age. As defined by Reber and Reber (2001), the critical period is, a period of time during which an organism is optimally ready for the acquisition of specific responses’. This essay will considerRead More The Critical Period Hypothesis of Language Acquisition Essay1120 Words   |  5 PagesThe Critical Period Hypothesis of Language Acquisition Ahhhhh! I yell in frustration. Ive been studying Spanish for seven years, and I still cant speak it fluently. Well, honey, its not your fault. You didnt start young enough, my mom says, trying to comfort me. Although she doesnt know it, she is basing her statement on the Critical Period Hypothesis. The Critical Period Hypothesis proposes that the human brain is only malleable, in terms of language, for a limited timeRead MoreCritical Evidence: A Test of the Critical-Period Hypothesis for Second-Language Acquisition6725 Words   |  27 PagesResearch Article CRITICAL EVIDENCE: A Test of the Critical-Period Hypothesis for Second-Language Acquisition Kenji Hakuta,1 Ellen Bialystok,2 and Edward Wiley1 1 Stanford University and 2York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Abstract—The critical-period hypothesis for second-language acquisition was tested on data from the 1990 U.S. Census using responses from 2.3 million immigrants with Spanish or Chinese language backgrounds. The analyses tested a key prediction of the hypothesis, namely, thatRead MoreThe Acquisition Of Child Language1010 Words   |  5 Pages Introduction The acquisition of child language has become a heated debate in which many discuss how and when a child is able to learn both their first and even their second language. The critical period hypothesis is a theory which claims that after a certain age children will no longer be able to achieve a native level of fluency in any given language. This essay aims to dissect the evidence which supports and contradicts this, and will draw upon studies and experiments conducted on both humanRead MoreResearch On Age And L2a For Decades1287 Words   |  6 PagesThe critical period hypothesis has been the main focus of research on age and L2A for decades. This hypothesis originated with Lenneberg. In his 1967 study, he proposed that for language to develop fully, it must be acquired before the start of puberty. His hypothesis was solely regarding first language (L1) acquisition. Johnson and Newport (1989) were among the first to question if and how this hypothesis applies to second language a cquisition. They conducted a test with a group of 46 ChineseRead MoreHow Can Tie A Shoelace? Essay1644 Words   |  7 Pagesto the fact that Alex was missing out on exposure to language and sound – a lack of supervision and support. Since Alex had difficulty hearing, he was already far behind of his peers due to his lack of exposure to sound and language during the critical period of language acquisition. Although he was given visual clues of language by Denworth and her family, Alex was not exposed to as much language as other children who had no difficulty with hearing. Denworth argues in her book, I Can Hear You Whisper:Read MoreThe consensus belief is that the capacity for language is innate, while others believe its800 Words   |  4 PagesOn the other hand, linguist Eric Lenneberg explains that similar to other human behaviors, one’s ability to learn and understand language relies on critical periods. A critical period is a limited span of time during which a person is capable of acquiring certain skills from external resources. Lenneberg states that a person’s main acquisition period for language lasts until the age of 12. He believes that after one goes through puberty, the brain becomes fixed and it is more difficult to completelyRead MoreStudy Of Humanity : Feral And Neglected Children1636 Words   |  7 Pages(Shattuck 223). Although these two cases occurred more than a century and a half apart and under different circumstances, there are many similarities. The most important similarity is that Victor and Genie were deprived of human contact during the period which is, arguably, the most important in childhood development. One of the most detrimental effects of this deprivation in both cases was the struggle of language acquisition. Victor ultimately only learned how to speak two words: lait (milk) andRead MoreDevelopment of Human Language, Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics: Exmaining Studies on Feral and Isolated Children1907 Words   |  8 Pagesexperiencing abuse from a succession of foster parents (Ward â€Å"Genie, a Modern-Day Wild Child†). Critical Period Hypothesis Closely linked to the Nativist theories of language development is the Critical Period Hypothesis. Its premise is that there is a critical period when normal language development occurs. The crucial period is said to be between two to twelve years old. Brown et al. (1) stated that during this period, â€Å"the brain loses plasticity through maturation until a biologically determined point