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access to The Korean Language in America
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Age Differences in Second Language Acquisition:
An Educational Perspective
Ki Hwan Lee
Abstract
For decades, the question of age differences in second language acquisition has
been hotly debated in the linguistics and educational circles for the answer to this
question establishes an important theoretical framework from which to generate
further research on issues related to language acquisition. Currently, there are
numerous literature available that either support or dispute the theory that there are
major differences between children and adults in acquiring a second language. While
these studies prove helpful in demonstrating that some generalizations about age
differences in second language acquisition can be made, the studies fall short of
contributing to fully understanding second language acquisition from an educational
perspective. That is, what implications do these theories have in educational policy,
curriculum, and instruction? The purpose of this paper is to first examine some of
the major theories on age and language acquisition to establish an understanding
these theories generate, and then attempt to explicitly develop educational framework
based on these generalizations.
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282 Age Differences in Second Language Acquisition
must be based on the answer to the question "Are there age differences
in second language acquisition"? In general, it is assumed that younger
children can acquire a more native-like proficiency in a second language
than older students.
There are numerous theories and studies which confirm that younger
learners are in a better position than older learners to acquire a second
language more effectively and more efficiently. According to the
plasticity theory, the young child's brain has a cellular receptivity to
language acquisition (Penfield & Roberts, 1959). With age, the cellular
plasticity is believed to reduce the organism's capacity to learn or
acquire language. Based on a clinical study, Wilder Penfield (1959)
observed that it is possible for children but not adults to recover speech
ability following damage to the left hemisphere of the brain. He also
observed that it was possible for the speech function of young children
to shift from the left to the right hemisphere of the brain.
According to Asher and Garcia (1969), children acquire language more
completely and easily than adults because they synchronize language with
physical movement in authentic situations. They proposed that the child's
observed language facility in the natural setting is complemented by
physically active, play situations, whereas adults generally engage in
non-physically active, nonplay situations. This theory was based on the
result of a previous study by Asher and Price (1967) in which they
found that the adult subjects actually performed better than the children
subjects when the utterances were synchronized with physical movement
in a pronunciation test.
Gleitman and Gleitman (1970) contend that children are more adept at
learning a new language than adults because the language system of the
children is significantly simpler than that of the adults. Lenneberg (1967)
has attributed this phenomenon to maturational differences between the
child and the adult. According to Lenneberg, there exists a biologically
based "critical period" for acquiring a language. The critical period
hypothesis as proposed by Lenneberg holds that primary language
acquisition must occur during a critical period. This period is believed to
occur between the ages of two and the onset of puberty at about ten to
twelve during which time cerebral lateralization of function is established.
The implication of this hypothesis is that the processes involved in
second language acquisition between younger learners and older learners
will be qualitatively and quantitatively different.
Several works have been carried out which support Lenneberg 's
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Ki Hwan Lee 283
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284 Age Differences in Second Language Acquisition
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Ki Hwan Lee 285
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286 Age Differences in Second Language Acquisition
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Ki Hwan Lee 287
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288 Age Differences in Second Language Acquisition
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Ki Hwan Lee 289
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290 Age Differences in Second Language Acquisition
References
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language. Modern Language Journal. 38, 334-341.
Asher, J., & Price, B. (1967). The learning strategy of total physical
response: some age differences. Child Development. 38, 1219-1227.
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Patkowski, M. (1980). The sensitive period for the acquisition of syntax
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Ki Hwan Lee 291
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