Age of

Acquisition
and Critical
Period
Hypothesis
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Hello!
We’re from group 8. Let us
introduced ourselves.
Hana Nasategay
Dill Rohmadani
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Big concept
The Critical Period Hypothesis is that there is a time in
human development when the brain is predisposed for
success in language learning.
Expert
Opinion
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Scovel (2000) : The younger the learner, the quicker the

learning process and the better the outcomes.
Johnstone (2002) : Nevertheless, a closer examination of
the ways in which age combines with other variables
reveals a more complex picture, with both favourable
and unfavourable age-related differences being
associated with early- and late-starting L2 learners
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Joseph Conrad : Many adult second language learners

communicate very successfully in the language even
though subtle differences of accent, word choices, and
grammatical features distinguish them from
monolingual native speakers and from second
language speakers who began learning the language
while they were very young.
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The conditions Younger

for language Learners
learning are
often very by using their meta-linguistic
different. knowledge, memory strategies, and
problem-solving skills, they make
the most of second or foreign
language instruction, older learners
are more efficient than younger
Older learners.
Learners
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Younger learners in informal language learning

Critical Period environments usually have more time to devote to
Hypothesis :
Younger learning language. They often have more
learners opportunities to hear and use the language in
environments where they do not experience strong
pressure to speak fluently and accurately from the
very beginning. Furthermore, their early imperfect
efforts are often praised or, at least, accepted.
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Older learners are more likely to find themselves in

situations that demand more complex language and the
Critical Period
Hypothesis : expression of more complicated ideas. Adults are often
Older learners embarrassed by their lack of mastery of the language and
they may develop a sense of inadequacy after experiences
of frustration in trying to say exactly what they mean. Such
negative feelings may affect their motivation and
willingness to place themselves in situations where they
will need to use the new language.
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According to Patkowski, Age of acquisition is a very

important factor in setting limits on the
development of native-like mastery of a second
language and that this limitation does not apply
only to accent.
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Robert DeKeyser (2000) found that there was no such

correlation for those who learned English in childhood. These
findings appear to confirm the hypothesis that adult learners
may learn language in a way that is different from the way
children learn.
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In fact, research indicates that age

effects of all kinds depend largely on the actual opportunities
for learning which are available within overall contexts of L2
acquisition and particular learning situations, notably the extent
to which initial exposure is substantial and sustained (Lightbown
2000).
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In research
Do the conducted in the
context of
Furthermore, comparable
limitations have been
In sum, as Harley and
Wang (1997) have
Research conventional school
programmes, Cenoz
reported for young
learners in school settings
argued, more mature
learners are usually
(2003) and Mun˜oz involving innovative, capable of making faster
(2006) have shown immersion-type initial progress in
that learners whose programmes, where acquiring the grammatical
exposure to the L2 exposure to the target and lexical components of
began at age 11 language is significantly an L2 due to their higher
consistently displayed increased through subject- level of cognitive
higher levels of matter teaching in the L2 development and greater
(Genesee 1992; analytical abilities.
proficiency than
AbelloContesse 2006).
those for whom it
began at 4 or 8.
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There is no
single ‘magic’
age for L2
learning Both older and
In terms of younger learners
language are able to
achieve advanced
pedagogy levels of
proficiency in an
L2

The general and specific

characteristics of the
learning environment are
also likely to be variables of
equal or greater importance
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Thanks!