The role of age in L2 acquisition

Intro
1. SLA = Second Language Acquistion
2. The process of L2 acquistion
  1. learning of a new lang after learning L1, irrespective of learning environment (naturalistic vs classroom based)
3. Why study L2 acquisition?
  1. majority of world's pop speaks more than 1 lang. bilingualism - the norm
4. common assumption: younger L2 learners generally do better than older L2 learners.
  1. if it can be shown older learners are different, case for early start in L2 acquisition + lang teachers - identify different approaches and techniques to suit 2 types of leaners
Critical Period Hyp intro
1. many researchers explain child-adult diff in L2 acquisition by suggesting critical/sensitive period
  1. assumption: age = critical factor in successful L2 acquisition
2. Lenneberg - CP hypothesis
  1. implicit learning not possible after critical period
  2. neurologically based period, ends around onset of puberty
  3. afterwards, complete mastery of L1/L2 impossible
  4. loss of neural plasticity suggested as primary cause
3. Summarised by Birdsong
  1. limited devel period where it's possible to acquire L1/L2 to normal, native-like level
  2. once window of opportunity passed, ability to learn lang declines
4. 2 ways to state:
  1. 1) The Exercise Hyp
    1. early in life, superior capacity for acquiring langs
    2. if capacity not exercised during this time, will decrease/disappear with maturation
    3. if exercised, further lang abilities remain intact throughout life
    4. as long as acquired L1 in childhood, ability to acquire lang can be used at any age
    5. according, L2 should be equivalent in children/adults, or even superior in adults due to higher skills in L1
  2. 2) The Maturational State Hyp
    1. early in life, superior capacity for acquiring langs
    2. this capacity declines/disappears with maturation
    3. predicts lang learning abilities decline with maturation, regardless of early ling experience
    4. children will be better in L2 as well as in L1 acquisition
5. Bongaerts et al: learners who started to acquire L2 before end of CP were hypothesised to be able to achieve native-like mastery, if continuously exposed to sufficient input from natives
Evidence for critical period in L1 devleopment
1. Curtiss - Genie
  1. deprived of lang + social interaction until 13. lack of ling comp particularly in syntax after 7yrs rehab. supports critical period hyp. but, did get lots of vocab - colour terms. can communicate but v different to native.
    1. exposure = essential for L1 devel.
      1. X unsure if mental retardation / learning dis from birth?
Seliger and Walsh + Diller
1. suggest there's not 1 critical period affecting all lang aspects at same time, but many critical periods, each closing off different abilities. Ability to master a native accent in foreign lang is first to be lost, around onset of puberty
Children's superiority due to other factors?
1. Oyama
  1. addressed claimed whether children's superiority over adults in attainment due to other factors than maturation, which happen to be correlated with age
    1. eg feeling more self-conscious about speaking, less cultural identification with L2 country, less motivated than child to learn, feeling less able to achieve
      1. interivews + questionaires.
      2. correlations - good association between variables + test score. but removing effects of age of arrival = 0. age of arrival, rather than attitudinal variables predicted lang performance
2. Spoksy's general model of L2 acquisition
  1. SOCIAL CONTEXT leads to ATTITUDES which appears as MOTIVATION which joins PERSONALITY/ AGE/ PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE/ CAPABILITIES which explains USE OF AVAILABLE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
  2. attitudes - if required to learn lang + doesn't like speakers, may not help learning
    1. motivation - love sound of lang or need to know for job?
      1. personality - more outgoing = more opportunities to practice?
        capabilities - working memory
        previous knowledge - related langs?
        learning opportunities - formal/normal
Critical period for word learning?
1. probably not
2. adults maintain an ability to rapidly learn novel words, even unintentionally = fast mapping. minimal exposure
  1. Carey + Bartlett
    1. 3 yr old children. "Give me the chromium tray, not the blue one". Knows blue tray so must be other. Remembers new word even 6 weeks later but not successful at producing it. = difference between word-learning + fast-mapping - 2 distinct but related processes. not just words, facts too. adaptive - don't go to the tiger. no child-adult differences.

Next up

The role of age in L2 acquisition

Description

Resource summary

Similar

	Created by lady_pisces almost 9 years ago