Critical Period Hypothesis

Critical Period Hypothesis

1. That children remain very skilled at learning the grammar of a new language much longer than expected up to the age of 17 or 18.

2. "is easier to learn a new language in chilhood than adults"

3. We don’t see very much difference between people who start at birth and people who start at 10, but we start seeing a decline after that

4. People who start learning a language between 10 and 18 will still learn quickly, but since they have a shorter window before their learning ability declines, they do not achieve the proficiency of native speakers

5. grammar-learning ability remains strong until age 17 or 18, at which point it drops

   • The researchers suggest that cultural factors may play a role, but there may also be changes in brain plasticity that occur around that age.

6. adults are still good at learning foreign languages, but they will not be able to reach the level of a native speaker if they begin learning as a teenager or as an adult.