The Critical Period for Language Acquisition: Evidence from Second Language Learning

TLDR

The critical period hypothesis posits that first‑language acquisition must occur before cerebral lateralization completes, around puberty, and that second‑language learning is similarly constrained. The study aimed to test whether acquiring a second language before puberty leads to rapid, successful, and first‑language‑like learning. Researchers longitudinally assessed Dutch acquisition in English‑speaking learners of various ages, administering a comprehensive test battery three times during the first year in the Netherlands. Although 12‑15‑year‑olds and adults progressed quickly early on, by year’s end 8‑10‑ and 12‑15‑year‑olds had the best Dutch control, while 3‑5‑year‑olds performed worst, indicating the data do not support the critical‑period hypothesis.

Abstract

SNOW, CATHERINE E., and HOEFNAGEL-H6HLE, MARIAN. The Critical Period for Language Acquistion: Evidence from Second Language Learning. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1978, 49, 1114-1128. The critical period hypothesis holds that first language acquisition must occur before cerebral lateralization is complete, at about the age of puberty. One prediction of this hypothesis is that second language acquisition will be relatively fast, successful, and qualitatively similar to first language only if it occurs before the age of puberty. This prediction was tested by studying longitudinally the naturalistic acquisition of Dutch by English speakers of different ages. The subjects were tested 3 times during their first year in Holland, with an extensive test battery designed to assess several aspects of their second language ability. It was found that the subjects in the age groups 12-15 and adult made the fastest progress during the first few months of learning Dutch and that at the end of the first year the 8-10and 12-15-year-olds had achieved the best control of Dutch. The 3-5-year-olds scored lowest on all the tests employed. These data do not support the critical period hypothesis for language acquisition.