Dear Liqaa Habeb,

there is no simple answer to your question.

For one's first language (L1), any delay seems to affect the final attainment. The most systematic research in this area was done on deaf children acquiring sign language (see work by Rachel Mayberry, such as her article with Lock and Kazmi in Nature in 2002, available at http://grammar.ucsd.edu/mayberrylab/Publications.html ). This research is better controlled than case studies on feral children such as Genie (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genie_(feral_child)). 

For second language (L2) acquisition, the question regarding critical periods is still very controversial. Many researchers assume there are maturational constraints in brain development (i.e., loss of brain plasticity during childhood/adolescence) that result in a critical period even for second language acquisition. Generative linguists (influenced by Chomsky) might argue that the relevant mechanism is decreasing accessibility of 'Universal Grammar' (a kind of native bio-program thought to enable easy language acquisition in childhood). These approaches sometimes argue that 'critical periods' for L2 may be limited to the domains of grammar/syntax and phonology (sound system, thus resulting in foreign accents etc.), whereas the acquisition of new words and their meanings (lexical semantics) may not be subject to critical periods. In other words, critical periods may not affect all aspects of language equally, and the critical periods for different linguistic domains may happen at distinct times (the one for phonology likely being the first). However, not everyone agrees that there are critical periods at all. While it is true that second language learning tends to become more difficult with increasing age (hardly anyone would deny this), factors other than biological loss of brain plasticity may explain this. One such factor is the presence of your first language in your brain that competes with the new L2 for brain resources. Other factors contributing to one's success in L2 acquisition are: (i) the  similarity between L1 and L2, (ii) how you learn the L2 (classroom or immersion), (iii) whether you identify with the culture of your L1 or your L2, (iv) how motivated you are and why you learn the L2, ... and so on.  Unsurprisingly, brain imaging studies have significantly contributed to this research in the past 20 years. But again, while most early studies (prior to the year 2002) seemed to support the 'critical period hypothesis' in L2 acquisition, more recent work does not. My own work uses event-related brain potentials (ERPs), and I have argued that many early ERP studies supporting the CPH were methodologically problematic (if not flawed). I am attaching a recent overview article for your convenience. It also includes a brief intro to ERPs, so you don't have to be familiar with this technique. In the article you will also find lots of references to articles that either support or question the critical period hypothesis.

I hope this helps.

Cheers, Karsten 

Of course, yes. There is a period in which many barriers prevent language acquisition.

Hi,

I don't know if it is biologically determined, but from my own experience I can say that it was relatively hard to learn English (I started at the age of 8) but it was almost impossible to (temporarily - I forgot everything) learn French (at the age of 16). Maybe French is more difficult, I don't know - but I think it has also to do with the age. My native language (German) was most easy to learn (started at the age of 0...). But maybe it has also to do with the fact that one learn every further language relative to the native language i.e one translates. Children who learn more than one language from the beginning learn it like a native language - without vocabulary lists or something like that. Maybe this also makes a difference.

Best Regards

Andreas

Hi,

as Andreas has well underlined, children are facilitated in learning a second language, they leanr naturally avoiding the translation step (that is what adults always do when they approach a second/target language).

Since in children the affective filters are vey low or so not exist, they run into the language without prejudice and ready to discover the new language.

Of course, as any other second language, in order to mantain the standards, it will be studied constantly.

Best regards

Massimiliano

Thanks Hani Al-Ebadi for your answer. 

Liqaa 

Dear Andreas Mampel 

You are utterly right that younger learners acquire the second language more accurately. By the way, l like to mention that "biologically determined " is not my own words by they are stated in the definition of the critical period hypothesis. Thank you so much for sharing your valuable experience. 

Liqaa 

There is beautiful analysis of CPH in the recent research by Dr. John Evar Strid of Northern Illinois University in the TESOL journal. Here he explained why it is important and how it works.

Dear Massimiliano Schirinzi 

The case of successful learning happen  with children depends largely on how much they immerse with the medium of the target language.  Traditional learning in schools has less effects than the community. 

Thank you so much for sharing your valuable opinions. 

Liqaa 

I think the younger you are the better. Ass we get older, I wonder if our ability to communicate becomes more and more set in one or two languages.

Early it is better.

Dear Liqaa Habeb,

there is no simple answer to your question.

For one's first language (L1), any delay seems to affect the final attainment. The most systematic research in this area was done on deaf children acquiring sign language (see work by Rachel Mayberry, such as her article with Lock and Kazmi in Nature in 2002, available at http://grammar.ucsd.edu/mayberrylab/Publications.html ). This research is better controlled than case studies on feral children such as Genie (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genie_(feral_child)). 

For second language (L2) acquisition, the question regarding critical periods is still very controversial. Many researchers assume there are maturational constraints in brain development (i.e., loss of brain plasticity during childhood/adolescence) that result in a critical period even for second language acquisition. Generative linguists (influenced by Chomsky) might argue that the relevant mechanism is decreasing accessibility of 'Universal Grammar' (a kind of native bio-program thought to enable easy language acquisition in childhood). These approaches sometimes argue that 'critical periods' for L2 may be limited to the domains of grammar/syntax and phonology (sound system, thus resulting in foreign accents etc.), whereas the acquisition of new words and their meanings (lexical semantics) may not be subject to critical periods. In other words, critical periods may not affect all aspects of language equally, and the critical periods for different linguistic domains may happen at distinct times (the one for phonology likely being the first). However, not everyone agrees that there are critical periods at all. While it is true that second language learning tends to become more difficult with increasing age (hardly anyone would deny this), factors other than biological loss of brain plasticity may explain this. One such factor is the presence of your first language in your brain that competes with the new L2 for brain resources. Other factors contributing to one's success in L2 acquisition are: (i) the  similarity between L1 and L2, (ii) how you learn the L2 (classroom or immersion), (iii) whether you identify with the culture of your L1 or your L2, (iv) how motivated you are and why you learn the L2, ... and so on.  Unsurprisingly, brain imaging studies have significantly contributed to this research in the past 20 years. But again, while most early studies (prior to the year 2002) seemed to support the 'critical period hypothesis' in L2 acquisition, more recent work does not. My own work uses event-related brain potentials (ERPs), and I have argued that many early ERP studies supporting the CPH were methodologically problematic (if not flawed). I am attaching a recent overview article for your convenience. It also includes a brief intro to ERPs, so you don't have to be familiar with this technique. In the article you will also find lots of references to articles that either support or question the critical period hypothesis.

I hope this helps.

Cheers, Karsten 

Language acquisition is a rare word as their is no limit  line of language as language is just in the knowledge of sea . There is very much unlikely that for language or should a critical period .

We know that language acquisition may create a skill ability & with this one can expand & the developed the skill which may help to contribute the knowledge of language. With this language acquisition helps to develop the learning of Skills,Habit or quality .

This is my personal opinion 

Dear Jurana Aziz

Thank you so much for sharing this important resources. I appreciate it. 

Liqaa 

Dear Liqaa Habeb,

   Scientifically, the inner ear (including the organ of Corti which is responsible for hearing) is fully developed during the 4th intrauterine life, and as you know the hearing is vital in acquisition of language.

   The development of language divided into 3 period: 1. Pre-lingual (up to 2 years of life) 2. Lingual (from 2 to 4 years of life) and 3. Post-lingual (after 4 years of life). The best time of language learning is pre-lingual period and the worse is post-lingual time. So it is necessary to treat any child with hearing problems in the pre-lingual stage in order to learn the language well.

With my best regards

Raid   

Dear Dibakar Pal

Thank you so much for sharing your answer.  I appreciate it. 

Liqaa 

 Utterly right dear Nicolai Due-Gundersen. Thank you so much for your answer. 

Liqaa 

Thanks a lot dear Anirbid Sircar. It is really better. 

Liqaa 

Dear Karsten Steinhauer

Outstanding coverage to the whole idea of critical period hypothesis. I appreciate your efforts of collecting and writing these valuable information but in fact my personal opinion goes with what you state that " These approaches sometimes argue that 'critical periods' for L2 may be limited to the domains of grammar/syntax and phonology (sound system, thus resulting in foreign accents etc.), whereas the acquisition of new words and their meanings (lexical semantics) may not be subject to critical periods". Thank you so much .

Liqaa 

 Dear Rohit M Parikh 

Thank you so much for your valuable opinion.  I highly appreciate it. 

Liqaa 

Dear Dr Raid M. Al-Ani 

Thank you so much for these important information about the biological stages of acquisition. I like to note that We usually mention the best time of acquisition but I think after which time, learning is not impossible though it may be somehow difficult. Thank you so much for your enriching answer dear dr. 

Liqaa 

Dear Dr. Liqaaو 

God is not leave the human without learning even after loss of 2 most important senses of learning (vision and hearing which comprises 95% of the learning). And in the world a lot of examples of people who lost hearing or vision but they become famous in their jobs.

Best regards

Raid

You are absolutely right dear Dr Raid M. Al-Ani. Thank you so much for sharing your valuable opinions. 

Liqaa 

Considering from my own experience of learning English as the second language (my first language is Japanese), reading and writing can be improved through higher ages, but listening seems rather difficult to be improved at ages higher than the forties.

Dear Tatsuo Tabata 

I appreciate the sharing of your valuable experience. It seems that grammar structures are the most difficult skill beyond the critical period. Thank you so much for your enriching answer. 

Liqaa 

I believed that we are as human still learning (acquisition) all over our life span, means not only language learning but all other topics. Many recent advanced medical studies have been proved that babies before birth have their acquisition system and can sense the outside ambient conditions like hearing music, temperature rising, bad temper for mum, family incompatibilities, and other phenomena.

Regards,

Emad

First language acquisition --- The critical period hypothesis (CPH) states that the first few years of life constitute the time during which language develops readily and after which (sometime between age 5 and puberty) language acquisition is much more difficult and ultimately less successful.

Second language acquisition ---The theory has often been extended to a critical period for second language acquisition (SLA), which has influenced researchers in the field on both sides of the spectrum, supportive and unsupportive of CPH, to explore. However, the nature of this phenomenon has been one of the most fiercely debated issues in psycholinguistics and cognitive science in general for decades.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_period

It also largely depend on personal motivation. You can try to learn the second language for years from the young age, but only if your life circumstances demand it, you learn the language really fast. I am talking about my own experience. It was my third language.

It depends on the learner. If he is motivated then their should be no barrier.

In response to your question, rather than consider a critical period with specific cut-off points for learning it might be helpful to consider sensitive periods, which is a far more fluid and flexible concept. We discuss this in a chapter on word learning in infants and toddlers (available on my web page here, citation below).  Unfortunately, I was unable to attach it here due to the size of the document.

Hope this helps,

Lakshmi

Full citation- Gogate, L. & Hollich, G. (2013). Timing matters: Dynamic interactions create sensitive periods for word learning. In Gogate, L. & Hollich, G. (Eds.) Theoretical and Computational Models of Word Learning: Trends in Psychology and Artificial Intelligence. Chapter 2 (pp. 28-48).  IGI Global: Hershey, PA

Dear Emad Kamil Hussein 

I agree with you but according to critical period hypothesis there is such period in which learning a foreign language becomes less affected.  Thank you so much for your answer. 

Liqaa 

Dr. Liqaa,

It depends on the learner. People can learn a foreign  languages late during their life (if there is a will, for sure there is away). However, we cannot deny the effect of age on people's ability to learn( the younger you are, the easier you memorize and acquire terms of a different language).

regards  

Dear Subhash C. Kundu 

Thank you so much for these important information.  I highly appreciate them. 

Liqaa 

You are absolutely right dear Olena Mykhailenko. Circumstances is a big motivator for learning a second language. Thank you so much for sharing your valuable experience. 

Liqaa 

Good viewpoint dear Anirbid Sircar. Thank you so much for your answer. 

Liqaa 

DearLakshmi J Gogate

I appreciate your efforts to share this valuable source.  Thank you so much for your enriching answer.

Liqaa  

If you mean (critical age for learning) I prefer early childhood

I agree with you totally dear Aamal Ghazi Mahdi Al-Saadi.  Thank you so much for your answer. 

Liqaa 

Dear Salam Jassim Hmood 

Childhood is the best for learning everything not only a foreign language.  Thank you so much for your answer dear Dr.  

Liqaa 

You are right dearJasna Davidovic. Learning at that age supposed to be stress free and as they learn their first language . Thank you so much for your enriching answer.

Liqaa  

Hi,

The critical period hypothesis is the subject of a long-standing debate in linguistics and language acquisition over the extent to which the ability to acquire language is biologically linked to age. The hypothesis claims that there is an ideal time window to acquire language in a linguistically rich environment, after which further language acquisition becomes much more difficult and effortful.

The critical period hypothesis states that the first few years of life is the crucial time in which an individual can acquire a first language if presented with adequate stimuli. If language input does not occur until after this time, the individual will never achieve a full command of language—especially grammatical systems.

The evidence for such a period is limited, and support stems largely from theoretical arguments and analogies to other critical periods in biology such as visual development, but nonetheless is widely accepted. The nature of such a critical period, however, has been one of the most fiercely debated issues in psycholinguistics and cognitive science in general for decades. Some writers have suggested a "sensitive" or "optimal" period rather than a critical one; others dispute the causes (physical maturation, cognitive factors). The duration of the period also varies greatly in different accounts.

In second-language acquisition, the strongest empirical evidence for the critical period hypothesis is in the study of accent, where most older learners do not reach a native-like level. However, under certain conditions, native-like accent has been observed, suggesting that accent is affected by multiple factors, such as identity and motivation, rather than a critical period biological constraint.

Dear Asim Hakim Abbas

You covered the subject under discussion well . Thank you so much for your enriching answer. 

Liqaa 

I agree with Aamal Ghazi Mahdi Al-Saadi and her answer is very logical

And from my personal experience so, in addition to that the net mind also has an impact I mean the clarity of thinking and focus in this matter, and the strength of will and determination to achieve a significant impact on it.

Greetings

Coming back to Jasna Davidovic's comment, I would suggest that language acquisition (or also every other process of learning) should be 'gamified' in order to prevent children from steeling their childhood.

If one waste this time it is quite hard to regain regain the lost time later (especially when other important things must be done).

It is really hard to decide what (and how) should be learned in the childhood...

Best Regards

Andreas

Thank you dear Azhar Abdulameer Sosa for your enriching response. 

Liqaa 

Dear Andreas Mämpel 

Natural methods that give  children enough time learn naturally with pressure. Thank you so much for your addition. 

Liqaa 

Hi

The critical period hypothesis says that there is a period of growth in which full native competence is possible when acquiring a language. This period is from early childhood to adolescence. The critical period hypothesis has implications for teachers and learning programmes, but it is not universally accepted. Acquisition theories say that adults do not acquire languages as well as children because of external and internal factors, not because of a lack of ability.

Thank you so much for your impressive response dear Khansaa Hassan Al-Bahadli.  You covered the subject well.

Liqaa 

You are welcome dear Liqaa 

The first few years of life are critical for language acquisition because of environmental factors. At other ages the progress can be rapid by recreating the environment in which acquisition is essential..

Yes, I do agree that there is a critical period for language acquisition. There are lots of researches done on this and generally I conclude that a simple rule of thumb would be the younger the better, the more exposure higher acquisition. Essentially, I would like to share my informal observation, having the experience of teaching almost all level of ages, I notice the primary school children are more adept at learning English if compared to the older (especially adults) students. More interestingly, I observe my nephews and nieces, (born attached to the ipads and youtube!- they are able to navigate the devices at around 3-4!) are able to speak the language better (even able to switch accents- American to Australian!) even though they live in a mother tongue dominated surrounding. There may be a lot of influencing factors, but I do perceive that there is a critical period of acquiring language.

Definitely yes.

Yes, there is a critical period for language acquisition.

Language Acquisition

Stages of Second Language Acquisition

Stage I: Pre-production. This is the silent period.

Stage II: Early production. This stage may last up to six months and students will develop a receptive and active vocabulary of about 1000 words.

Stage III: Speech emergence.

Stage IV: Intermediate fluency.

Stage V: Advanced Fluency.

Stages of Second Language Acquisition - everythingESL

www.everythingesl.net/inservices/language_stages.php

http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/language_stages.php

The above link contains more about the development and services needed for the listed stage of Language Acquisition.

http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/news/five-stages-of-second-language-acquisition/

The above link contains more about the development and services needed for the listed stage of Language Acquisition.

References

Website: Retrieved [September 18, 2017] from www.everythingesl.net/inservices/language_stages.php

Website: Retrieved [September 18, 2017] from

http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/language_stages.php

Website: Retrieved [September 18, 2017] from http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/news/five-stages-of-second-language-acquisition/

Thank you so much for your enriching answers dear colleagues. 

Liqaa 

Dear Karen 

Wonderful explanation to the subject under discussion. I highly appreciate your efforts to share these valuable links. Thank you so much.

Liqaa 

good greeting

I think by saying

(Science in the young as engraving on the stone) Despite the difficulty of engraving on the stone, but it holds and remains for a long time, and so the case of the learner and trainee

Thank you so much for your enriching answer dear Dr Azhar. 

Liqaa 

"And in the world a lot of examples of people who lost hearing or vision but they become famous in their jobs."

   I agree about visual loss.  The only person in my family who got a good university degree was my uncle, blind from birth, who got a First in Law from Balliol, Oxford.

   I think the congenitally deaf have greatly underachieved compared to hearing persons or those with acquired deafness or to the congenitally blind, since the deprivation of auditory experience has resulted in low Verbal IQ, the basis for academic achievement.   If anyone disagrees with this, could they please supply some names of famous deaf people (after removing those with acquired deafness).

Dear Anthony G Gordon 

Sharing your personal experience is very helpful and enriching. Thank you so much for enlightening this discussion. 

Liqaa 

An important question for anyone who wants to learn a new language. Yes, I think so, the age of the learner has a great role in determining that period, and is usually sensitive to his educational career and his normal life.

Dear Dr Isam Issa Omran 

It seems that critical period hypothesis related to the degree of professionality of language as little children may learn in a quicker and more professional way. Thank you so much for sharing your valuable opinions. 

Liqaa 

Dear Dr Isam Issa Omran

It seems that critical period hypothesis related to the degree of professionality of language as little children may learn in a quicker and more professional way. Thank you so much for sharing your valuable opinions.

Liqaa