Re: Do children learn language more easily?


On 2-Dec-2006, Nathan Sanders <nsanders@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote in message <nsanders-C7EE12.11572302122006@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

[...]

Note my use of "first", not "native". The ability to learn a native
language continues for a few more years (it is certainly gone by about
age 10). The ability to start your *first* language does not last
past about age 5.

Is it possible that the loss of the ability to learn a native
language is tied to puberty, when so many other changes are
occurring in the body? I've known people who learned native-level
American English having come to the US as late as age 14, but none
who arrived in their late teens that didn't have at least a couple
of non-native tics.

Has there been any research on this specific question?

[...]

--
Jim Heckman
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Do children learn language more easily?
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  • Re: language acquisition [WAS: that]
    ... people there is an age at which the ability to pick up and use ... grammar of a language is switched off. ... and for me the switch-off age apparently was later ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Do children learn language more easily?
    ... The ability to start your *first* language does not last ... past about age 5. ... Does the last sentence hold because there is some specific ability ... This apparent critical period might be due to some innate linguistic ...
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