Age Constraints on Second-Language Acquisition

Age Constraints on Second-Language AcquisitionJames Emil FlegeUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamGrace H. Yeni-KomshianUniversity of MarylandandSerena LiuUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamThis study evaluated the critical period hypothesis for second language (L2) Acquisition . Theparticipants were 240 native speakers of Korean who differed according to age of arrival (AOA) inthe United States (1 to 23 years), but were all experienced in English (mean length of residence515 years). The native Korean participants pronunciation of English was evaluated by having listenersrate their sentences for overall degree of foreign accent; knowledge of English morphosyntax wasevaluated using a 144-item grammaticality judgment test. As AOA increased, the foreign accentsgrew stronger, and the grammaticality judgment test scores decreased steadily. However, unlike thecase for the foreign accent ratings, the effect of AOA on the grammaticality judgment test scoresbecame nonsignificant when variables confounded with AOA were controlled.

Age Constraints on Second-Language Acquisition James Emil Flege University of Alabama at Birmingham Grace H. Yeni-Komshian University of Maryland

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  Language, Second, Acquisition, Constraints, Constraints on second language acquisition

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