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Why all counter-evidence to the critical period hypothesis in second language acquisition is not equal or problematic

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineReview articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>30/11/2008
<mark>Journal</mark>Linguistics and Language Compass
Issue number6
Volume2
Number of pages26
Pages (from-to)1063-1088
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date4/11/08
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

That adult and child language acquisitions differ in route and outcome is observable. Notwithstanding, there is controversy as to what this observation means for the Critical Period Hypothesis' (CPH) application to adult second language acquisition (SLA). As most versions of the CPH applied to SLA claim that differences result from maturational effects on in-born linguistic mechanisms, the CPH has many implications that are amendable to empirical investigation. To date, there is no shortage of literature claiming that the CPH applies or does not apply to normal adult SLA. Herein, I provide an epistemological discussion on the conceptual usefulness of the CPH in SLA (cf. Singleton 2005) coupled with a review of Long's (2005) evaluation of much available relevant research. Crucially, I review studies that Long did not consider and conclude differently that there is no critical/sensitive period for L2 syntactic and semantic acquisition.