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Informationen zum Autor Julia Herschensohn is Professor and Chair of the Department of Linguistics at the University of Washington. Klappentext The anecdotal view of language acquisition is that children learn language with apparent ease! no instruction and in very little time! while adults find learning a new language to be cognitively challenging! labour intensive and time-consuming. In this book Herschensohn examines whether early childhood is a critical period for language acquisition after which individuals cannot learn a language as native speakers. She argues that a first language is largely susceptible to age constraints! showing major deficits past the age of twelve. Second language acquisition also shows age effects! but with a range of individual differences. The competence of expert adult learners! the unequal achievements of child learners of second languages! and the lack of consistent evidence for a maturational cut-off! all cast doubt on a critical period for second language acquisition. Zusammenfassung This book examines whether early childhood is a critical period for language acquisition after which individuals cannot learn language as native speakers. First language is largely susceptible to age constraints! showing major deficits past age twelve. Second-language acquisition also shows age effects! but with a range of individual differences. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1. Just in time: is there a critical period for language acquisition?; 2. Right on time: process and schedule of first language acquisition; 3. All in good time: a window of opportunity for first language acquisition; 4. Behind time: process and schedule of second language acquisition; 5. Pressed for time: age constraints in second language acquisition; 6. Biding time: further consideration of age and acquisition; 7. It's about time: evaluation of age sensitivity in language acquisition.
