Journal Article

Age of onset, length of residence, language aptitude, and ultimate L2 attainment in three linguistic domains

Granena, Gisela, Long, Michael H

2013

Overview

A study was conducted to identify the scope and timing of maturational constraints in three linguistic domains within the same individuals, as well as the potential mediating roles of amount of second language (L2) exposure and language aptitude at different ages in different domains. Participants were 65 Chinese learners of Spanish and 12 native speaker controls. Results for three learner groups defined by age of onset - 3-6, 7-15, and 16-29 years - confirmed previous findings of windows of opportunity closing first for L2 phonology, then for lexis and collocation and, finally, in the mid-teens, for morphosyntax. All three age functions exhibited the discontinuities in the rate of decline with increasing AO associated with sensitive periods. Significant correlations were found between language aptitude, measured using the LLAMA test (Meara, 2005), and pronunciation scores, and between language aptitude and lexis and collocation scores, in the 16-29 group.

• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd,SAGE Publications,Sage Publications Ltd
• Subject: Age / Age groups / Age of Onset / Aptitudes / Attainment / Chinese / Chinese languages / Correlation / Critical Period Hypothesis / Developmental Stages / Foreign Countries / Language / Language acquisition / Language Aptitude / Language Proficiency / Language Research / Language Tests / Length of Residency / Lexis / Linguistics / Morphology (Languages) / Morphosyntax / Native Speakers / Onset (Phonology) / Phonology / Phrase Structure / Place of Residence / Pronunciation / Scores / Second language acquisition / Second Language Learning / Second Languages / Spain / Spanish / Spanish as a Second Language Learning / Spanish language / Syntax / Textual collocation