Author Question: What can we conclude about the relationship between a person's age of acquisition of a second ... (Read 54 times)

MGLQZ · **on:** Jun 20, 2018

What can we conclude about the relationship between a person's age of acquisition of a second language and his or her mastery of grammar?

a. So far, no research has demonstrated a relationship between these two variables.
b. Linguistically skilled individuals tend to master grammar better if they learn a second language during childhood; individuals with below-average skills tend to master grammar better if they learn a second language during adulthood.
c. The results clearly support the critical period hypothesis, because people have greater mastery of grammar if they learn a second language during childhood.
d. The results are complicated, because the answer depends on the match between the two languages, as well as the amount of education in the second language.

Question 2

What can we conclude about age of acquisition and mastery of a second language?

a. We cannot draw any conclusions until we have research using the experimental method.
b. For speakers of first languages similar to English, it's better to learn English early; for speakers of first languages that are different from English, it's better to learn English late.
c. The research shows quite clearly that children acquire a second language more rapidly than adults do.
d. The research is not clear-cut; instead, the findings seem to depend upon factors such as the similarity between the first language and the second language.