Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T04:03:48.163Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

7 - The Age Question

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2019

Jürgen M. Meisel
Affiliation:
Universität Hamburg
Get access

Summary

Bilinguals are individuals who use more than one language in daily interactions. They do not necessarily have an equally good command of their languages. Age of onset of acquisition (AOA) is probably the most important factor determining whether a native competence is acquired. All L1 children develop full competences in their languages, whereas very few if any L2 learners are able to achieve this goal. This suggests that the LAD guiding L1 is subject to age-dependent changes and is not fully accessible anymore in L2 acquisition. Such changes are reflected in the speech of early successive bilinguals. They use constructions that are also found in the speech of adult L2 learners but not in the language use of monolingual or bilingual L1 children. L1-L2 differences emerge as early as at approximately age 3;6, affecting the morphosyntax of the target language. Maturational changes of the brain are a major though not the only cause of this kind of linguistic behaviour. They open and close windows of opportunities. These constitute senstitive phases during which learners are optimally prepared for certain acquisition tasks. As of approximately age 6–7, children resemble adult L2 learners rather than simultaneous bilinguals.

Type
Chapter
Information
Bilingual Children
A Parents' Guide
, pp. 191 - 220
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Curtiss, S. (1977). Genie: A psycholinguistic study of a modern-day ‘wild child’. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Meisel, J. M. (2011). First and second language acquisition: Parallels and differences. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Genesee, F., Paradis, J., & Crago, M. (2010). Dual language development & disorders: A handbook on bilingualism & second language acquisition. Second edition. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • The Age Question
  • Jürgen M. Meisel, Universität Hamburg
  • Book: Bilingual Children
  • Online publication: 08 June 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316850329.007
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • The Age Question
  • Jürgen M. Meisel, Universität Hamburg
  • Book: Bilingual Children
  • Online publication: 08 June 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316850329.007
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Age Question
  • Jürgen M. Meisel, Universität Hamburg
  • Book: Bilingual Children
  • Online publication: 08 June 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316850329.007
Available formats
×