The Critical Period Hypothesis
Learning activity 2

Neurobiological Considerations
Hemispheric lateralization:
 One hemisphere is more predominant than the other.
 Language functions are controlled mainly by the left
hemisphere.
 The plasticity in the brain in children enable to acquire not
only native language but also a second language; in the
different researches differ about the ages in which are more
suitable learn a second language.
Biological Timetables; The pronunciation is
according the scholars more difficult to learn after
childhood.
Right-Hemispheric participation: It influences the early stages
of acquisition a second language using certain strategies to help
it.
Anthropological evidence: according the studies they saw that
in multilingual communities adults can acquire a good level of
other languages, but they will have to explore the influence of
social and cultural roles which language and phonation play.
Later, they discovered that motivation, affective variables, social
factors and quality input are important advantages in adults.
The significance of accent: in adults for
physiological reasons sound like a native
speaker is difficult than we learn a second
language in the childhood, but in some cases
even though the speaker have a different
accent has more fluency than a native
speaker, we must not lose sight of the fact the
acquisition of the communicative and
functional purposes of language is, far more
important than a perfect native accent.

Cognitive considerations
Intellectual development stages:
 Sensorimotor stage ( birth-2)
 Preoperational stage ( 2-7 years)
 Operational stage ( 7 – 16 years)
*Concrete operational stage ( 7-11)
*Formal operational stage (11-16)
In language acquisition the ways to learn must to
be different between children and adults because
in the cognitive development they have different
needs.
Adults can process complex structures and formal
languages, and recognize this process as a highly
complex intellectual activity, in some occasions
they overanalyze certain situations but they have
a commitment in them learning; children not need
large concepts or explanations to get a meaningful
and successful learning process because they are
not aware about this process.
Children needs practice with a repetition rote
Adults need contextualization and meaningful
practice, and a little repetition rote.

Affective considerations
This has many factors: empathy, self-esteem,
extroversion, inhibition, imitation, anxiety, etc.
We cannot say that evolve of language and the
acquisition of a second language having nothing to do;
the affective considerations have to do with the
motivation in learners.
Language ego acts different among
children and adults. In child’s ego is
dynamic and flexible, for this reason new
language not pose a substantial “threat”,
but in the adults is harder because they
have a develop defensive mechanism to
not look ridiculous and have more
inhibitions. This is the mainly difference
between a successful adult learner and
somebody that do not construct an
effective attitude to learn.
In peer pressure adults are mature and have tolerance
in the process and with others, whilst children are
harsher critics

Linguistic considerations
Bilingualism
There are coordinate bilinguals; they have two meaning systems or separate
contexts. Compound bilinguals; they have one meaning system from which both
languages operate.
Despite of the acquisition of both languages in bilingual children is slightly slower;
they form concepts easily and have a greater mental flexibility.
Interference between First and second languages
Children; in the majority of cases children have the
same problems in two languages, because they acquire
the second language in the similar or same process
when they learn their first language.
Adults; the interference in this case is related to the
first language, because they have solid bases and it
operates in their minds more than children, and make
the same mistakes that children in L1.
Order of acquisition
In children is used a creative construction process; just
they do in they native language

• Imagines: free websites