AGE AND ACQUISITION By: Gabriela Flores ESPE UNIVERSITY

THE CRITICAL PERIOD HYPOTHESIS

• It refers to the period of time when a person can not acquire language or it turns more dificult than in other moments.

• There is a biological timetable in all human being to acquire a first or second language.

• According to some authors the most critical point for a second language occurs around puberty.

Hemispheric Lateralization • Lateralization is when certain functions of the brain are a

asigned to the left or right hemisphere of the brain.• In the left hemisphere are located the intellectual, logical

and analytic function.• In the right hemisphere is located the function related to

emotional and social needs.• Functions related to language appear mostly in the left

hemisphere.• Lateralitation starts around the age of two and is completed

around puberty.• The plasticity of the brain helps children before puberty to a

acquire first and second language.

COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE AND LINGUISTIC CONSIDERATIONSCOGNITIVE CONSIDERATION: • Human cognitition develops rapidly through the first sixteen years of life.• Different from children and teenagers adults acuire second language by grammatical explanations

and deductive thinking.• Lenguaje interacts with cognitiion to achieve equilibrium.

AFFECTIVE CONSIDERATIONS: Affective factors are related to the age of language acquisition. • Innhibitions • language ego • Second identity • Peer presure

LINGUISTIC CONSIDERATIONS • Bilingualism: learning two languages at the same time.• There exist the code-switch of language.• Bilingual speakers have one meaning with two languages in operation. • Both languges are acquired slower tha learning just one.• Bilingual children have a greater mental flexibility.

INTERFERENCE BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND LANGUAGE

• It is when the first language is used as an aid when talking in the second language.

• In children the interference doesn’t appear as a marked contrast.

• In adults, due to the difference in the acquisition of second language (grammar, linguistic rules and environment) the interference is notably in some cases to bridge gaps.

• The use of the first language can be interpreted as a facilitating factor more than an interference.

LANGUAGE AND THOUGHT • Lenguage es linked to the human thought.

• Lenguaje helps to shape thinking and thinking helps to shape language.

• Speaker must distinguish thoughts and concepts on the second language which can be in some cases be similar to the first language which can convey a new system of conceptualization.