Critical Evidence: A Test of the Critical-Period Hypothesis for Second-Language Acquisition

• Published in: Psychological science Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 31 - 38
• Main Authors: Hakuta, Kenji, Bialystok, Ellen, Wiley, Edward
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA Blackwell Publishing 01.01.2003; SAGE Publications; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Age; Age Factors; Case studies; Chinese; Critical periods; Critical points; Educational Status; Emigration and Immigration; Foreign language learning; Formal education; High school graduates; Humans; Immigrants; Immigration; Language; Language acquisition; Learning; Loess; Psychology; Regression analysis; Second language; Second language acquisition; Second language learning; Spanish language; U.S.A; Verbal Learning
• ISSN: 0956-7976; 1467-9280
• DOI: 10.1111/1467-9280.01415

The critical-period hypothesis for second-language acquisition was tested on data from the 1990 U.S. Census using responses from 2.3 million immigrants with Spanish or Chinese language backgrounds. The analyses tested a key prediction of the hypothesis, namely, that the line regressing second-language attainment on age of immigration would be markedly different on either side of the criticalage point. Predictions tested were that there would be a difference in slope, a difference in the mean while controlling for slope, or both. The results showed large linear effects for level of education and for age of immigration, but a negligible amount of additional variance was accounted for when the parameters for difference in slope and difference in means were estimated. Thus, the pattern of decline in second-language acquisition failed to produce the discontinuity that is an essential hallmark of a critical period.