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The Critical Period Hypothesis: Evidence from First Language Acquisition
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Soh Yeing Yeing Independent Study Module Response Paper The Critical Period Hypothesis: Evidence from First Language Acquisition The notion that there is a biologically determined period during which language acquisition must occur, if it is to occur at all, is known as the critical period hypothesis. In Lenneberg's original formulation, he claimed that "automatic acquisition from mere exposure to a given language seems to disappear [after puberty]" (1976, p. 176). Nature also provides many examples of biologically determined deadlines, such as the critical period for imprinting in birds. There are well-documented human examples of critical periods as well, such as the loss of the capability of the brain to receive visual input if there is no such input in the first two years of life. Gleitman and Newport say that "virtually any exposure conditions short of total isolation and vicious mistreatment will suffice to bring [language] forth in every child" (1995, p. 21)....
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