the age factor in second language acquisition and its effects on language proficiency

107 Pages·2015·1.4 MB·English

People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Mohamed Kheider University of Biskra
Faculty of Letters and Languages
Department of Foreign Languages
Section of English

THE AGE FACTOR IN SECOND LANGUAGE

ACQUISITION AND ITS EFFECTS ON LANGUAGE

PROFICIENCY

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Master
degree in
Language Sciences

DAHMANE ABDELBASSET Mr. LAALA YOUCEF

Mrs. REZIGUE NADIA

Mrs. BEKHOUCHE RYM

MAY 2015
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DEDICATION

To my parents
The dearest persons to my heart. Thank you
for all your encouragement, and above all
your love.
I dedicate my work to my family.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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Abstract

The Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) originally proposed in Lenneberg (1967), states that there is a
maturational period, during which language acquisition can take place. The CPH is often cited to account for
differences in success between early and late language learners. Based on Lenneberg's hypothesis, other
researchers have generated additional hypotheses, all of which consider a maturational period of time during
which language acquisition can take place. This thesis investigates the critical period hypothesis for second
language (L2) proficiency from English as a foreign language perspective. It investigates whether it is possible
for late learners of English to achieve a native-like proficiency regardless of the starting age or the amount of
exposure, also we will investigates whether the variable the earlier the better' can influences the ability of L2
learners to obtain better performance. In order to investigate this variable to late L2 learners of English, a groups
of high school learners with the same amount of exposure to the English language and the French language will
be observed in their classroom and see how well they perform a set of tests in both English and French. This paper
examines the Critical Period Hypothesis in second language acquisition. Studies assessing learners’ native
likeness in grammatical features as well as pronunciation are examined for evidence in support of or against the
critical period. This paper also evaluates the level of proficiency in third year high school students in English
(starting at age of 11) and in French (starting at age of 08). We set to establish that there should be a relationship
between age of onset (start of CPH) and better language performance conforming to the features of a critical
period and that early second language learners can achieve native like proficiency. To test these hypothesis we
tested a group of third year of high school in six activities three in French and three in English in Al Arbi Ben
Mhedi high school, and the results showed an advantage in French over English which comes to no surprise when
we consider the difference in the starting age of both languages.

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List of T ables

Functions of H and L varieties…………………………………...60
Descriptive Statistics Grammar test (English)……………………89
Descriptive Statistics Grammar test (French)…………………….89
Descriptive Statistics Dictation test (English)…………………….90
Descriptive Statistics Dictation test (French)……………………..90

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List of D iagrams

Algerian bilingualism……………………………………………………………….78

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Table of contents
1
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………01
1.1 Statement of the
problem……………………………………………………………………………………02
1.2 Significance of the
study………………………………………………………………………………………02
1.3 Aim of the
study…………………………………………………………………………………………………..02
1.4 Research
Questions……………………………………………………………………………………………..03
1.5
Hypothesis…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………..03
1.6 Structure of the study…………………………………………………………..................................03
1.7
Methodology………………………………………………………………………………………………
……….03
2 CHAPTER
I……………………………………………………………………………………………………………05
2.1 An Introduction to the Critical Period Hypothesis………………………………………………..06
2.2 Types of
Hypotheses……………………………………………………………………………………………10
2.3 Recent Research on Late Beginners……………………………………………………………………..15
2.4 Early Foreign Language
Programs…………………………………………………………………………20
2.5 Target
Languages………………………………………………………………………………………………….21
2.6 Individual
Differences…………………………………………………………………………………………...23
2.7 Early versus Later
Start………………………………………………………………………………………….25
2.8 Continuity and
Transfer………………………………………………………………………………………...28
2.9 Teachers of young
learners……………………………………………………………………………………30
2.10
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………..32
3 CHAPTER
II……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..33
3.1
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………..33
3.2 Early Studies Examining Cognitive Development……………………………………………………34
3.3 Recent Studies Examining Cognitive Development………………………………………………..36
3.4 Cognitive Development and Degree of Bilingualism………………………………………………40
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3.5 Bil ingualism and Cognitive
Processes…………………………………………………………………….42
3.6 Sociocultural Context of
Bilingualism…………………………………………………………………….44
3.7 A Case for Bilingual Instruction in Early Childhood…………………………........................45
3.8 Neuroimaging studies on age and proficiency in L2 acquisition…………………………….49
3.9
CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………56
4 CHAPTER
III………………………………………………………………………………………………………….57
4.1 Introduction……………..................................................................................................57
4.2 Today’s linguistic situation in
Algeria……………………………………………………………………..58
4.3 Attitudes to the languages in contact…………………………………………………………………….62
4.4 Social variables related to
bilingualism…………………………………………………………………..63
4.5 The national
problem……………………………………………………………………………………………..64
4.6 The official position of Arabic and French in Algeria……………………………………………….68
4.7 Present day community in
Algeria………………………………………………………………………….71
4.8 The problems of the multi-lingual Algerian child…………………………………………………….73
4.9 Political conflict between two languages…………………………………………………………….….76
4.10
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
….79
5 CHAPTER
IV…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..81
5.1
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
….81
5.2
Population…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
….…82
5.3 The linguistic background of the
students……………………………………………………………….83
5.4 Description of the
tests……………………………………………………………………………………………87
5.5 Administration of the
tests………………………………………………………………………………………88
5.6 The
results……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
89
5.7
CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………….…………………………………
……..92
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CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……93
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Appendix
A……………………………………………………………………………………………………………97
Appendix
B……………………………………………………………………………………………………………99
Appendix
C………………………………………………………………………………………………………….101
Appendix
D………………………………………………………………………………………………………….102

References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
103

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Introduction

The role of the age factor and the existence of a critical period (CP) is a key research area in second language
acquisition (SLA) research and, as Hernandez, Ping and MacWhinney point out, “the idea of a biologically
determined critical period plays a essential role not just in linguistic theory, but in cognitive science as a whole”
(2005, p. 220). Cognitive approaches to and neurobiological explanations of SLA have recently emphasized a
distinction between processes interacting in the development of language proficiency in line with the
procedural/declarative dimension widely accepted in cognitive science (e. g., MacWhinney, 2005; Paradis,
2004; Ullman, 2001).
According to Paradis, the CPH “applies to implicit linguistic competence. The decline of procedural memory
for language forces late second-language learners to rely on explicit learning, which results in the use of a
cognitive system different from that which supports the native language” (2004, p. 59). The acquisition of
implicit competence is affected by age in two ways: (1) biologically, the plasticity of the procedural memory for
language gradually decreases after about age 5; (2) cognitively, reliance on conscious declarative memory
increases both for learning in general and for learning a language from about age 7. CP can be “masked to some
extent by compensatory mechanisms. To the extent that proficient L2 is sub served by declarative memory, like
vocabulary, it is not inclined to the CP,” (Paradis, 2004, p. 60). This hypothesis is further supported by studies
on exceptionally successful adult learners, as most of them seem to possess unusual memory capacity (Skehan,
1998, p. 233; Ioup, Boustagui, Tigi, & Moselle, 1994). Later learners compensate by relying more heavily on
metalinguistic knowledge and pragmatics (Paradis, 2004).

Statement of the problem

The problem in second language classrooms is the question if it is possible for late learners of second
language to acquire and perform in an ideal level of such that is similar to that of native speaker, it at least calls
into question the strength of the CPH if not its existence and is learning a wholly unfamiliar language system with
different structures, linguistic features and underlying mental concepts a reachable goal for the older learners, and
is earlier start of exposure the targeted language can improve the overall competency, for that I am going to
observe third year students of high school and their performance inside the classroom as they try to take a test
and try to interact in the targeted language.

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