Later language learning

BBC Learning EnglishWeekenderLater language learning
Callum: Hello, I'm Callum Robertson and this is Weekender.
　　If you're listening to thisprogramme then more than likely you are either trying tolearn English or perhaps teaching English. So let me askyou this question, do you think that age has anything to dowith your ability to learn a language? Is it easier tolearn a language when you are a child? Is it more difficultto master a language the older you are?
　　Language learning is an incredibly complex area ofresearch. In the programme today we take a simple look atthis topic which was recently covered in a scienceprogramme on BBC domestic radio.
　　One word which is very useful to know when talking aboutthis subject is the verb acquire and its noun, acquisition.
　　Learning your mother tongue is described as'first language acquisition'. Learning another language isthen described as second language acquisition.
　　Young children, it seems, pick up languages very easily butas we get older, it seems to be much more difficult. Whatcould be the reasons for this, is there some cut-off pointin our growth after which the ability to absorb languageeasily changes?
　　One theory is known as the Critical Age or Critical PeriodHypothesis. This theory suggests that the most importantperiod for learning a language ends when we are about 12years old and after this time a language which we haven'tstarted to learn can't fully 1 be learned. Lydia White is aprofessor at the department of Linguisticsat McGill University. What does she think of the CriticalPeriod Hypothesis?
　　Professor Lydia WhiteThe Critical Period Hypothesis is quite controversial andcomes in many forms. Common to most versions is the claimthat for a certain period of your life things are verybeneficial for acquiring languages. In my view adult secondlanguage learners can successfully acquire a secondlanguage to the extent of being indistinguishable fromnative speakers. So in other words I do not believe it'simpossible for an adult to fully acquire the secondlanguage.
　　Callum: She's not convinced by the Critical PeriodHypothesis. She thinks that adults can successfully acquirea second language. In fact she believes that adults canlearn a language to the level that they seem like a nativespeaker. She expresses this in the following phraseProfessor Lydia WhiteIn my view adult second language learners can successfullyacquire a second language to the extent of beingindistinguishable from native speakers.
　　Callum: Adults can learn a language so that they are'indistinguishable from native speakers' Indistinguishable– you can't tell the difference.
　　So if adults can learn a languages as well as a nativespeaker, why then does it seem so difficult to do and whyis it something that children can seem to do socomparatively easily? Dr John Coleman is Director of thephonetics laboratory at the University of Oxford 2. He has avery simple theory. What is it?
　　Dr John ColemanThe ability of adults to learn foreign languages is oftenunderestimated. Children spend an awful amount of timelearning their first language, their exposed to it a lot ofthe time. They've only got certain things to do, they don'thave to go out and do a job, or learn to drive a car orwhatever, they're very very focussed on what they're doingwhearas most adults who are learning a language later inlife just don't have the luxury of spending anywhere near afraction of the time that children spend learninglanguages.
　　Callum: Dr. Coleman thinks it's just a simple matter oftime. Adults are much busier intheir lives than children. They have day to dayresponsibilities and jobs and simply do not have the luxuryof time that children do. But is it as simple as that? ErikThiessen is director of Carnegie Mellon University's InfantLanguage andLearning Lab. He thinks that adults have a disadvantagethat infants don't have. What is this disadvantage?
　　Erik ThiessenWe as adults have more than 20 years of experience with adominant language which is going to interfere 3 withacquiring a second language and that's a handicap thatinfants don't face. So there are things that you cancertainly do as an adult to help yourself but I'm afraidthat infants are always going to be the blue ribandchampion language learners.
　　Callum: Erik Thiessen thinks that influence from our ownlanguage can be a handicap to acquiring a second language.
　　A handicap – it makes it difficult to do. This handicap issomething that infants don't have, learning is new to them.
　　So if you are an adult, trying to learn English or anyother language, then don't worry, it is possible! It's notas easy as when you were very young but it can be done. Andas ever, my unscientific advice is to practise as much aspossible and try and immerse yourself in as much English aspossible. Good luckThat's all from this edition of Weekender