Synonyms
Definition
A developmental time interval that is optimal for experience-induced neural plasticity; with respect to bilingualism, this refers to a window of time during which the neural representation of the language system is malleable to second language acquisition, similar to first language acquisition.
Introduction
We begin life with biological systems that support the ability to acquire human language. Speech perception and ultimately the acquisition of language has been shown to be influenced by multiple critical periods (CPs) that open and close at different time points during development (Werker and Hensch 2015). The discussion of the CP of acquisition, as it relates to bilingualism, entails defining what is meant by “acquisition,” as well as what is meant by a “critical period.” This entry will discuss bilingualism within the context of the CP model, and how this phenomenon can be understood from an evolutionary perspective.
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References
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Lueke, N., Lueke, A. (2017). Critical Period of Acquisition. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2420-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2420-2
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Latest
Critical Period of Acquisition- Published:
- 09 February 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2420-2
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Original
Critical Period of Acquisition- Published:
- 19 December 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2420-1