儿童学习外语最佳年龄问题

On the Age Effect of Children Learning a Foreign Language

针对"外语学习越早越好"这一观点,文章首先介绍了语言习得关键期假说,分析了国外围绕关键期假说所进行的实验和研究,重点介绍了第二语言习得关键期假说支持派和反对派的不同观点,并从心理语言学、认知语言学、神经语言学角度对语言习得进行了解释。国内学者对外语学习最佳年龄的看法和态度也进行了分析。文章认为,年龄问题不能决定外语学习的成败,它与社会、心理、认知以及个体差异诸因素交织共变,共同决定了外语学习的成败。

With regard to the issue of the age effect that' Learning a foreign language, the earlier the better', this paper discussesvarious scientific experiments and researches carried out abroad concerning the Critical Period Hypothesis in second language ac-quisition with an emphasis on different points of view for and against the Critical Period Hypothesis on the best age to acquire a sec-ond or foreign language.It also tries to explain the age effect from the aspects of psycholinguistics, cognitive linguistics and neurolo-gy linguistics,and Chinese scholars' studies in this field are discussed respectively.The article concludes that the age at which onebegins to learn a foreign language is not the key factor that decides whether he or she will get a good command of the foreign lan-guage, second language acquisition involves the interconnection and integration of society, cognitive, psychology and learners' dif-ferences, which contribute to a learner's command of a foreign language.