The Critical Period Hypothesis for L2 Acquisition: An Unfalsifiable Embarrassment?

This article focuses on the uncertainty surrounding issue of Critical Period Hypothesis. It puts forward case that, with regard to naturalistic situations, hypothesis has status both “not proven” and unfalsified. The analyzes a number reasons for this situation, including effects multi-competence, which remove any possibility that competence in more than one language can ever be identical monolingual competence. With formal instructional setting, it points many decades research showing as critical period advocates acknowledge, normal schooling adolescent beginners long run do well younger beginners. laments profusion definitions what actually is generally piecemeal nature into important area. In particular, calls fuller integration recent neurolinguistic perspectives discussion age factor second acquisition research.