What factors predict age effects in L2 perception: A comparison of social, cognitive, and experiential factors

Previous research has demonstrated that age of acquisition (AOA) plays an important role in L2 phonological acquisition. However, it is not clear why such AOA effects occur. Researchers have hypothesized that these effects may be explained by social (such as identification with L1/L2 culture), cognitive (ability to imitate, working and phonological memory capacity), and experiential (length of residence and amount of L2 use) factors. However, little research has compared all three types of factors in the same study, nor has it determined whether these factors affect early and late learners differently. The current study seeks to fill this gap by asking seventy-six Spanish learners of English with different AOAs (0-69) to participate. Their accuracy on an L2 perception task was compared to their scores on the cognitive tasks, social factors and experiential factors noted above. Results demonstrate different factors were important for different AOAs and that all three types of factors played important roles.