This article addresses age-related attainment effects in second language acquisition, posing
the question of whether such effects are to be explained in terms of a Critical Period with a …

Early foreign language (FL) programmes have grown rapidly worldwide in the past two
decades, resting on the assumption that 'earlier is better'for learning a FL. However, the …

The effects of age on second language acquisition constitute one of the most frequently
researched and debated topics in the field of Second Language Acquisition. Two different …

This study examines the effects of learning context and age on second language
development by comparing the language gains, measured in terms of oral and written …

This study explores the long-term effects of starting age and the effects of input in an
instructed language learning setting. First, with respect to the effects of starting age, the …

Recent findings (see, for example, Muñoz and Singleton, 2011) indicate that age of onset is
not a strong determinant of instructed foreign language (FL) learners' achievement and that …

Research on the effects of Study Abroad (SA) periods on learners' linguistic progress has
tended to focus on oral skills, and few SA studies have focused on learners' development in …

This article aims at describing and explaining the effects of a period of Study Abroad spent in
the target language country (SA) on foreign language development. Such effects are …

Children are thought to learn second languages (L2s) using primarily implicit mechanisms,
in contrast to adults, who primarily rely on explicit language learning. This difference is …

This volume brings together studies from learning contexts that provide intensive exposure
to the target language: naturalistic immersion (immigration and study abroad), intensive …