BIALYSTOK, E. (1997). The structure of age: In search of barriers to second language acquisition. Second Language Research, 13(2), 116-137.
The article evaluates if second language acquisition is limited by a sensitive learning period and reflects if first language acquisition is similarly limited. It also defines and discusses the optimal age as the most adequate moment to learn a second language, and reviews statements and other research that suggest that learning it at a young age would be best way to master the target language. As evidence, she reviews two research reports (Johnson and Newport, 1989; 1991, and Johnson, 1992) to support her arguments. Johnson and Newport’s study focused on English proficiency of native speakers of Chinese and Korean with an average of ten years exposure to English. Using a grammaticality judgment task the researchers determined that there was no difference in proficiency between native speakers and those who arrived before the age of seven. Johnson’s study focused on writing and also found no difference. Bialystok describes the studies points out questions that are raised by the data. In one section, Bialystok reviews several studies that seem to contradict the notion that younger learners are more successful with languages.
As a conclusion, Bialystok tries to convince the reader that languages can be learned at any age. Both first and second language can be acquired at any period of time, as long as the learner can be immersed in such an environment as children are.
The article is valuable to teachers, teachers in training or researchers in general who are interested in the discussion of whether younger learners have more success in acquiring a second language than adults.