Hello. Bonjour. Olá. Communication is one of the most important, if not the most important, component in a society. A newborn’s cry is their main form of expression; it is how they say they are hungry, tired, or in pain. A child’s tantrums are a portrayal of frustration, demonstrative enough to allow the disregard of words. As adults, humans perfect their communication skills to appeal to their peers, to sound confident, to be clear and concise. That is all possible through the proper use of language. Throughout history, numerous languages, formed by a plethora of sounds and varying structures, have been established as large communities accepted them. Some countries have even elected more than one official language as a display of inclusivity for their citizens and their preferred methods of communication. A large portion of the world’s population speaks more than one language fluently. Individuals might have learned from their parents or by watching television. It is even possible that language acquisition made up a large part of their primary academic curriculum. Others may have attended certain university courses in hopes of developing such abilities. Regardless of how an individual comes to learn a language, it is important to note that research provides evidence of optimal periods in language development. Thus, it remains vital for such dedicated individuals, as well as their family members, to be aware of this timeline. Becoming bilingual, or even multilingual, is a difficult feat for most; however, it seems that those who wait longer to cultivate a secondary language are at a greater disadvantage.
A study conducted at the University of Potsdam in Germany by Veríssimo et al. intended to explore the effects of learning a second language at varying life stages on the mechanical processes involved in the recognition of complex words. The authors of the research article, “Selective Effects of Age of Acquisition on Morphological Priming: Evidence for a Sensitive Period,” explained that the Turkish-German bilingual participants, who learned German at differing ages, engaged in a reaction test which would assess their abilities to identify German words. Accuracy rates and mean reaction times were calculated to evaluate priming effects from German inflected and derived forms on the recognition of complex words. The researchers hypothesized that inflectional rules will ultimately appear challenging to retain, as opposed to derivational rules, when the secondary language is introduced later in life. The experiment revealed an effect of age of language acquisition on masked morphological priming. The collected data demonstrated that inflectional priming began to decrease past the age of five within the participants. The findings support the authors’ hypothesis as the data showed a modulation of the processing of inflected forms in contrast to the processing of derived words due to age of acquisition (Veríssimo et al, 315-324).
Further proof can be found in a literature review published recently by Berken et al. which focuses on the existing data regarding optimal periods in language development. The information presented accentuates the neurological disparities between simultaneous and sequential bilinguals. A series of experimenters gathered evidence through the use of varying neuroimaging techniques (i.e. PET, fMRI, MRI) that demonstrates why an array of nested optimal periods are believed to determine the likelihood of language acquisition. The aforementioned terms have fluctuating onsets, offsets, and durations which are regulated by pre-programmed molecular signals and sensory experiences. The concept of neuroplasticity, which refers to the brain’s ability to adapt throughout an individual’s lifespan, proves how skill attainment causes the brain to reform and restructure as the result of practice and experience. However, the age at which a skill is acquired also influences the brain's functional structure as well as its capacity to process information efficiently. The authors of the review, "Early Bilingualism, Language Attainment, and Brain Development," concluded from the presented data that brain function and structure appear most efficient when two languages are introduced simultaneously during the neonatal period. Additionally, an individual’s cerebral plasticity seems to decline with age, thus, when they attempt to develop a second language later in life, the level of difficulty increases for an already complicated endeavor (Berken et al., 220-225). While it is possible to learn new forms of communication at an advanced age, it will certainly not be an easy feat. Therefore, if you or any of your loved ones wish to incorporate more languages into the family dynamic, it is always best to get an early start.
Works Cited
Veríssimo, J., Heyer, V., Jacob, G., & Clahsen, H. (2017). Selective effects of age of acquisition on morphological priming: Evidence for a sensitive period. Language Acquisition, 25(3), 315–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/10489223.2017.1346104
Berken, J. A., Gracco, V. L., & Klein, D. (2017). Early bilingualism, language attainment, and brain development. Neuropsychologia, 98, 220–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.08.031
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