Sensitive Period Effects in Binding Theory
Dami Lee, Jacquelyn Schachter · Language Acquisition · 1997
The notion that a sensitive period exists for language acquisition has gained support recently from several studies on second language acquisition. These studies claim that, with first exposure before a certain early age, learners reach native speaker levels, after which there is a linear decline in ultimate proficiency--for example, for phonology (Oyama (1976), Patkowski (1990)) and for syntax (Johnson and Newport (1989; 1991), Patkowski (1980)). The present study demonstrates that this picture is not entirely accurate and that there exist differing periods of heightened sensitivity for certain aspects of the target language, periods before and after which the learner is less sensitive to the relevant input. The experiment involves native speakers of Korean, with approximately the same amount of exposure (3 years) and among whom first exposure to English varied from age 3 to age 24, who were tested on knowledge of Principles A and B of Binding Theory in English.