Section outline

  • Choose either the passage about age or language aptitude in Ellis (2008) - of course, you can read both if you want, they are rather short - and answer the questions below.


    • Ellis, R. (2008). Age. The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: OUP, 484-494.

      1. What are some commonly held beliefs about age and SLA?

      2. What is the critical period hypothesis?

      3. Is there a best age to learn a FL? Support your answer by what you have read in the article.


      Further reading: Singleton, D. (2014). Is there a best age for learning a second language? In D. Singleton & V. Cook. Key topics in SLA. UK: Multilingual Matters.

    • Ellis, R. (2008).  Language Aptitude. The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: OUP, 494–499.

      There is just one question today:

      If someone said: "I am not a language person, I just don't have the talent". What would you tell them about the relationship between language aptitude and language learning? Support your view by what you have read about the research.