In the last 10-20 years, the idea of a “critical period” to learn language has become more widely recognized. Parents and schools alike have started to teach children a second language at younger and younger ages, but many still don’t understand what this really means or the possibilities of this idea.
As more and more research is done on the matter, it turns out that humans are born with an innate ability to pick up language. Since communication is such an important feature of our species, we have a significant part of our brain dedicated to both the comprehension and expression of language. The most surprising part is that a child who starts learning a second language at the age of 3 may understand that language better at age 13 than an adult who has been learning it for the same amount of time. This is because when we are very young, even starting as soon as the auditory pathways begin developing in the womb, we start trying to make sense of language. Up until the age of 4 months old, babies can even differentiate between dialects of different languages. After 4 months, we start to lose this ability if not exercised. The same concept goes for learning to understand and express language as a whole. We are born with the most ability to receive new language learning we will ever have, and as we age, if not exposed to new languages, we slowly lose the ability to pick up these languages as easily, “Use it or Lose it.” One of the most groundbreaking discoveries about the critical period is that it does not just apply to spoken language.
This specific article examines how the age at which deaf individuals are first exposed to American Sign Language (ASL) affects their language abilities later in life, providing strong support for the idea of a critical period for language learning. The researchers compared deaf adults who learned ASL from birth, during early childhood, or later in adolescence, and found that earlier exposure led to stronger language comprehension and more accurate use of grammar, even many years later. Those who learned sign language later had more difficulty understanding full sentence meaning, suggesting that the brain is especially prepared to develop language during early childhood. These findings support the broader theory that language learning is most effective during a critical period and becomes more difficult after that window closes. This research also has important implications for bilingualism, as it suggests that early exposure to more than one language, whether spoken or signed, can support stronger overall language development, while delayed exposure may limit fluency. Overall, the study highlights the importance of providing children with early access to rich language environments to support lifelong communication and learning.
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Thank you!
~Cooper Armogida
UConn KIDS Research Assistant