年龄因素对二语习得的影响的开题报告

年龄对第二语言习得的影响摘要影响第二语言习得的因素很多，年龄是其中的一个重要因素。

文章探讨了第二语言习得的年龄关键期问题、儿童与成年人第二语言习得的差异以及对于实际教学的启发。

第二语言习得是指“在自然的或指导的情况下通过有意识学习或无意识吸收掌握母语以外的一门语言的过程”（埃利斯，）。

在这里所涉及到的，主要是在教学情境下的第二语言习得。

近年来，人们对第二语言的学习日益重视。

年龄对第二语言习得的影响，是二语习得领域的焦点话题之一。

也可以说，年龄是影响第二语言习得的最明显、最直接的非智力因素之一。

在实际生活中可以看到，学习第二语言呈现低龄化趋势，在我国，有些地方从幼儿园开始学习第二语言（多数为英语），对于那些连母语都不能完全掌握的孩子而言，过早学习第二语言真的有利于语言发展吗？人们普遍认为,儿童比成人更擅长学习第二语言。

对此，学者们进行了很多研究。

关键期假说在这个领域，影响最大的研究是伦尼伯格所提出的“关键期假说”（critical period hypothesis）。

关键期假说认为儿童习得语言更有优势是由于生理因素，他认为人的大脑在两岁至青春期（岁）之前是习得语言的关键期。

过了关键期的学习者不会像在关键期内的学习者一样成功，而且很容易产生外国腔。

这是因为，青春期以前，大脑的两个半球都参与了语言学习，大脑可塑性较强，语言习得较快，也较为成功；而在青春期后，大脑发生了侧化，逐渐失去可塑性，语言学习也就越来越困难。

关键期的相关研究关键期这一假说，是针对母语习得提出的，并且已经得到了广泛的认可。

但是对于关键期在二语习得中的作用，学者们看法不一。

反对关键期假说的学者提出非生物基础的解释，认为语言输入和认知发展等社会心理因素是导致习得水平出现差异的主要决定因素。

赞成关键期理论的学者则以实证研究为依据，坚信关键期假设在相当一段时间内不可能被推翻。

二语习得领域里, 支持关键期存在最具代表性的研究是johnson和newport ()的实验。

二语习得中年龄差异对成年人外语学习的启示在全球化的今天，外语能力日益成为一项重要的人才竞争力。

成年人的外语学习常常面临着诸多挑战与难题，其中年龄差异是一个重要的因素。

研究表明，成年人在学习外语时受到年龄的影响较大，年龄越大，学习外语的难度就会增加。

了解二语习得中年龄差异对成年人外语学习的影响，对于提高成年人外语学习的效果具有重要的启示意义。

一、年龄差异对外语学习的影响1. 大脑的可塑性：随着年龄的增长，大脑的可塑性逐渐下降。

成年人学习外语时，大脑对于新语言的习得能力会逐渐减弱，这意味着对新语音、词汇和语法结构的学习会变得更加困难。

3. 学习策略：年龄越大，成年人的思维和认知方式越固定，学习外语时更难拥有灵活多变的学习策略，会更容易陷入老路。

这会限制了成年人在外语学习中的进步空间。

二、启示：1. 重视早期外语学习：研究表明，儿童在学习外语时大脑可塑性较高，对新语音的辨别和发音的模仿能力也较强。

应该重视儿童和青少年时期的外语学习，给予他们更多的学习机会和资源，提高其语言习得的能力。

2. 注重学习环境：成年人学习外语时，应该创造具有丰富多样性的学习环境，通过多种途径和方式来进行外语学习，例如听力训练、口语练习、阅读写作等，以提高成人的外语学习的效果。

3. 积极调整学习策略：成年人在学习外语时，应该注重灵活调整学习策略，探索适合自己的学习方法和途径，提高学习效果。

要保持积极的学习态度，勇于挑战自己的语言学习能力。

4. 重视听力和口语训练：成年人在学习外语时，应该注重听力和口语训练，增强对新语音的辨别能力和发音技巧，提高语言的学习和表达能力。

5. 鼓励终身学习：虽然成年人在外语学习中受到年龄的影响，但并不意味着他们无法学会外语。

我们应该鼓励成年人终身学习外语，不断完善自己的语言能力，增强竞争力。

二语习得中年龄差异对成年人外语学习的影响是不可忽视的。

我们应该重视这一问题，采取积极有效的措施，提高成年人的外语学习效果，为他们提供更多的外语学习机会与资源，推动外语教育事业不断向前发展。

年龄与第二语言习得第二语言习得是指一个人在掌握母语之后，学习一种新的语言的过程。

年龄是一个重要的因素，影响着一个人学习第二语言的能力。

在过去的研究中，年龄被认为是一个决定性的因素，影响着第二语言习得的成果。

然而，近年来的研究表明，尽管年龄确实会对第二语言习得产生一些影响，但并非完全决定性的因素。

本文将探讨之间的关系，并讨论不同年龄段的人在习得第二语言方面的优势和挑战。

首先，幼儿期被认为是最佳的第二语言习得时期。

在幼儿期，大脑处于发育的高峰时期，语言的习得能力较强。

研究表明，幼儿在学习第二语言时更具有听觉和发音的优势，他们能够轻松地模仿和掌握新的语音和语调。

此外，幼儿在语言习得过程中更加自然，不会受到母语的干扰，更容易形成正确的语言结构和习惯用法。

因此，幼儿在学习第二语言方面往往进展迅速，并且能够获得更地道的语言表达。

然而，成年人也具有他们自己的优势和挑战。

成年人在学习第二语言时更有条理和系统，能够更好地利用已有的语言知识和学习策略。

他们有丰富的生活经验和学习经验，可以将新的语言知识与已有的知识联系起来，提高学习效果。

此外，成年人在语言学习方面更有意识和自我评估的能力，能够更有效地规划和调整学习策略。

然而，成年人的习得过程也面临着一些挑战。

比如，成年人可能受到母语的干扰，会在语音、语法和词汇等方面存在一定的偏差。

此外，成年人在语言习得方面需要更多的时间和精力，需要具备更强的毅力和耐心。

除了幼儿期和成年期，青少年也是一个重要的第二语言习得时期。

在青少年期，大脑依然处于发育的阶段，语言习得能力也相对较强。

青少年在学习第二语言时，可以充分利用他们的认知和分析能力，能够更深入地理解语言规则和结构。

同时，青少年也拥有更强的社交意识和交际能力，能够更好地参与语言互动和实践，提高语言运用的流利度和综合能力。

然而，青少年在习得第二语言方面也面临一些挑战。

他们可能会受到学校课业和社交活动的压力影响，导致学习时间和精力的分散。

Age Factor in Second Language Aquisition1. IntroductionNowerdays, with the development of society and technology, our society has become more open. People, with different colors,who come from different countries and areas communicate with each other in various ways and methods. Language, of course, is one of the most important tools in our communication. As we all known, English is an international language in the whole world. Accordingly, in our country, English learning is very popular with not only students, but also the children, adults and even the retired old man. And according to many studies,age is one of the most important individual factors affecting foreign language learning, which is considered as a focus of applied linguistics and psycholinguistics. Almost all parents think that"Don't let their own children lose at the beginning. "In China,all the families believe that it is very important for the students to learn English in the childhood.And many parents even send their children to language schools at an early age in older to get a high score.In recent years,some scholars in China such as Gui Shichun, Wang Chuming, Dai Manchun, Dai Weidong have a heated discussion about the affection of age factors in foreign language teaching and learning. At the same time, the government have also paid more attention on English learning. Nowerdays,many reseachers have studied the factors affecting language learning, such as intelligence, aptitude, personality, motivation, attitudes, earner's preference, learner's beliefs and age of acquisition. But I just want to study the influence of age factor. Is it good enough for parents to let their children learn English at an early age? Do children have absolute advantages over adolescents and adults in second language acquisition? What are the respective advantages and disadvantages of children,adolescents and adults? With the above problems analyzed,this thesis focus on the influence of age factor on the Second Language Acquisition.2. Second Language Acquisition2.1 Definitin of Second Language Acquisition"Second language acquisition"refers to the subconscious or conscious processes by which a language other than mother tongue is learnt in a natural or a tutored or a classroom; it covers the development of phonology,lexis,grammar, pragmatics and other knowledge(Hu Zhuanglin,p.268). How children acquire their native languages and what is the relavance of this to foreign language learning has long been debated. Although evidence for the declining of second language learningability with age is controversial, a common assumption is that children learn second languages easily and fluently compared with old learners. This assumption stems from"critical period"(CP) ideas(Lennerberg,1967). It is commonly know that children with regular faculties and given normal circumstances will easily master their native languages. Unfortunately,perfect language mastery is rarely in the process of second language acquisition. One of the most obvious potential explanations for the lack of success of second language learners compared to first language learners is that the acquisition of second language begins at a later age than that of the mother tongue does. Thus, many scholars assume that age itself is a predicator of second language proficiency.A popular belief in this area is that younger learners have certain advantages over older learners in foreign language learning and many linguists and researchers share this belief. They believe that younger children learn second language more easily and quickly than older children (Ellis,2008;Larsen-Freeman,2008). However,some other researchers hold the the opposite point. They believe that younger learners do not show any advantage over older learners in second language learning, and they even can provide some evidence to prove scientifically that the opposite is true, i.e. older learners exhibit some advantages over younger learners (Snow&Hoefnagef-Hohle,1978).About the study on age factors affecting second language acquisition, Carroll(1980) provided neurological basis for critical period hypothesis from aspect of earlier exposure, whose experiment indicates that the earlier exposure to second language,more or less, is of significance to the success of second language acquisition. That is, the early exposure to second language will bring quite different quality to later language learning in both natural and conscious settings.2.2 Current Situation of Second Language AcquisitionMany studies pay much attention to the age factor in second language learning at home and abroad. The relationship between age factor and second language acquisition has become more and more hot and popular.As for second languge acquisition. Penfield and Roberts(1959:130) first introduced the Critical Period. According to Penfield and Roberts, a child's brain is more plastic compared with that of an adult. And in 1967, Lenneberd introduced the Critical Period Hypothesis to second language acquisition, which could account for children's faster and more successful attainment over adults in second language acquisition.The research of age factor in foreign language learning also attracts much attention of the scholars in China.But it seems that many of them are on the opponent side. Professor Gui Shichun(1992:54-56) questioned the popular concept of "the younger, the better". Recently, in Guangdong Province, Professor Dong Yanping(2003:39-47) proposed that it was not necessaryto start English teaching programs for young children in kindergartens and Grade 1 of primary schools. At the same time, a variety of English learning phenomena have sprung up in China:in 2001, the Education Ministry decided that pupils begin English learning from Grade Three in cities and condition-permitting rural areas; in Shanghai all the pupils have been required to learn English from Grade One since 2003; English training courses for kids mushroom all over the country and at the same time, English textbooksand tapesforkids becomebest-sellers. English languagehas turnedintoa secondlanguage inChina.3. Factors Affeting Second Language AcquisitionIn our life and experience, almost all normal children can succeed in their first language acquisition on condition that they get a normal upbring. However, it is quite different in second language learning.Actually, different characteristics of learners will lead to different results in second language learning. And everyone has his own personality. In addition to personality, other factors are also relevant to language learning. These include intelligence, motivation, aptitude, learners 'preferences and learners' belief.3.1 IntelligenceThe level of learners' intelligence have an influence or second language learning. Over the past years, through using some intelligence tests or different methods, and then using the scores measure the intelligence of the learners. Researchers suppose that intelligence may be connected with second language ability. Recently, more and more studies have proved this. However, it is not the only factor. There are many students who are very successful in second language learning without high intelligence scores.3.2 PersonalityThere are many personality characteristics have been considered to be related to second language learning such as extroversion and inhibition. Many believed that extroversion is well suited to second language learning. However, this conclusion does not always get enough support. That is to say, in many studies, many learners who haven't got high scores on measuring extroversion are still successful in the second language learning.In terms of inhibition,it discourages the progress in language learning because the learners' courage of taking risk can be reduced by the inhibition personality. In fact, personality characteristics still conclude others such as empathy, talkativeness, self-esteem, dominance and responsiveness. However, the clear relationship between learners' personality and second language learning hasn't been found out because it is complicated. As an English teacher,we prefer the active and lively students in the class since they have good performance. So this kindof students who can get more attention from the teachers often has more opportunities to practice and express.3.3 AptitudeAptitude can be considered as a kind of talent which is made up of different kinds of abilities. The followings are some examples:(1) The ability to recognize the meaning of the words in the sentences.(2) The ability to remember new words. This kind of ability is much more concerned with the learners' vocabulary ability.(3) The ability to analyze the grammar of the material. There are many grammatical rules. So the ability of analyzing the grammar can affect the learners' language learning.(4) The ability to translate. Translation is very important in language learning and using. Any students who has a good knowledge of translation can do a better job in reading, speaking and even writing.3.4 MotivationThrough the studies of second language acquisition, the learners' attitude and motivation also plays an important role in learning a second language. And the good and positive attitude and motivation will be more likely to succeed in second language learning than the opposite. Motivation can be studied in two main parts: learners' communicative needs and their attitudes towards the second language community.Therefore, if the learner wants to use the second language efficiently, they must have an abtive attitude and master opportunities to practice. Besides, the personal growth,cultural enrichment and instrumental motivation are all concluded in motivation, which are also concerned with the success of the second language learning.However, the researchers cannot find out how the motivation affects on the learners during their second language learning.3.5 Learners’ PreferenceAs for the learning material and learning methods, every learner has his own preference. Some learners say that they cannot learn something before they have seen it, while others seem to know something as long as they talked it once or twice.When learners show his preference for some materials or topics which we disagree with the learning method, we should encourage the learners to use their available ways to achieve the success rather than stop them.3.6 Learners’ BeliefAlthough not all the language learners may have their individual consciousness of thelanguage learning, all of them have their strong beliefs which influence their learning methods. Therefore, the learners' belief is also an important factor in second language learning.4. Age Factors and Second Language Aquisition4.1 The Affects of Age Factors4.1.1 The Affects of Age Factors on Rate of Second Language AcquisitionOne popular belief about second language acquisition is that the younger, the better. Recently, certain research reports claim to counter this early Critical Period Hypothesis and state that age and language acquisition is inconsistent. Not all younger performs to be superior.Opposite to the Critical Period Hypothesis, Krashen, Long and Scarcella(1979) draw a different conclusion: (1)adults are superior to children in rate of acquisition, and(2)older children learn more rapidly than younger children(Krashen, et al, 1979). This results reflect differences in rate of acquisition which are consistent with the hypothesis. Adults are generally faster than children in early stages of second language acquisition.In1967, J.Asher and S.Price compared the ability of listening comprehension of 8-10-year-old and 14-year-old childrent and college adults. The results show that adults score highest while the 8-year-old children were the lowest of all groups tested.T10-year-old and 14-year-old children were between adults are the 8-year-olds. This study suggests that the adults ard superior to the same conditions as children when they learn a second language.Ervin-Tripp(1974) studied the rate of acquisition of French by 31 English-speaking children aged from four to who learn French nine month in Switzerland(including attendance in French-speaking schools). She reached the conclusion that children performed much better.Burstall et al.(1975) and Ekstrand(1977) researched majority children who learn a foreign language in Britain and Sweden respectively. Burstall et al.make a study about a large number of school students,some of whom began learning French at the age of eight and others who began at the age eleven after three years on condition having learnt French for the same amount of time, the older learners were ahead on three out of four skills tested-listening, reading and writing.The younger learners, however, mastered speaking ability highly.Snow and Hoefnagel-hohle(1978) make a study who learn Dutch in Holland. The subjects were divided into five age groups: ten3-to-5-year-olds, eight6-to-7-year-olds, thirteen8-to-10-year-olders, nine12-to-15-year-olds, and eleven adults. The study indicated that 3-to-5-year-olds scored lowest and the 12-to-15-year-olds showed the most rapid acquisition of all the skills tested.Ekstrand(1978) makes a survey about four groups of Swedish school children, whose ages are 8, 9, 10 and 11 respectively. They had been taught English in 10-minute sessions twice a week after 18 weeks, the groups were tested for pronunciation(a taped imitation task) andcomprehension(a taped imitation task) increases almost linearly with age.Ann Fathman made a study in 1982 which examined the relationship between certain aspects of the second language acquisition process and age through an oral production test.It examined about 200 children(aged 6 to 15) from diverse language backgrounds who were learning English as a second language in public schools. The results indicated that the older children performed better in the production of correct morphological and syntactic structures while the younger children performed better in the use of correct English pronunciation.From the following studies, we can conclude that age can affect the rate of second language learning. Adolescents and adults have many advantages in second language acquisition like faster speed and strong ability to acquire syntax and morphology while children perform much better in phonology.4.1.2 The Affects of Age Factors on the Process of Second Language AcquisitionFew people make a study of the effects of age on the process of second language acquisition. By far Harley's(1986) investigation of early and late immersion programmes is the most detailed study of the effects of age on the acquisition process. Harley made a comprison between the two groups' acquisition of French verb phrase. For example, the two groups generally made similar types of errors and both groups prefer the relatively unmarked French verb forms to the marked forms. There were only a few differences reflected variations in the second language input to which the learners were exposed.Bailey et al.(1974) investigated the order in which adults acquired the same set of grammatical morphemes studied by Dulay and Burt who found an order similar to that found in the morpheme studies of children. Fathman(1975) found that the order of acquisition remained constant compared with her sample of two hundred children aged from 6 to 15 years.Cazden et al.(1975) found that child, adolescent, and adult learners went through the same stages. Thus, learners appear to process linguistic data in the same way, no matter how old they are.According to their study, the process did not remain constant for children who were in different ages as for order of acquisition. Despite of differences of age and learning environments, there seemed to be a consistency in the order. These findings also support the ideas of Dulay and Burt(1973) and Madden, Bailey, and Krashen(1974), which suggest that there appeared to be similar in terms of acquisition of structures for all second language learners.4.1.3The Affects of Age Factors on Learners’ Second Language AchievementMany researchers have compared older and younger children and concluded that older children are faster learners of syntax and morphology. Then comes the question, whether learners who begin learning can reach higher levels of second language ability than those who start asadolescents or adults. To answer this question,some scholars did some researches.Burstal et al.(1974), through comprison, found the result that those who started learning French in school at either age 8 or 11when reached age 16. There was only one test result in favor of the early learners, that is to say, only listening comprehension better.In another study, Dunkel&Pillet(1962), through the comprison of American Schook children who had begun learning French at grade 3 and students of the same age who had had only one year of French at the secondary level, found that the former did not do as well as the latter in terms of the standardized group test of formal grammar in Franch.Oller&Nagato(1974) found the same results in school system in Japan. Students learn English as a second language from grades 1-6did not do better than students who began learning English in grade 7 when they attend test in the grade 11.Harley(1986) also make a research which focused on learners' acquisition of the French verb system. She compared early and late immersion students after both had received1,000hours of instruction. Neither group had mastered the verb system, but the older students can master well. However, the early immersion group showed higher levels of attainment than the late.The results from these reflect that children's level of attainment is greater than that of adolescents/adults. As Stern has emphasized, early age school instruction does not in itself guarantee success(Stern, 1976; Stern&Weinrib, 1977; Stern, 1982).4.2 Respective Advantages and Disadvantages among Different AgesWhen children, adolescents and adults learn a second language, they have neurological(Lenneberg, 1967), cognitive(Talor, 1974: 33) and social-psychological(Brown, H.D. 1987: 51; Talor, 1974) differences. There are many factors determining the differences between children and adults in second language learning such as learning learning environment, intelligence and difficulty in comparative researches and experiments, but age factor is the most influenced one. Actually, children, adolescents and adults have their own advantages and disadvantages in second language learning. The most practical way is to study the effects that age differences bring to language learning and the advantages and disadvantages that each each language learner at different age has in learning a foreign language.4.2.1 ChidhoodChildren's brains are flexible and may have an advantage to accept new knowledge in the second language learning. Therefore, it is easy for them to acquire pronunciation in this period. And a second language can be left a deep impression on the brains in this period. So this is very useful for children's further learning. For instance, some children's toys which can speak some English and Chinese words for them, and gradually, we can find those two years child speak the same words correctly. However, during this period, the parents just want to entertain the children.But they will remember those even when they grow up. At the same time, children have poor-term and systematic memory, and usually confuse native and foreign languages or native culture and foreign culture, possessing poor ability of abstract thinking. Therefore, it is good for children to learn foreign languages in such bilingual social environment or better teaching facilities.Besides, our children don't have ability to judge what is right or what is wrong. Children generally follow others' words and actions. So it is not surprise to find that many children share the same behavior of siphoning off the fingers. Therefore, teachers and parents pay attention to children's environment because children can behave differently in different environments. So the teachers and parents should give proper guide in time when children make some mistakes. Some studies state that non-English-speaking have English lessons and instruction. But the length of the program is inconsistent with the acquisition speed. One of the most important factor is the influence of mother tongue. Therefore, it is not the best for children to learn a second language early.4.2.2 AdolescentsAdolescents have several advantages. They have a high cognitive maturity and a high ability of imitation and memory. Adolescents can also make the most of communicative strategies and understand language and culture very well, which make language input enriched. And they like joining the communication activities. Adolescents can grasp the language regulations and make full use of them in their sentences to express their deeper thoughts. Besides, they can also correct the errors in sentences. All these are obvious advantages for the adolescents in second language learning. For instance, if we ask adolescent students to do a role-play after learning a dialogue, most students can finish the task and some good students can even play it lively. While, if we ask children to do the same case, the children can hardly finish it. That is to say, only adults can achieve such advantages. And as we all known, the adolescents is a period of full of energy and imagination, thus the adolescents must have strong self-control ability and stick to their aims. Besides, they always consider themselves as adults. Therefore, they hate to be ignored and hope to win respect like adults, which is difficult for teacher to deal with. This why a successful teacher always treat some students as a adult while doing as a child.At the same time,adolescents have many courses in school. Nowadays,more adolescents learnt more than one kind of foreign language. They have to deal with many subjects. Many students even busy on the weekend.It seems that they have no time to relax. They always feel nervous. This make the students feel much burden. Thus, it is crucial for teachers and parents to give the adolescents proper guide when they grow the sense of giving up learni ng.4.2.3 AdulthoodAs we all known, adults mental is mature. They always have clear goals and strong motivation to learn a second language. When they decide to learn a language, they will devote much energy to learning.Adults can grasp the complicated grammar and reading task better than adolescents and children. Therefore, they can understand the second language deeply. All those features lead to adults' learning well. At the same time, the following three kind of adults also have an advantage over adolescents and child.(1) Some adults work under an International environment, and this atmosphere may provide them more opportunities to practice foreign languages.(2) Some adults have a long-term or short-term plan to go abroad for further education or working. This plan may make them aware of strengthening their foreign language. And in order to realize this dream, they have to pay more energy and attention to foreign language learning. Therefore, they can promote their foreign language quickly.(3) Some students still have a strong conscious of learning. Thus they will further the quality of their already language. And they'll grasp every opportunity to improve their foreign language.Adults also have some disadvantages. For example, most adults have already worked after graduation,join in the social activities and care about the family day and night. Besides, many adults' memory isn't as good as before with the growth of age. Therefore, it is difficult for adults to master foreign language well. And the adults only practice English in the spare time such as when they are at home. They even can't focus their intention on practice if they have a baby. Thus, most adults try their best to make up those disadvantages.5. ConclusionIt is clear that age is an important factor in second language acquisition. It is not nessessary for students to learn a second language early. Younger learners are not necessarily better learners. Children, adolescents and adults have their own characteristics in second language learning. Children can easily grasp the pronunciation. Adolescents can understand language and culture better.It is good for second language learning. Adults can master the complicated grammar and language regularities. Thus, teachers and parents should employ different strategies in terms of learners of different ages.Bibliography[1] 林崇德.英语教学心理学[M]. 北京教育出版社, 2001,3[2] 刘建华.中学英语创新教法[M]. 学苑出版社, 1999,10[3] 束定芬、庄智象. 现代外语教学——理论、实践与方法[J].东北师大学报, 2006 (2)[4] 王立菲. 现代外语教学论[M]. 上海教育出版社, 2002,1[5] 王蔷. 英语教学法教程[M]. 高等教育出版社, 2005,4[6] 薛中梁. 谈英语课堂教学[M]. 湖北教育出版社, 2003,3[7] Liu Yongfa, Liu Xuan'en.The Practical Body Language[M]. Hua Wen Press, 1997,2[8] Wu Zongjie.Readings for Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching[J].Zhejiang Teachers' University,1998(3)。

二语习得中年龄差异对成年人外语学习的启示1. 引言1.1 研究背景二语习得中年龄差异对成年人外语学习的启示引言在当今全球化的社会环境中，外语学习已经成为越来越重要的技能。

随着不同国家之间的经济、文化交流的加深，人们对外语学习的需求也日益增长。

外语学习的效果与个体的年龄有着密切的关系。

过去，很多研究都集中在儿童和青少年时期的外语习得上，对成年人外语学习的研究相对较少。

而中年成年人由于年龄的增长和其他因素的影响，其外语学习存在着一些特殊的现象和困难。

本研究将关注二语习得中年龄差异对成年人外语学习的影响，并探讨其中的启示和对外语教学的启示。

深入研究中年成年人的外语学习过程和特点，有助于找到更有效的教学方法和策略，提高中年成人的外语学习效果。

也可以为未来的外语学习研究提供新的思路和方向。

在这个背景下，本研究旨在探讨中年成年人外语学习中年龄差异的影响，从而为外语教学实践提供更多有益的启示和建议。

1.2 研究目的研究目的是通过对二语习得中年龄差异对成年人外语学习的影响进行深入探讨，揭示不同年龄段成人在学习外语过程中所面临的挑战和优势。

我们希望能够了解中年成人在学习外语时因为年龄差异所产生的特定问题，并提出相应的解决方法，从而为成年人的外语学习提供更科学、更有效的指导。

我们也希望通过本研究能够为教育实践提供一定的参考，为外语教育工作者和学习者提供更合理的教学和学习方法，促进成年人的外语学习水平的提高，推动外语教育事业的发展。

通过深入研究中年成年人在外语学习中的特点和困难，我们的目的是为了更好地帮助他们克服障碍，取得更好的学习成效，提高学习动力和自信心。

1.3 研究意义外语学习一直被认为是一项重要的能力，尤其是在全球化日益发展的今天。

而研究中年成人在外语学习中的年龄差异对学习效果的影响，具有重要的理论和实践意义。

研究中年成人在外语学习中的年龄差异能够帮助我们更深入地了解成人的语言习得能力。

随着年龄的增长，大脑的可塑性逐渐降低，导致学习效果也随之降低。

年龄对成人二语习得的影响年龄对成人二语习得的影响在全球化的时代，学习第二语言对个人的发展和职业机会越来越重要。

然而，成人学习二语与儿童学习二语存在一些显著的差异。

本文将探讨年龄对成人二语习得的影响以及成人在学习二语过程中可能面临的一些挑战。

从神经科学的角度来看，成人在学习二语时与儿童有一些结构和功能上的差异。

根据研究，成人的大脑对语言学习的神经可塑性相对较差，他们的语言习得中枢通过神经连接的方式形成模式，这使得他们在新的语言环境中更难以适应。

此外，成年人的大脑已经形成了第一语言的语音、语法以及词汇的认知框架，这种习得的方式使得他们更容易受到母语的干扰。

年龄对成人的发音和语法习得也有重要影响。

成人在发音上往往会遇到困难，因为他们的口腔肌肉已经发育成为习得第一语言的形态，这会导致他们很难适应新的发音需求。

此外，成人的语法习得更侧重于规则和抽象概念，而不是自然习得的方式。

他们需要花费更多的时间和精力去学习语法规则，并且在运用语法时可能会陷入思维翻译的困境。

然而，成人在学习二语方面也有一些优势。

他们的生活经验和知识储备使得他们在理解和运用语言时更具优势。

成人通常具备比儿童更强的元认知和学习策略，这使得他们能够更有效地规划和控制学习过程，从而加速二语习得的进程。

此外，成人能够利用自己的先前知识和经验，将第一语言的语言知识与第二语言的语言知识进行比较和联系，从而提高学习效果。

正如前文所述，成人在学习二语时面临一些挑战。

与儿童不同，成人通常有更多的学习和工作任务，时间和资源更为有限。

这可能使得他们在学习二语方面缺乏耐心和投入。

此外，成人在二语学习的过程中往往会受到心理压力和自信心的影响。

他们可能会因为担心犯错或不流利而缺乏实践的动力，这对于习得第二语言来说是一个重要的挑战。

为了克服年龄对成人二语习得的影响，成人学习者可以采取一些策略。

首先，他们应该保持积极的学习态度和自信心，尽量摆脱焦虑和压力。

其次，成人应该制定明确的学习目标和计划，并采用合适的学习策略，例如刻意练习和使用语言学习应用程序。

年龄因素如何影响第二语言习得及其对二语教学的启示的开题报告一、选题背景和研究意义当前，随着全球化进程的不断加深，第二语言习得愈发重要。

如何更有效地进行第二语言习得已成为语言教育领域的关注焦点之一。

而年龄因素是影响第二语言习得的重要因素之一。

根据研究，儿童和成人在第二语言习得方面存在着显著差异。

儿童在习得语言的语音、语法和词汇方面表现更为出色，而在语用、修辞和抽象思维等方面的表现则相对较差；成人则相反，成人更擅长理解语言的语用、修辞和抽象思维等方面，但语音、语法和词汇习得相对较难。

针对年龄因素影响第二语言习得的问题，本研究旨在分析年龄因素对第二语言习得的影响，并探究其对二语教学的启示，以此为语言教育领域提供指导和参考。

二、研究目的和研究问题本研究的目的在于分析年龄因素对第二语言习得的影响，并探究其对二语教学的启示。

具体研究问题如下：1. 年龄因素对第二语言习得的影响是什么？2. 年龄因素对第二语言习得的影响与何种因素相关？3. 如何针对年龄因素进行二语教学？三、研究方法和研究设计本研究采用文献研究法和调查问卷法相结合的研究方法。

首先，通过阅读相关文献，总结已有研究成果，分析年龄因素对第二语言习得的影响；其次，通过设计调查问卷，了解不同年龄段学习者在第二语言习得中的主要困难以及教师在日常教学中针对年龄因素的重点促进措施。

最后，根据研究结果提出有针对性的二语教学策略和方法。

四、研究预期结果通过本研究，预期得到以下结果：1. 分析年龄因素对第二语言习得的影响，提出对应的教学策略和方法；2. 探究年龄因素与其他因素的关系，深入了解年龄因素在第二语言习得中的作用；3. 分析不同年龄段学习者在第二语言习得中的主要困难，指导教师有针对性地进行二语教学。

浅析年龄因素对第⼆语⾔习得的影响2019-10-06摘要：在第⼆语⾔习得的过程中存在着明显的年龄差异。

研究表明，年龄因素是影响⼆语学习的重要因素之⼀。

⼈们普遍认为⼉童习得第⼆语⾔⽐成⼈快的多，容易的多。

本⽂利⽤关键期假说分析年龄因素对⼆语习得的影响，以及⼈们对关键期这⼀假说的不同态度，从⽽思考对我国教学有哪些重要启⽰。

关键词：⼆语习得；年龄；关键期假设；教学启⽰【中图分类号】H0⼀、关键期假设1.1、关键期假说的定义Penfield⾸先提出⼀个假定就是孩⼦的⼤脑具有可塑性特别是在获得语⾔⽅⾯。

他继续提出⼩孩应该在很早的年龄段在学校⾥去接受第⼆语⾔。

所以，他继续研究，在他的著作《语⾔的⽣物学基础》中，给出了⼀些有关于关键期假说的证据。

在1967年的时候，Lenneberg将关键期假说引⽤到了⼆语习得的领域，这个可以对⼆语习得过程中⼩孩要⽐成年⼈更快更成功的习得语⾔这⼀现象做出解释。

他指出，有⼀个时期语⾔习得可以在⼀个很⾃然很轻松的状态下发⽣，但是过了这个特定阶段后，⼤脑将不会再以这种⽅式去处理所输⼊的语⾔。

他还提出了⼀个更为强⼤的版本的关键期假说。

他声称，如果⼀个孩⼦在特定的年龄（青春期（12岁））之前没有接触到语⾔，那么第⼀语⾔的习得是不可能发⽣的。

这个版本相较于前⾯那个⽐较弱⼀点的版所指出的是，即使在那个特定年龄后开始学习语⾔，也许有可能会发⽣⼀些习得现象，但是想要达到本民族那种⽔平却是⾼不可攀。

越往后，学习者的语⾔的发展将会更加的没有规律，最终达到的语⾔成就也是不会太熟练的。

1.2、关键期假说的代表⼈物和研究根据关键期假设我们可以知道有⼀个完美的时间来习得语⾔，过了这个时期，更好的习得语⾔的机会就变⼩了。

关键期假设在⼆语习得过程中有⼀个关键性特性就是它的预测性，也就是如果开始学习第⼆语⾔的时间在那个关键期之后，那么他的第⼆语⾔要想达到本民族语者的⽔平是不可能的了。

关键期假说对⼆语习得有着显著的影响，许多学者以及研究结果都证明了这个假说。

Age Factor in Second Language Aquisition1. IntroductionNowerdays, with the development of society and technology, our society has become more open. People, with different colors,who come from different countries and areas communicate with each other in various ways and methods. Language, of course, is one of the most important tools in our communication. As we all known, English is an international language in the whole world. Accordingly, in our country, English learning is very popular with not only students, but also the children, adults and even the retired old man. And according to many studies,age is one of the most important individual factors affecting foreign language learning, which is considered as a focus of applied linguistics and psycholinguistics. Almost all parents think that"Don't let their own children lose at the beginning. "In China,all the families believe that it is very important for the students to learn English in the childhood.And many parents even send their children to language schools at an early age in older to get a high score.In recent years,some scholars in China such as Gui Shichun, Wang Chuming, Dai Manchun, Dai Weidong have a heated discussion about the affection of age factors in foreign language teaching and learning. At the same time, the government have also paid more attention on English learning. Nowerdays,many reseachers have studied the factors affecting language learning, such as intelligence, aptitude, personality, motivation, attitudes, earner's preference, learner's beliefs and age of acquisition. But I just want to study the influence of age factor. Is it good enough for parents to let their children learn English at an early age? Do children have absolute advantages over adolescents and adults in second language acquisition? What are the respective advantages and disadvantages of children,adolescents and adults? With the above problems analyzed,this thesis focus on the influence of age factor on the Second Language Acquisition.2. Second Language Acquisition2.1 Definitin of Second Language Acquisition"Second language acquisition"refers to the subconscious or conscious processes by which a language other than mother tongue is learnt in a natural or a tutored or a classroom; it covers the development of phonology,lexis,grammar, pragmatics and other knowledge(Hu Zhuanglin,p.268). How children acquire their native languages and what is the relavance of this to foreign language learning has long been debated. Although evidence for the declining of second language learning ability with age is controversial, a common assumption is that children learn second languageseasily and fluently compared with old learners. This assumption stems from"critical period"(CP) ideas(Lennerberg,1967). It is commonly know that children with regular faculties and given normal circumstances will easily master their native languages. Unfortunately,perfect language mastery is rarely in the process of second language acquisition. One of the most obvious potential explanations for the lack of success of second language learners compared to first language learners is that the acquisition of second language begins at a later age than that of the mother tongue does. Thus, many scholars assume that age itself is a predicator of second language proficiency.A popular belief in this area is that younger learners have certain advantages over older learners in foreign language learning and many linguists and researchers share this belief. They believe that younger children learn second language more easily and quickly than older children (Ellis,2008;Larsen-Freeman,2008). However,some other researchers hold the the opposite point. They believe that younger learners do not show any advantage over older learners in second language learning, and they even can provide some evidence to prove scientifically that the opposite is true, i.e. older learners exhibit some advantages over younger learners (Snow&Hoefnagef-Hohle,1978).About the study on age factors affecting second language acquisition, Carroll(1980) provided neurological basis for critical period hypothesis from aspect of earlier exposure, whose experiment indicates that the earlier exposure to second language,more or less, is of significance to the success of second language acquisition. That is, the early exposure to second language will bring quite different quality to later language learning in both natural and conscious settings.2.2 Current Situation of Second Language AcquisitionMany studies pay much attention to the age factor in second language learning at home and abroad. The relationship between age factor and second language acquisition has become more and more hot and popular.As for second languge acquisition. Penfield and Roberts(1959:130) first introduced the Critical Period. According to Penfield and Roberts, a child's brain is more plastic compared with that of an adult. And in 1967, Lenneberd introduced the Critical Period Hypothesis to second language acquisition, which could account for children's faster and more successful attainment over adults in second language acquisition.The research of age factor in foreign language learning also attracts much attention of the scholars in China.But it seems that many of them are on the opponent side. Professor Gui Shichun(1992:54-56) questioned the popular concept of "the younger, the better". Recently, in Guangdong Province, Professor Dong Yanping(2003:39-47) proposed that it was not necessary to start English teaching programs for young children in kindergartens and Grade 1 of primaryschools. At the same time, a variety of English learning phenomena have sprung up in China:in 2001, the Education Ministry decided that pupils begin English learning from Grade Three in cities and condition-permitting rural areas; in Shanghai all the pupils have been required to learn English from Grade One since 2003; English training courses for kids mushroom all over the country and at the same time, English textbooksand tapesforkids becomebest-sellers. English languagehas turnedintoa secondlanguage inChina.3. Factors Affeting Second Language AcquisitionIn our life and experience, almost all normal children can succeed in their first language acquisition on condition that they get a normal upbring. However, it is quite different in second language learning.Actually, different characteristics of learners will lead to different results in second language learning. And everyone has his own personality. In addition to personality, other factors are also relevant to language learning. These include intelligence, motivation, aptitude, learners 'preferences and learners' belief.3.1 IntelligenceThe level of learners' intelligence have an influence or second language learning. Over the past years, through using some intelligence tests or different methods, and then using the scores measure the intelligence of the learners. Researchers suppose that intelligence may be connected with second language ability. Recently, more and more studies have proved this. However, it is not the only factor. There are many students who are very successful in second language learning without high intelligence scores.3.2 PersonalityThere are many personality characteristics have been considered to be related to second language learning such as extroversion and inhibition. Many believed that extroversion is well suited to second language learning. However, this conclusion does not always get enough support. That is to say, in many studies, many learners who haven't got high scores on measuring extroversion are still successful in the second language learning.In terms of inhibition,it discourages the progress in language learning because the learners' courage of taking risk can be reduced by the inhibition personality. In fact, personality characteristics still conclude others such as empathy, talkativeness, self-esteem, dominance and responsiveness. However, the clear relationship between learners' personality and second language learning hasn't been found out because it is complicated. As an English teacher,we prefer the active and lively students in the class since they have good performance. So this kind of students who can get more attention from the teachers often has more opportunities to practiceand express.3.3 AptitudeAptitude can be considered as a kind of talent which is made up of different kinds of abilities. The followings are some examples:(1) The ability to recognize the meaning of the words in the sentences.(2) The ability to remember new words. This kind of ability is much more concerned with the learners' vocabulary ability.(3) The ability to analyze the grammar of the material. There are many grammatical rules. So the ability of analyzing the grammar can affect the learners' language learning.(4) The ability to translate. Translation is very important in language learning and using. Any students who has a good knowledge of translation can do a better job in reading, speaking and even writing.3.4 MotivationThrough the studies of second language acquisition, the learners' attitude and motivation also plays an important role in learning a second language. And the good and positive attitude and motivation will be more likely to succeed in second language learning than the opposite. Motivation can be studied in two main parts: learners' communicative needs and their attitudes towards the second language community.Therefore, if the learner wants to use the second language efficiently, they must have an abtive attitude and master opportunities to practice. Besides, the personal growth,cultural enrichment and instrumental motivation are all concluded in motivation, which are also concerned with the success of the second language learning.However, the researchers cannot find out how the motivation affects on the learners during their second language learning.3.5 Learners’ PreferenceAs for the learning material and learning methods, every learner has his own preference. Some learners say that they cannot learn something before they have seen it, while others seem to know something as long as they talked it once or twice.When learners show his preference for some materials or topics which we disagree with the learning method, we should encourage the learners to use their available ways to achieve the success rather than stop them.3.6 Learners’ BeliefAlthough not all the language learners may have their individual consciousness of the language learning, all of them have their strong beliefs which influence their learning methods.Therefore, the learners' belief is also an important factor in second language learning.4. Age Factors and Second Language Aquisition4.1 The Affects of Age Factors4.1.1 The Affects of Age Factors on Rate of Second Language AcquisitionOne popular belief about second language acquisition is that the younger, the better. Recently, certain research reports claim to counter this early Critical Period Hypothesis and state that age and language acquisition is inconsistent. Not all younger performs to be superior.Opposite to the Critical Period Hypothesis, Krashen, Long and Scarcella(1979) draw a different conclusion: (1)adults are superior to children in rate of acquisition, and(2)older children learn more rapidly than younger children(Krashen, et al, 1979). This results reflect differences in rate of acquisition which are consistent with the hypothesis. Adults are generally faster than children in early stages of second language acquisition.In1967, J.Asher and S.Price compared the ability of listening comprehension of 8-10-year-old and 14-year-old childrent and college adults. The results show that adults score highest while the 8-year-old children were the lowest of all groups tested.T10-year-old and 14-year-old children were between adults are the 8-year-olds. This study suggests that the adults ard superior to the same conditions as children when they learn a second language.Ervin-Tripp(1974) studied the rate of acquisition of French by 31 English-speaking children aged from four to who learn French nine month in Switzerland(including attendance in French-speaking schools). She reached the conclusion that children performed much better.Burstall et al.(1975) and Ekstrand(1977) researched majority children who learn a foreign language in Britain and Sweden respectively. Burstall et al.make a study about a large number of school students,some of whom began learning French at the age of eight and others who began at the age eleven after three years on condition having learnt French for the same amount of time, the older learners were ahead on three out of four skills tested-listening, reading and writing.The younger learners, however, mastered speaking ability highly.Snow and Hoefnagel-hohle(1978) make a study who learn Dutch in Holland. The subjects were divided into five age groups: ten3-to-5-year-olds, eight6-to-7-year-olds, thirteen8-to-10-year-olders, nine12-to-15-year-olds, and eleven adults. The study indicated that 3-to-5-year-olds scored lowest and the 12-to-15-year-olds showed the most rapid acquisition of all the skills tested.Ekstrand(1978) makes a survey about four groups of Swedish school children, whose ages are 8, 9, 10 and 11 respectively. They had been taught English in 10-minute sessions twice a week after 18 weeks, the groups were tested for pronunciation(a taped imitation task) and comprehension(a taped imitation task) increases almost linearly with age.Ann Fathman made a study in 1982 which examined the relationship between certain aspects of the second language acquisition process and age through an oral production test.It examined about 200 children(aged 6 to 15) from diverse language backgrounds who were learning English as a second language in public schools. The results indicated that the older children performed better in the production of correct morphological and syntactic structures while the younger children performed better in the use of correct English pronunciation.From the following studies, we can conclude that age can affect the rate of second language learning. Adolescents and adults have many advantages in second language acquisition like faster speed and strong ability to acquire syntax and morphology while children perform much better in phonology.4.1.2 The Affects of Age Factors on the Process of Second Language AcquisitionFew people make a study of the effects of age on the process of second language acquisition. By far Harley's(1986) investigation of early and late immersion programmes is the most detailed study of the effects of age on the acquisition process. Harley made a comprison between the two groups' acquisition of French verb phrase. For example, the two groups generally made similar types of errors and both groups prefer the relatively unmarked French verb forms to the marked forms. There were only a few differences reflected variations in the second language input to which the learners were exposed.Bailey et al.(1974) investigated the order in which adults acquired the same set of grammatical morphemes studied by Dulay and Burt who found an order similar to that found in the morpheme studies of children. Fathman(1975) found that the order of acquisition remained constant compared with her sample of two hundred children aged from 6 to 15 years.Cazden et al.(1975) found that child, adolescent, and adult learners went through the same stages. Thus, learners appear to process linguistic data in the same way, no matter how old they are.According to their study, the process did not remain constant for children who were in different ages as for order of acquisition. Despite of differences of age and learning environments, there seemed to be a consistency in the order. These findings also support the ideas of Dulay and Burt(1973) and Madden, Bailey, and Krashen(1974), which suggest that there appeared to be similar in terms of acquisition of structures for all second language learners.4.1.3The Affects of Age Factors on Learners’ Second Language AchievementMany researchers have compared older and younger children and concluded that older children are faster learners of syntax and morphology. Then comes the question, whether learners who begin learning can reach higher levels of second language ability than those who start as adolescents or adults. To answer this question,some scholars did some researches.Burstal et al.(1974), through comprison, found the result that those who started learning French in school at either age 8 or 11when reached age 16. There was only one test result in favor of the early learners, that is to say, only listening comprehension better.In another study, Dunkel&Pillet(1962), through the comprison of American Schook children who had begun learning French at grade 3 and students of the same age who had had only one year of French at the secondary level, found that the former did not do as well as the latter in terms of the standardized group test of formal grammar in Franch.Oller&Nagato(1974) found the same results in school system in Japan. Students learn English as a second language from grades 1-6did not do better than students who began learning English in grade 7 when they attend test in the grade 11.Harley(1986) also make a research which focused on learners' acquisition of the French verb system. She compared early and late immersion students after both had received1,000hours of instruction. Neither group had mastered the verb system, but the older students can master well. However, the early immersion group showed higher levels of attainment than the late.The results from these reflect that children's level of attainment is greater than that of adolescents/adults. As Stern has emphasized, early age school instruction does not in itself guarantee success(Stern, 1976; Stern&Weinrib, 1977; Stern, 1982).4.2 Respective Advantages and Disadvantages among Different AgesWhen children, adolescents and adults learn a second language, they have neurological(Lenneberg, 1967), cognitive(Talor, 1974: 33) and social-psychological(Brown, H.D. 1987: 51; Talor, 1974) differences. There are many factors determining the differences between children and adults in second language learning such as learning learning environment, intelligence and difficulty in comparative researches and experiments, but age factor is the most influenced one. Actually, children, adolescents and adults have their own advantages and disadvantages in second language learning. The most practical way is to study the effects that age differences bring to language learning and the advantages and disadvantages that each each language learner at different age has in learning a foreign language.4.2.1 ChidhoodChildren's brains are flexible and may have an advantage to accept new knowledge in the second language learning. Therefore, it is easy for them to acquire pronunciation in this period. And a second language can be left a deep impression on the brains in this period. So this is very useful for children's further learning. For instance, some children's toys which can speak some English and Chinese words for them, and gradually, we can find those two years child speak the same words correctly. However, during this period, the parents just want to entertain the children. But they will remember those even when they grow up. At the same time, children havepoor-term and systematic memory, and usually confuse native and foreign languages or native culture and foreign culture, possessing poor ability of abstract thinking. Therefore, it is good for children to learn foreign languages in such bilingual social environment or better teaching facilities.Besides, our children don't have ability to judge what is right or what is wrong. Children generally follow others' words and actions. So it is not surprise to find that many children share the same behavior of siphoning off the fingers. Therefore, teachers and parents pay attention to children's environment because children can behave differently in different environments. So the teachers and parents should give proper guide in time when children make some mistakes. Some studies state that non-English-speaking have English lessons and instruction. But the length of the program is inconsistent with the acquisition speed. One of the most important factor is the influence of mother tongue. Therefore, it is not the best for children to learn a second language early.4.2.2 AdolescentsAdolescents have several advantages. They have a high cognitive maturity and a high ability of imitation and memory. Adolescents can also make the most of communicative strategies and understand language and culture very well, which make language input enriched. And they like joining the communication activities. Adolescents can grasp the language regulations and make full use of them in their sentences to express their deeper thoughts. Besides, they can also correct the errors in sentences. All these are obvious advantages for the adolescents in second language learning. For instance, if we ask adolescent students to do a role-play after learning a dialogue, most students can finish the task and some good students can even play it lively. While, if we ask children to do the same case, the children can hardly finish it. That is to say, only adults can achieve such advantages. And as we all known, the adolescents is a period of full of energy and imagination, thus the adolescents must have strong self-control ability and stick to their aims. Besides, they always consider themselves as adults. Therefore, they hate to be ignored and hope to win respect like adults, which is difficult for teacher to deal with. This why a successful teacher always treat some students as a adult while doing as a child.At the same time,adolescents have many courses in school. Nowadays,more adolescents learnt more than one kind of foreign language. They have to deal with many subjects. Many students even busy on the weekend.It seems that they have no time to relax. They always feel nervous. This make the students feel much burden. Thus, it is crucial for teachers and parents to give the adolescents proper guide when they grow the sense of giving up learni ng.4.2.3 AdulthoodAs we all known, adults mental is mature. They always have clear goals and strongmotivation to learn a second language. When they decide to learn a language, they will devote much energy to learning.Adults can grasp the complicated grammar and reading task better than adolescents and children. Therefore, they can understand the second language deeply. All those features lead to adults' learning well. At the same time, the following three kind of adults also have an advantage over adolescents and child.(1) Some adults work under an International environment, and this atmosphere may provide them more opportunities to practice foreign languages.(2) Some adults have a long-term or short-term plan to go abroad for further education or working. This plan may make them aware of strengthening their foreign language. And in order to realize this dream, they have to pay more energy and attention to foreign language learning. Therefore, they can promote their foreign language quickly.(3) Some students still have a strong conscious of learning. Thus they will further the quality of their already language. And they'll grasp every opportunity to improve their foreign language.Adults also have some disadvantages. For example, most adults have already worked after graduation,join in the social activities and care about the family day and night. Besides, many adults' memory isn't as good as before with the growth of age. Therefore, it is difficult for adults to master foreign language well. And the adults only practice English in the spare time such as when they are at home. They even can't focus their intention on practice if they have a baby. Thus, most adults try their best to make up those disadvantages.5. ConclusionIt is clear that age is an important factor in second language acquisition. It is not nessessary for students to learn a second language early. Younger learners are not necessarily better learners. Children, adolescents and adults have their own characteristics in second language learning. Children can easily grasp the pronunciation. Adolescents can understand language and culture better.It is good for second language learning. Adults can master the complicated grammar and language regularities. Thus, teachers and parents should employ different strategies in terms of learners of different ages.Bibliography[1] 林崇德.英语教学心理学[M]. 北京教育出版社, 2001,3[2] 刘建华.中学英语创新教法[M]. 学苑出版社, 1999,10[3] 束定芬、庄智象. 现代外语教学——理论、实践与方法[J].东北师大学报, 2006 (2)[4] 王立菲. 现代外语教学论[M]. 上海教育出版社, 2002,1[5] 王蔷. 英语教学法教程[M]. 高等教育出版社, 2005,4[6] 薛中梁. 谈英语课堂教学[M]. 湖北教育出版社, 2003,3[7] Liu Yongfa, Liu Xuan'en.The Practical Body Language[M]. Hua Wen Press, 1997,2[8] Wu Zongjie.Readings for Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching[J].Zhejiang Teachers' University,1998(3)。

二语习得中年龄差异对成年人外语学习的启示随着全球化进程的加速，学习一门外语已经成为现代社会中不可或缺的技能。

无论是对于职业发展、学术交流还是文化体验，掌握外语都有着极其重要的意义。

而在成年人外语学习中，年龄差异往往扮演着重要的角色。

对于外语学习者来说，年龄对于二语习得会产生何种影响？年龄差异如何影响成年人外语学习的效果？本文将就此问题展开探讨，并从中得出一些对成年人外语学习的启示。

一、语言习得的关键期理论要探讨年龄差异对外语学习的影响，就必须先了解语言习得的关键期理论。

这一理论指出，人类在婴幼儿期到青春期之间，拥有最佳的语言习得能力。

在这个时期，大脑对于语言的接受和模仿能力最强，所以幼儿能够轻松而快速地掌握母语。

随着年龄的增长，人类大脑中与语言习得有关的神经网络逐渐固化，这也导致了成年人习得新语言的难度增加。

语言习得的关键期理论对于理解年龄差异对成年人外语学习的影响起到了重要的指导作用。

二、幼儿优势与成年人优势在实际的外语学习中，幼儿和成年人在习得新语言时常常显现出不同的特点。

幼儿学习新语言的主要优势在于他们的大脑处于高度塑性状态，能够更容易地模仿和学习新的语音和语法规则。

幼儿通常没有心理负担和焦虑感，能够更加轻松地投入到语言学习中。

幼儿往往能够在较短的时间内掌握一门新语言。

而成年人学习外语则具有自己的优势。

成年人在逻辑思维、记忆能力和分析能力上明显优于幼儿，这使得他们能够更深入地理解和掌握外语的语法和逻辑结构。

成年人能够通过注重理解和分析的方式学习外语，这有助于他们形成更加全面和系统的语言知识体系。

成年人学习外语的目的和动机通常更加明确，这使得他们在外语学习上更加有恒心和毅力。

成年人在学习外语时可能会受到年龄的限制，但同时也拥有一些幼儿无法比拟的优势。

对于成年人外语学习者来说，了解年龄差异对学习的影响可以帮助他们更好地制定学习策略，提高学习效率。

成年人应该认识到自己不可能像婴幼儿一样迅速而轻松地掌握新语言，这有助于他们保持耐心和恒心。