Comprehension Questions for
Language Acquisition in Humans


© 1998-2002--Loretta F. Kasper
All Rights Reserved

Directions: Use the information presented in the reading passage, and your own words, to write an answer to each of the following questions.
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  1. During which stage of language acquisition do the sounds of a baby's native language first emerge?

  2. What is the critical period? What seems to happen to the brain at the end of the critical period?

  3. Describe Chomsky's theory of language acquisition. What support is there for Chomsky's theory?

  4. What does B.F. Skinner believe about language acquisition? What support is there for Skinner's theory?

  5. Explain the analogy of the light switch as it relates to first language acquisition.

  6. How does the idea of a "bilingual brain" relate to the theory of brain plasticity and lateralization?

  7. In terms of the brain, how may we explain the difficulty many people have in learning a second language?

  8. Write a summary of the section of the text on "Genie."

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Page last updated on October 3, 2002