Comprehension Questions for
Language Acquisition in Humans


© 1998-2001--Loretta F. Kasper
All Rights Reserved

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  1. During which stage of language acquisition do the sounds of a baby's native language first emerge?

  2. Define the term "critical period." How is the case of Genie related to the idea of a critical period?

  3. What are the age limits of the critical period? What seems to happen to the brain at the end of the critical period?

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

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

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

  7. How is the process of second language acquisition different from that of first language acquisition? What can second language learners do to make this process easier?

  8. Through which of the two hemispheres does an "early bilingual" process language? What about a "later bilingual?"

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

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

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Page last updated on October 19, 2001