关键期理论对外语教学的几点启示

在语言习得过程中,人们往往发现儿童学习母语的过程就像植物自然生长的过程,只要给予适当的语言营养,他们便能不费气力掌握母语。在第二语言的习得过程中,人们惊讶地发现,儿童同样具有优势,特别是在语音、语调和词汇的掌握上。相反,成年人在二语的学习上则相对较慢。"在第二语言的学习上有一个关键期,通常认为是青春期。在此以前学习二语会相对容易些,也容易获得与母语一样的水平。一旦过了这个时期再去学习,则难度较大,而且不易成功。"[1]

The enlightenment of critical period theory on foreign language teaching

In the process of language acquisition,people often find the process of learning their native language as natural growth of plants,given the language proper nutrition,they can master the language without effort.In the process of second language acquisition,people are surprised to find that,children also have advantages,especially in the pronunciation,intonation and vocabulary.On the contrary,the adults in second language learning is relatively slow."There is a critical period in the second language learning,is usually considered adolescent.Before learning a second language would be relatively easy,easy access and native like level.Once after this period to learn,it is difficult,but not easy to success."