Effects of Early Exposure to a Second Language on Its Proficiency at Later Age

Yen-Cheng Tseng 
(Department of Business Administration and Language Education Center, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan)

Abstract: With the globalization, more and more people have the opportunity and need to use a second language (L2). Many countries implement foreign language instructions at earlier ages, and some researchers proposed that a child be at an optimum age for language learning, with the puberty marking the offset of the critical period. On the basis of empirical studies, this review evaluates whether early exposure to an L2 leads to a higher level of its proficiency at later age, particularly as measured by standardized tests. The early exposure examined in L2 studies is usually the “age of arrival” (AOA), defined as the age at which a person begins to live in the L2 environmental. Many studies on the acquisition of English as an L2 in an L2 environment found AOA affected ultimate attainment of L2 and could serve as a predictor of L2 proficiency independent of social, environmental and affective variables. In addition, this review found studies on the acquisition of languages other than English were also limited and observed inconsistent results. Therefore, more research should be conducted on the effects of early classroom exposure on L2 learning and the age factor in the acquisition of an L2 other than English.

Key words: early exposure, second language, language acquisition, standardized test