Age and Foreign Language Learning in School

Understanding how biological age affects language learning is of considerable significance in a variety of contexts: in research, in setting national and international language policy, but also in families and in schools – especially in the context of 'early' foreign language instruction.This book discusses several empirical studies on how biological age influences foreign language learning. It covers topics such as whether the rate of acquisition varies with age, how the amount of time spent on the learning task correlates with age when attempting to achieve a particular level of mastery in a foreign language, whether developmental differences affect language subskills (e.g. pronunciation) or whether research should focus on a global operationalization of proficiency. By contributing to a constructive discussion of the characteristics and the possibilities in foreign language instruction in compulsory education, the book will be useful to experts and researchers interested in foreign language learning and teaching.